Freedom is Expensive

The death of a second Patrick County soldier in Iraq last week serves as a poignant reminder that the freedsoms that we as Americans enjoy (and all too often take for granted) are not free at all. In deed, freedom is very expensive. The liberties with which we are blessed in these great United States of America come with a great price tag...a debt that has been paid by courageous American soldiers like First Lieutenant Leevi Khole Barnard of Ararat and earlier Patrick County's Jonathan Bowling who both gave their lives in service to our country in war-torn Iraq.

It is the memory of these and other fallen American heroes that we honored during the Memorial Day observance on Monday, May 25th. Memorial Day formerly was observed on May 30th and VFW groups advocate a return to that date. That's why Patrick County's Memorial Day service has been scheduled for this Saturday, May 30th. This solemn ceremony will be held at Patrick Memorial Gardens at 1 p.m. Saturday and conducted by the Patrick County Veterans' Memorial Honor Guard. The program will include patriotic music and the National Anthem by Johnny Joyce with the raising of the flag by the Honor Guard, the placing of a wreath and POW/MIA symbol by the Combined Ladies Auxiliary, tributes to the military branches by the Patrick County High School JROTC, a speech by Sgt. Jason Rortvedt, a memorial reading titled the "Meaning of 13 Folds" by Scott Sanborn, and a reading of the poem "Freedom Is Not Free" by Sanborn.

We owe a great debt to the veterans of our country...especially those who have given their lives to defend our land and the principles that we value. So let's take time out from our busy schedules on Saturday, May 30th, to remember and to honor the memory of those patriotic and courageous American men and women who, since our country's founding, have paid the high price for our freedoms and given us the priviledge of living in "the land of the free and the home of the brave."

Please keep the family of First Lt. Barnard in your prayers and honor his memory with your presence at Saturday's Memorial Day ceremony. God bless America!

Richard