Today is not about us.
It is not about politics, parties, or who holds office.
It is about the men and women who have stood on the front lines and the ones who never came home.
They did not raise their right hands because they were Democrats or Republicans. They did it because they believed in what America has always claimed to stand for: faith, freedom, and the chance for the next generation to live without chains. Theirs is one of the most thankless jobs in the world. We give them one day of public reflection, and even then, too many of us look past them.
So put the arguments down for a day.
Stop bickering about the present and remember the people who made the present possible. They are the reason ordinary life still exists sitting around tables with family, laughing, playing games, going to church on Sunday. While we do those things, their families wait. Some have already answered the door to a folded flag and news that ends a life as they knew it.
American history is not perfect. No nation’s is. But the men and women who wore the uniform are the ones who kept this imperfect nation free. You can debate every decision, every war, every administration but you were not the one on the line. They were.
Here is a look at some of the major wars that shaped us, how they began, what they cost in American lives, and why the people who fought them still deserve our gratitude even when the wars themselves remain debated.
American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)
The colonies rose against British rule after years of taxation without representation, restrictions on trade, and the sense that their rights as Englishmen were being stripped away. The war began with shots at Lexington and Concord and ended with independence recognized in the Treaty of Paris. Roughly 25,000 American service members died. This war established the United States as a free nation. Without it, there is no America to argue about today.
War of 1812 (1812–1815)
Britain’s impressment of American sailors, interference with U.S. trade during the Napoleonic Wars, and support for Native American resistance on the frontier pushed the young nation into a second conflict with its former ruler. The capital was burned. The war ended in a draw with borders unchanged, yet it is often called the “Second War of Independence.” Estimates of American military deaths range around 15,000–20,000. It strengthened national identity and cleared the path for westward expansion.
Mexican-American War (1846–1848)
Triggered by the annexation of Texas and a border dispute over the Rio Grande versus the Nueces River, the war reflected the era’s belief in Manifest Destiny. The United States gained vast territory that became California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of other states. About 13,283 American service members died most from disease rather than combat. The war expanded the nation to the Pacific, but it also reopened fierce debates over slavery that helped lead to the Civil War.
Civil War (1861–1865)
The nation tore itself apart over slavery, states’ rights, and the future of the Union. More than 620,000 Americans died by far the deadliest conflict in our history. Union and Confederate soldiers both believed they were fighting for the country they loved. The Union’s victory preserved the United States as one nation and ended legal slavery. The cost was almost unimaginable, paid by men who often fought neighbors and brothers.
Spanish-American War (1898)
Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain, American economic interests, sensational journalism, and the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor pulled the United States into a short war. Spain was defeated. The U.S. gained Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, and emerged as a global power. About 2,446 American service members died, the large majority from disease. It marked America’s arrival on the world stage.
World War I (1917–1918 for the United States)
America entered late, after German unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmermann Telegram. U.S. forces helped tip the balance against the Central Powers. 116,516 American service members died. The war helped shape the modern world order and the idea that the United States would not stand completely apart from global conflicts that threatened freedom.
World War II (1941–1945 for the United States)
Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor brought America into a war against fascism and militarism on two fronts. 405,399 American service members died. This was not a pointless war. It defeated regimes that sought to dominate and enslave much of the world. It kept America free and helped liberate others. The sacrifices of that generation still define what we mean when we speak of defending liberty.
Korean War (1950–1953)
North Korea’s invasion of South Korea, backed by communist powers, led the United States and United Nations forces to intervene under the policy of containment. The war ended in an armistice near the original dividing line. 36,574 American service members died. South Korea remained free of communist rule. The war is often called the “Forgotten War,” yet the men who fought it held the line against expansion that would have changed the map of Asia.
Vietnam War (U.S. combat involvement roughly 1965–1973)
Rooted in the Cold War fear of communism spreading through Southeast Asia (the “domino theory”), the United States escalated support for South Vietnam against the communist North and Viet Cong. The war became deeply controversial at home. 58,220 American service members died. Whatever one believes about the decisions that sent them there, the young men and women who went did not choose the politics. They answered the call. Many came home to indifference or hostility. Their service and their losses still deserve honor.
Persian Gulf War (1990–1991)
Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait led a U.S.-led coalition to push Iraqi forces out. American deaths numbered in the low hundreds (around 300–400). The war restored Kuwait’s independence and demonstrated the ability of a broad coalition to reverse aggression.
Wars in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and Iraq (2003–2011)
After the September 11 attacks, the United States invaded Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban regime that sheltered it. The Iraq War followed over concerns about weapons of mass destruction and regional threats. Roughly 2,400 Americans died in Afghanistan and about 4,500 in Iraq. These conflicts remain debated. The men and women who served in them still carried the weight of decisions made far above them.
Some of these wars were clear fights for survival or against tyranny. Others were expansionist, poorly justified, or later judged mistakes. That does not change the truth about the people who fought them. They did not go into combat calculating political points. They went so the next generation might live free. They came home with wounds that do not always show. Some came home to empty houses. Some never came home at all.
Today, write one letter.
Thank one veteran.
Say a quiet prayer for the families who still feel the absence.
This day is not a referendum on the present moment. It is a long look backward through every generation that refused to let freedom die without a fight.
I never met my great-grandfather. He served in the Air Force. There are a few photos of him, and one is easy to spot the one with the smile that looks a lot like mine. I inherited that smile, and I inherited something else: a stubborn refusal to quit on this country, no matter who is in office or what condition she finds herself in. I also got his sweet tooth. Small things, but they connect me to a man who helped keep America free.
I hope I make him proud.
Today I encourage you to remember a family member who gave everything so you could be free.
Find someone who served and thank them.
And take a moment to look honestly at the long, costly list of conflicts that shaped this nation.
They did not go so we could argue.
They went so we could live free.
Today is about them.