Speech by Susan Bransfield, First Selectman

Thank you for coming this day to show your respect for those people who gave their lives in service to our country.

It seems especially relevant today as we continually hear of American casualties across the sea in Iraq.

Necessary as it can be sometimes, war is a pernicious thing for all concerned. It robs us of our youth and brings untold suffering to families everywhere it touches.

But it also serves as a grim reminder that the cost of freedom, democracy and civil rights was not "paid in full" by the inspiration and sacrifices of our forefathers. The debt remains with us even today, and the costs are heavy. The world has become a hostile place, with violence that seems contrary to every value we hold true. Our enemies are not a sovereign nation we can negotiate with, or reasonably defend ourselves against. They represent an ideology we can scarcely understand, an ideology as destructive as it is self-defeating. Think about it. The final goals of terrorism have never been achieved. The plight of the oppressed they claim to represent only gets worse, year after year, decade after decade.

And now it remains a challenge for us all.

At this Memorial Day gathering, we especially want to recognize those who served during the epoch of World War II. Their generation is passing. It is important that we show our appreciation of their collective sacrifice. Without their strong dedication and perseverance, the cause of freedom and sanity in the world would not have prevailed. We honor them today, along with all the others who wore the uniform of this democratic state.

Let us make sure that we have learned from them the lessons that they gave us: That we must be strong as well as merciful. That we must hold onto our ideals even when circumstances suggest ways that are more expedient. That we must not get discouraged when some of us fail to live up to those ideals, and make mistakes.

America remains the greatest hope for all humanity. We must go on.