In May of 2017 a young man graduated from college and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army. A month previously, the United States had declared war on Germany after multiple provocations including the sinking of the Lusitania by German U-boats. This young man and many others would soon be going "over there" to become one ofa million American soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen to be involved in World War I.
One hundred years later, we again remember those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation. On Memorial Day we pay homage to over three million men and women who have been killed and wounded in American wars. The spilling ofblood and treasure that has helped keep us safe for almost two hundred and fifty years.
The Great War, World War I, was to be the war to end all wars, so horrific was its destruction, both to military personnel and the millions of displaced civilians. Europe had exploded, and America was desperate not to become involved. However, after Germany's resumption in 1917 ofunlimited submarine attacks on passenger and merchant ships in the Atlantic, President Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany and later, Germany's ally Austria-Hungary. From America's entry in the war in April 1917 to the armistice on November 11, 1918 over 2.8 million men were drafted into the American military.
The infusion ofAmerican troops helped break the stalemate on the Western Front. The names of the battles and campaigns have resonated through history: the Marne, the Somme, Belleau Wood, Chateau-Thierry, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne. However, none of these victories came without tremendous costs. In only nineteen months ofU.S. involvement, 53 thousand Americans were killed and over 200,000 wounded. To put this in perspective, around 52 thousand Americans were killed in the ten years of the Vietnam War. Defending freedom, no matter the time or place, always exacts a high price.
Those who serve, to protect us all, are the bulwark of the American experiment, a nation founded on the premise that the individual can make a real difference with God given gifts. Memorial Day makes us remember that true freedom requires eternal vigilance and accompanying sacrifice.
The young soldier mentioned at the beginning of this reflection was my grandfather, Paul J. Matte. After serving on the battlefields of WW I, he went on to a long military career including service in WW II. His service established a tradition where four generations of Matte men, including my father and I, have been in uniform, in war and peace, for ninety out of the last one hundred years. My wife's father and brother also served proudly during this period. My oldest son, currently posted to an airborne unit, served in Africa and has jumped out of planes over various countries in Europe.
Without the support of those in this great land, no man or woman in uniform can effectively carry out their sacred responsibilities. I close with a quote from General of the Armies John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, most famous as the commander of the American Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in World War I.
May God continue to bless the United States of America.