We stood on the lawn in front of the Escambia County (Ala.) Courthouse Monday morning as Retired Marine Col. Charles Jackson read the names of the 175 county residents who lost their lives during military duty protecting our country.
We watched as surviving family members made their way to the specific memorial of the war where their relatives died. It's a touching ceremony.
Jackson did say he was glad the 'honor roll' had not been increased over the past several years as fallen veterans from World War I to the current War on Teriorism where honored.
We don't know if it's by chance, coincidence, accident or on purpose but we think it's important to realize we honor those fallen men and women on Memorial Day about a week away from the primary elections, which they fought and died for to give us that right.
We too often take our right to go to the polls and vote for the people to represent us for granted. These 175 Escambia County residents laid their lives on the line to give us that right.
Many people took Monday off from work to celebrate with friends and family; whether it was a home barbecue, a trip to the beach or a fishing expedition. We hope they realize they had the freedom to do so because of the many men and women in the armed forces who fought to give them that right.
We honored our war dead this past Monday. To us the biggest honor they could receive is for us to go to the polls June 5 and vote.
Every day we wake up to the freedoms these men and woman created for us. You're reading this editorial because they fought our our freedom to express our opinion.
Honor them by voting June 5.
