You cannot drive more than a short distance without passing a historical landmark of some type. We even set aside times such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day to pause and reflect on the fact that our freedoms have cost others a great deal.

Recently I was privileged to attend an event sponsored by the White House Commission on Remembrance, commemorating the anniversary of the attack on USS Stark (FFG 31). On that dark day 37 Sailors lost their lives in an incident that still leaves questions to this day. Each year, the Commission remembers the anniversaries of this and similar events with a memorial wreath laying at a section in Arlington National Cemetery where members of the particular crew were laid to rest. Families, friends, and shipmates are invited to come to these ceremonies.

On this particular day in May, I was struck by the words of the master of ceremonies for the Stark remembrance. One guest of honor was the mother of one of the fallen sailors. She had attended many of these observances in the past. He said to her something along these lines. ‘‘Each year we gather here to remember. Some years the crowds are larger, and some not. There may be a year where nobody else may come, but we will be here. We will not forget the sacrifice of these who gave their lives in pursuit of liberty and justice for all.”

The crowd that day was small, half the number of the personnel involved in carrying out the ceremony. But that did not seem to matter. I truly believe that even if nobody else came out to attend these ceremonies, they would still be held. We need never forget the sacrifice and service of those who are a part of our history.

So the next time that you pass by a monument to those who have served to write the pages of history that we study, or drive by a place where a battle or historical event took place, say a small prayer of thanks for the lives of those who made a difference. Pray that their spirit will live on for generations to come, never forgetting their sacrifice.