No matter what your personal opinion of the Iraq war, you gotta realize that this is the price we pay for the freedoms we enjoy; even the ones that let us vehemently disagree with our leaders and our military.

The amazing thing to me is that no matter what we say, even if we rail against what they are doing, our military will still fight, and die, so we will remain free. That is truly something to lauded.

Photo by the amazing Kat Bonson. All her memorial pictures can be found here.  The organization that puts on these memorials in Santa Monica is called Arlington West.

NOTE: I do not put this up to rail against the war, or to make a statement for it.  I am personally conflicted about it, and do not see a clear solution or easy answers anywhere.

Rather, I put this up as a salute to all the brave men and women who fought and died for the freedoms I enjoy. Whether it was in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea, World War II, World War I, The Civil War, or the American Revolution, many, many people have given their lives so that I can live free. Free to pursue my particular dreams, to worship the God I want the way I want, to speak my mind on any matter I desire, to travel when and where I want…. I am blessed. We are blessed. Because they were/are willing to stand against tyranny and say, "not on my watch."