Respect for the Unknown Soldier

Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death. – Sun Tzu

 

Soldiers are the country’s heroes. They risk their own lives to save the lives of many. They face battles and death to give honor and pride to the country. Amongst all of us, they deserve to be treated with utmost respect for their bravery.

Soldiers fight the terror of war, yet they end up being victims of war. They fight for the freedom of the country, but in return, they have to sacrifice their own. As countrymen, what we can do to reward them for their courage is to give them the respect they are due.

Most soldiers are lucky enough to get out of war alive and be recognized for their bravery. For some, they end up the cold remains of lives lost. Unfortunately, sometimes their bodies end up being unidentified. Wouldn’t it be a tragedy for an unknown soldier not to be recognized for his bravery?

Even unknown soldiers deserve respect. After all, they sacrificed their blood for our country’s freedom. They lived their lives away from their families hoping for the war to end. The courage that a soldier possesses, may he be known or unknown, is beyond compare and we must value that.

Living proof that even an Unknown Soldier deserves to be respected and honored is The Tomb of the Unknowns also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified, located in the Arlington National Cemetery. The monument is a serene and quiet place. Thus, everyone is expected to observe silence as a sign of respect.

Many people visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every year. However, it is a tragedy that some seem to visit the monument just out of curiosity, without really understanding what the monument stands for. As you can see from the video, not everyone who visits the monument is respectful These people seem not to understand what it feels like to be in a war or being a victim of war. They do not seem to give credit to the people they owe their lives too.

Let us never forget that if not for soldiers, we wouldn’t have the privilege of being a free country. If not for these soldiers, we would still be living in a world filled with terror. If not for these soldiers, we would still be living in fear, watching behind our backs and praying for a nightmare to end. If not for these soldiers, we wouldn’t have a chance at a better life, where we are free to live as we please.

We should never take for granted the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers or our veterans who sacrificed their lives to save ours. May all our soldiers, known or unknown, alive or dead, be respected, appreciated, and loved. For without them, we would not have the freedom we have now.