When was the last Memorial Day in which the United States did not have troops in combat areas? That thought had not occurred to me until Ryan Manion’s reflection on Memorial Day 2022, the first time in at least twenty years in which American forces had no formal commitments in combat theaters. Writing in the Air Force Times, Manion calls for using this day not just to remember those who gave their last full measure of devotion for our country, but to consider our responsibility for ensuring that we remain worthy of that sacrifice:

For the families who lost relatives in our recent conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan — for those whose loved ones are buried, like my brother, in Section 60 of Arlington — this Memorial Day will be especially poignant. Many of the young children of the fallen have never known their country to not be at war. It is the challenge of those families to make sure that a nation at peace does not lose sight of the sacrifices of war. All Americans should remember that while we may not see footage of our troops in combat regularly flashed across our TV or computer screens, the effects of those wars are felt by millions of our fellow countrymen. …

I know where I’ll be: in Section 60 at Arlington, visiting my brother who gave what Lincoln called “the last full measure of devotion” 15 years ago, and those Americans like him who lost their lives in our recent conflicts. All of our volunteers who will visit these cemeteries have given up their days off on a long weekend, a small sacrifice in honor of those who made the ultimate. They have chosen to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Before Travis left for Iraq the last time, he told our family: “If not me, than who … ”