Not even our own sacred shrine, the Alamo, is without those who would cast its heroes as speculators whose only desire was to steal the land of others and line their pockets. Our founding fathers are painted as Simon Legrees because they were men of their times and owned slaves. Their magnificent accomplishments are overlooked because of a flaw of history.

A recent article in the San Antonio Express News gave an exaggerated accusation against the Mexican War fought in 1846 as the worldıs largest land grab. If there was ever an oversimplification of history it was represented by that article. In all of these efforts to see the worst side of history the one hurt is the soldier in the field, the young man or woman doing his or her duty, following orders and going in harmıs way. The truth in any conflict may be hard to find but it is the soldier and sailor, airman and marine who pays the price.

I recently ran across a quote from the eminent author and Texas historian, T. R. Ferenbach, that puts Memorial Day in its proper perspective:

"Why remember The Alamo? Any age that does not exalt courage will be confounded by the Alamo, and baffled by the men who stayed in it. Any age that fears war more than servitude, or death more than honor, must denigrate the Alamo. Ages that do not honor the concept of liberty or death will fight no Alamos. Ages that do not cling to the great values of love, honor, courage and sacrifice, the soldier values, will not only fail to remember the Alamo, they may not long endure."

Today we remember so much more than the Alamo. Our generations living on this Memorial Day remember the Muse-Argon, Pearl Harbor, Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, Leyte Gulf, Inchon, Vietnam, the Tet Offensive, Bunker Hill 10, I Trang, Bosnia, and a dozen named operations around the world before September 11, 2001.

So many today seem to forget that date. We give lip service to it Š "The world will never be the same," we said. Then we go on about our day-to-day business and pretend it never happened. We put little yellow ribbons on our cars and feel good about supporting our troops and turn around and vilify the Commander-in-Chief who carried this war to our most determined and single-minded enemy.

Hear again the words of T. R. Ferenbach, "Ages that do not cling to the great values of love, honor, courage and sacrifice, the soldier values, will not only fail to remember the Alamo, they may not long endure."

Once again American soldiers, sailors and airmen are in harmıs way in the name of freedom and liberty, Remember the fallen and pray for those who fight on. Truly support the men and women who serve.