On May 30, during the annual commemoration of Memorial Day, communities across the country will be honoring military members who died in service to this great nation.

More than one million Americans have given their lives in service to this country and families in our communities, like so many other families across the nation, have experienced the loss of war throughout this nation’s history.

Eichmann Strickland, Shawn Starkovich and Justin Herbert are just some of our community members to fall while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Vietnam, our communities lost many including John Larsen, Ron Hayes, Gary Paddock and Gus Smith.

Among those community members we lost in the Korean War were Walter Moses Jr. and Joseph Charles.

Our communities answered the call in World War II and Charles Clark and Chuck Stewart were just two of the many servicemembers who never made it home.

There are many, many others from our communities who also made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this country and all that it represents, and we should all take time on May 30 to remember their service and to honor their sacrifice.

In Marysville, members of American Legion Post 178 are commemorating Memorial Day with a service which begins at 11 a.m. at the Marysville Cemetery.  That event will be followed by a lunch, beginning at noon, at the Legion Hall.

In Arlington, American Legion Post 76 will once again host its annual commemoration. The day will start at 6 a.m. when hundreds of flags will be posted at the Arlington Cemetery. The parade, which runs down Olympic Avenue begins at 10 a.m., and that will be followed at 11 a.m. with a ceremony at the Arlington Cemetery.

Take time to attend one of the ceremonies to honor those who lost their lives while defending our country — we should never forget them, and never forget their sacrifice.

Scott Frank is the Managing Editor of The Arlington Times and The Marysville Globe and can be reached at 360-659-1300 or sfrank@marysvilleglobe.com.