In honor of Veterans Day this coming Sunday, it is necessary to remember the many brave men and women who have fought to preserve our freedoms, and the many more who have since passed on. No matter where you go in this great nation, it's hard to find a place that doesn't show its support for veterans, come each Nov. 11. This is because heroism is universally accepted as a selfless virtue, and every veteran — no matter how decorated — is a hero.

To bear witness to the phenomenon of Americans' appreciation for a person's military service, I bring to attention a story about a fallen soldier from McFarland. Josh Brennan, a 22-year-old who aspired to follow his father into law enforcement, was killed in action during a firefight in Afghanistan this past week. As his body was brought back to his hometown to be laid to rest, much of the area, including a large portion of the McFarland High School student body, came to honor someone they'd never met. They lined the streets of McFarland as a 100-plus car procession accompanied Mr. Brennan's body to its final resting place. This is a local example of how a seemingly trivial event can profoundly impact society.

Another example of the selfless nature of military heroism is the story of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy Seal who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, America's highest award for a member of the armed forces. A Washington Post article describes Lt. Murphy as an honors graduate from Penn State who passed up law school to become a Navy Seal. Seven short years after leaving college, Lt. Murphy was the leader of a four-man Seal team dispatched to the Hindu Kush Mountains to pursue a militia leader friendly to the Taliban.

After being spotted and attacked on three fronts by more than 50 enemy fighters and with his communications man wounded in the ensuing fight, Lt. Murphy deliberately exposed himself in order to make a distress call. During the call, he was shot twice in the back and dropped the radio but calmly picked it up and ended the call by saying, "Thank you." After more than two hours of intense fighting, Lt. Murphy and two of the remaining team members were dead, and the fourth Seal narrowly escaped death or capture after being blown off a cliff and cared for by a local tribe. This lone survivor, Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell, later authored a gripping account of the fight aptly titled "Lone Survivor."

This account of selfless heroism on foreign soil is but one of many stories that date back to the early heroes who gave their lives to rescue captured sailors from Mediterranean pirates in the first years of the 19th century. Their story is forever memorialized in the opening line of the Marines' Hymn that goes, "From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli."

Here in Madison, it is easy to be complacent and forget these stories. It is understandable with the many issues that confront society on a daily basis, but it is never forgivable. This weekend, it isn't yet known whether the city of Madison will host Veterans Day festivities. In fact, a search for news articles containing "Madison" and "Veterans Day" contains only a story about the Madison chapter of Veterans for Peace "mourning the dead" from the current conflict in the Middle East. Not even these local veterans can commemorate the entirety of our fallen, but have to make a political statement on a day of apolitical remembrance.

Whether we are hawks or doves, liberals or conservatives, Veterans Day is not about war, but about the citizen-soldiers who carry our flag into battle regardless of their feelings or reservations. It is about honoring their selfless bravery in the face of our enemies. It is for this reason that for the remainder of this week, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the College Republicans will be raising money on Library Mall for the local Vets' Center. And finally, please remember that freedom isn't free, but paid for and protected by the blood, sweat and tears of America's armed forces.

Jeremy Wick ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in history and economics and is a member of the College Republicans Executive Board.