What compels American soldiers to put their lives on the line day after day, war after war, generation after generation?

The automatic reply is that these young men and women are called to protect our freedoms and the American way of life. It’s about duty, honor and country. Gen. Douglas MacArthur said as much when he addressed graduating cadets at West Point 51 years ago in the twilight of his long and illustrious military career.  

“Duty, honor, country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be,” MacArthur so eloquently said. “They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.”

We’d be remiss, though, if we didn’t dig deeper into the American psyche to determine what drives this kind of bravery we see each and every day from our military troops, and the ultimate sacrifice made by thousands upon thousands of fallen soldiers we honor on Memorial Day.

Could it be that what really compels our troops is simply love? Could this most powerful of emotions be at the very core of why we battle to defend and protect the United States of America? The love of country is a powerful thing. So is the love for one’s fellow citizens.

“Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” the Bible tells us.

So how do we honor those who have laid down their lives for their country and its citizens?

We honor them by attending the many Memorial Day ceremonies that will be conducted throughout the Flathead Valley. We honor them by visiting cemeteries and placing wreaths on their graves. We honor them by telling our children that not one of our fallen soldiers has died in vain, that duty, honor and country remain the trifecta of the American soldier.

And we honor those who have died by spending time with veterans who are still among us. We take the time to listen to their stories and learn from them. We help them recover from injuries. We laud and honor them.

Our veterans now span several generations, from the dwindling ranks of World War II survivors to soldiers in their 20s back from Iraq and Afghanistan. Our gratitude should be great for these brave men and women who loved us enough to fight for freedom, and ultimately, for peace. In many cases, they only survived by the grace of God while their fellows perished at their side.

Remember the living and the dead today, and honor their service. Keep America strong.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.