Our wedding anniversary is Memorial Day. No, not “the last Monday in May” but rather the traditional one, May 30. We traveled to Door County, land of fish boils.

Lots of little bones, though.

We visited Washington Island, we met many nice people and we hiked through the woods. After four days it was time to go. One final breakfast at Al Johnson’s: Swedish pancakes with lingonberries and meatballs. We passed the local American Legion commander as we left.

It was May 30^th and it was also the last Monday of May. Four days ago an IED detonated as a foot patrol passed and six soldiers of the 101^st died. Two days ago the DoD published the related press release. It was the worst such attack in 18 months. And it was the worst Memorial Day ever for six families.

So as we tourists fled, the Ellison Bay VFW joined the Sister Bay American Legion for their ceremony. Flags, rifles and a bugle.

Barbara Olson was a high-profile Washington lawyer and was married to the Solicitor General of the United States. As American Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon she was on the phone asking her husband, “What do I tell the pilot to do?” She is buried at Sister Bay.

She was a mentor to Ann Coulter. Ann wrote a tribute to her friend on September 13^th concluding “We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.” At the time, that third point struck me as good-humored, patriotic encouragement, but it got her fired from National Review. It should be noted that her first two points quickly became national policy and have been maintained through two administrations.

GWB: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was ended in October, 2001

(BHO: Mullah Mohammad Omar rumored to have been killed in May, 2011)

GWB: al Queda disrupted in October, 2001

(BHO: Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden shot and dumped in the sea in May, 2011)

GWB: Republic if Iraq invaded in March, 2003 and new government elected in October, 2005

(GWB: Saddam Hussein hanged in December, 2006)

BHO: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, engulfed in civil war, is opposed by NATO in March, 2011)

(BHO: Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi in the crosshairs ever since)

Barbara Olson did not get a flag on her marker for Memorial Day.  That is just for veterans -- she, like the heroes of United Flight 93, was militia.  Many military, militia and civilians died on and since 9/11 and Memorial Day is a time to relect on the price we have paid.

We might also reflect on what we have purchased for that price because no nation ever has used such power simply to change the world for the better.

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