Robert L. DilenschneiderRobert L. Dilenschneider
On Monday, May 30, we celebrate Memorial Day.
 


This is a day when we honor our military and our fallen heroes — brave men and women who fought and died so readers of this essay can enjoy the freedom we all too often take for granted.


More than 1.1 million Americans have died in our nation’s wars. Roughly 620,000 died in the Civil War — the deadliest war in our history.


• In World War I: 116,516 Americans died, more than half from disease

• World War II: 405,399 Americans died

• Korean War: 36,574 Americans died

• Vietnam Conflict: 58,220 Americans died. More than 47,000 Americans were killed in action and 11,000 died of other causes.

• Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm: 148 U.S. battle deaths and 145 non-battle deaths

• Operation Iraqi Freedom: 4,422 U.S. service members died

• Operation New Dawn: 66 U.S. service members died

• Operation Enduring Freedom: 2,318 U.S. service members have died as of May, 2014

Right now the U.S. has 1,473,900 men and women on active duty. More than 10,000 are in Afghanistan and Iraq. So while you are enjoying the holiday weekend, take a moment to thank these men and women for the sacrifices they are making. It is worth noting where others are deployed:


• Japan: 52,060

• Germany: 36,691

• South Korea: 24,899

• Kuwait: 15,000

• Italy: 11,799

• United Kingdom: 8,920

• Guam: 5,666

• Bahrain: 3,419

• Spain: 2,503

• Turkey: 1,581

• Belgium: 1,210

• Cuba: 668

• Qatar: 593

• British Indian Ocean Terr: 488

• Portugal: 457

• Honduras: 395

• United Arab Emirates: 391

• Greece: 373

• Netherlands: 362

• Saudi Arabia: 315

• Thailand: 304

• Syria: 300

• Egypt: 250

• South Africa: 236

• Singapore: 189

• Australia: 175

• Puerto Rico: 152

• Greenland: 145

• Canada: 133


On this Memorial Day weekend more than 32 million Americans will be traveling. The average price of unleaded gas is way down. Across America we will be consuming more than 800 hot dogs a second. The top choice for grilling will be burgers (85 percent). The largest parade will take place in Washington, D.C., with more than 250,000 watching. The smallest parade will likely be in Fox Pointe, Wisconsin, where in 2013 a dozen boy scouts of Troop 391 and their scoutmasters marched. In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, NY, the “birthplace” of Memorial Day.


Permit us to wish you a great weekend. But let us never forget the courageous men and women who have served and sacrificed so much in past wars so we could enjoy this holiday, just as we honor those who stand duty today to keep us safe.

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Robert L. Dilenschneider is chairman and founder of the Dilenschneider Group, Inc.