Recently the 4000^th military person was killed fighting in Iraq. It is sad. It not only makes me sad about the young person who died, but it also makes me sad for their family and their friends. I think most people from the right and the left agree with this.

The politicians can always discuss and argue over the reasons for the war and reasons to leave before, some say, the job is done. They are elected for these very reasons. Both sides of the aisle in the political world have said and done things that have hurt our military personnel. I could write a book about politicians saying dumb things in the last five years about Iraq and the war on terror, many times not thinking about how their comments affect the men and women serving in the war. The media has done their own hurtful things during the last five years, all in the name of getting the scoop, instead of thinking how their stories may harm the people who are doing the fighting.

Meanwhile, the military personnel continue to serve. They signed up voluntarily. These brave people signed up to protect us. They serve that we might be safer.

The people who actually serve in the military understand that by signing up and taking the oath, they can be sent anywhere in the world, and sometimes at a moment’s notice to fight. They also understand they may be hurt, or they may even die. They just serve.

They serve to give us freedoms, even if those freedoms are to disagree with what the fight is for. As a veteran, I enjoy seeing a protest even if it’s about the war because in some small way, I smile and think, “I helped give you that right!”

I’ve had good friends die while serving. I’ve attended funerals and heard the volleys being fired. I’ve heard taps played while family and friends cry. I watched a young mother mourn her husband’s death. I’ve seen young children place a flower on their daddy’s casket, not really understanding why their daddy is there.

They paid for the war with their life, because they served.

I’ve talked to mothers and fathers who have sons and daughters serving in Iraq. I see their anguish when a few days go by without a call or e-mail.

Make no mistake, anyone who has been in a war or in the military never really wants a war, but they salute and march on when the order is given. They serve.

To some people, 4000 is just a number. It gets a day or two of coverage in the newspaper. But for the families of these 4000 military personal, it’s more than a number. They are a loved one. They are a father and mother’s son or daughter. They are wife or husband’s love and life, or they may be a child’s father or mother.

They just served because their country needed them. We can’t forget their sacrifices. Never.