14th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

It is 9/11/2015, 14 years to the day that terrorists flew jumbo jets into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.  In New York City, the names of those who died in the 9/11 attack (and the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center) were read.  To honor them.  To remember them.  So we will never forget them.  I suspect that on 9/11/2115, the 114th anniversary of this moment frozen in time will again be commemorated.

I think this is a good thing.  These are our honored dead, innocent victims in the war for freedom from the tyranny of terrorists.  But I think we should use this to go one step further.  We have a holiday on the last Monday every May to honor those who died serving in our nation's armed forces.  In Wikipedia's list of Americans who died in armed conflicts fought by our nation, it tallies the total as being 1.35 million.  But that number is understated.  It doesn't count the 13 men and women who were murdered at Fort Hood in 2009.  It doesn't count the 248 soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division who died in a plane crash at Gander on December 12, 1985.  It doesn't count those who died in training during peacetime.  And it certainly doesn't count Air Force Staff Sergeant Thomas Campbell, a Security Police officer who was shot and killed by a 16 year old juvenile he attempted to apprehend for allegedly stealing a bicycle at Maxwell Air Force Base.

Everyone who died of any cause while on active duty in any of our armed forces should be among our honored dead.  We should collect all of their names and read them annually on/around Memorial Day each year.  Not just the names on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.  All of them.  Even the dead soldiers who fought and died for the Confederacy.  We need to honor all of them.

Just a thought.