Recently I visited my old friend George, a WWII veteran, in a nursing facility. George was an officer in the British special forces (airborne) in Asia. He parachuted behind enemy lines, fought bravely, and like our John McCain, suffered as a POW. George is an amazing guy, with a good heart. A class act. I’m very fond of him.

When I visited, he told me that he wished they would finally build a memorial in Washington to honor those who served in WWII. George has been out of touch a while, and I was happy to tell him that the memorial was almost complete. Today, I called him to make sure he knew that it was finished and dedicated.

I wonder if someone will call me in a nursing home, and let me know about the dedication of the memorial to those who serve in the war that’s going on now. I wonder if there will be a wall of names, and if I’ll know any of them. Why do I wonder this? Because it just keeps rolling on, a great wheel of war turns with the very planet. We just don’t seem willing or able to stop it. And so long as our fear continues to cause us to choose leaders like George W. Bush, we are beyond hope.

Therefore, let us build memorials.