During a time of constant war around the world, it is hard to give a voice to the thousands of soldiers who die fighting every day. They are simply a number when they are broadcasted on the television and in the papers: 14 soldiers die in a car side bombing. 20 soldiers were shot and killed. It is even harder to give a voice to soldiers who died decades ago.

The 58,195 names that are inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. commemorate the soldiers who died during the Vietnam War but barely begin to do justice to their full stories.

These soldiers were mere teenagers. They had mothers, fathers, girlfriends and best friends. These soldiers fought 365 days a year and the ones who survived had extreme difficulty readjusting to civilian life.

I have always been concerned with casualties in war but I don’t think I ever appreciated those soldiers. My history professor helped change this. He said that the true aspects of these soldiers’ lives is something that is often missed in history classes.

The soldiers of the Vietnam War and any other soldier who has sacrificed his or her life for this country should never be forgotten.