Our tribute and gratitude to our fallen heroes

They are sons and daughters of this soil that fill us with pride and for whom today, we pay honor and extend our endless embrace of gratitude

This year's Memorial Day, dedicated to paying tribute to soldiers fallen in battle, comes at a time when we are fighting another merciless war, this time without guns, but with the same sacrifice and commitment of many citizens.

The enemy this time is a pandemic. The scourge of the new strain of the coronavirus has hit the population in such a way that many places in the world compare the social and economic consequences of COVID-19 with the devastation and deaths of post-war scenarios.

Although without destroying buildings or bombings, there has been a sense of helplessness in the face of this invisible enemy, and economic losses that mark a setback in global growth.

Traditionally, on Memorial Day we pay tribute to those who have fallen in wars and this will continue. There are many Puerto Rican families who, over a century, since the First World War, have received the unfortunate news of the loss of a loved one.

The island´s contribution has not only been distinguished by the great number of soldiers and their proved courage in the most dangerous moments and scenarios but in the spirit of self-improvement that has led them to reach high-ranking positions, with thousands of men and women under their command, in the U.S. Armed Forces. The two World Wars and those in Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iran, and Afghanistan are among the most painful scenarios.

Today, the bitter feeling of visiting the final destination of young people who have recently lost their lives in the fight against terrorism, making their participation essential in faraway countries and inhospitable places, wherever fanatics hide, inspiring bloody attacks against humanity, finds a reason, if any, that there is a place for them in history, and a special day to honor them in the dignity with which they left.

That is why any moment is good to also honor the courage of Puerto Rican veterans who have survived, those who did not fall in combat, but who also proved their commitment to their missions. They are men and women who have been away from their loved ones for long periods - they are still in different parts of the world - and who know how to adapt their bravery to political challenges, natural disasters, or, as is the case today, the unexpected pandemic.

For two years, President Donald Trump has been referring to the possible withdrawal of troops stationed in the Middle East, depending on which direction winds in the region blow, and according to recommendations by his expert military advisors. The United States maintains defensive commitments and far-reaching economic partnerships in the region, all of which complicate the geopolitical chess and the fear that, in the face of the withdrawal of troops, the carefully designed intelligence structure may weaken and terrorism may emerge again.

However, this dilemma, which seems so difficult to capture in all its complexity, has this Memorial Day faces and tears. There they are, brave expressions of those gone, photos kept by their loved ones, some even sent from the battlefield. Some of them, very moving, taken just hours or days before they died.

They are sons and daughters of this soil that fill us with pride and for whom today, we pay honor and extend our endless embrace of gratitude.