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Historic Luzerne County Courthouse repairs in the works

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Letter to the Editor: Pick a president who will adhere to laws, not govern with executive orders

<p>From Gettysburg&#8217;s farms to France&#8217;s Argonne Forest and beyond, much blood has been spilled to safeguard the nation &#8211; and the lifestyle &#8211; you enjoy today.</p><p>Memorial Day should not pass without your full recognition of that truth.</p><p>Casualty numbers for America&#8217;s conflicts, while notoriously inexact, can provide a sobering reminder for those of us who might otherwise spend this holiday counting only superficial things: the days until our summer vacation or the number of hot dogs we have eaten.</p><p>The figures below, provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, reflect U.S. Department of Defense statistics. The data for the Mexican War and wars occurring since then include both battle deaths and other deaths (disease, accident, etc.) of those in the service.</p><p>&#8226; 4,435: American Revolution.</p><p>&#8226; 2,260: War of 1812.</p><p>&#8226; 1,000: &#8220;Indian&#8221; Wars.</p><p>&#8226; 13,283: Mexican War.</p><p>&#8226; 498,332: Civil War.</p><p>&#8226; 2,446: Spanish-American War.</p><p>&#8226; 116,516: World War I.</p><p>&#8226; 405,399: World War II.</p><p>&#8226; 54,246: Korean War.</p><p>&#8226; 90,220. Vietnam War.</p><p>&#8226; 1,948: Gulf War.</p><p>This century&#8217;s still-simmering War on Terror continues to push the toll higher.</p><p>During Memorial Day especially, reflect on all of the men and women who have died in defense of the nation. You owe to them a great debt &#8211; one that never can be repaid.</p><p>Acknowledge it. Appreciate it.</p><p>And aim for peace.</p><style>
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Our Opinion: Don’t let Memorial Day pass without reflecting on the staggering sacrifice of war dead