Memorial Day is a day to remember those young citizens who have made the ultimate sacrifice in our armed services.

Memorial Day is also a day where we should all remember those that perpetuated these deadly conflicts.

Most are over 50, presidents, vice presidents, congress members, whom have never lived the horrors and devastation of war but are ever so willing to send the young soldiers off to these wars to fight their battles.

It was unprecedented, and some say illegal, that we attacked Iraq unprovoked by anything of any substance. It was with National pride that we could say we never attacked anyone, now no longer.

It was absolutely outrageous that our sitting president was standing under a banner on an aircraft carrier stating “Mission Accomplished”. It was not the truth by any means, and unbelievably arrogant, as our young soldiers were still dying there.

Now we pay the price of this supposed wisdom of our leaders. ISIS evolved from the remnants of the Iraqi army, that the U.S. built up and armed during our conflict with Iran.

It goes around and around, now Iran is more friend then foe, and Iraq is in shambles of disrepair, and neglect, with a civil war still raging.

The only recent exception to the above, was President Eisenhower, who lived the horrors of war, in his eight years in office he ended the Korean war and never started another.

My proposal is to draft all these perpetrators, to the front lines in the future, and that way we may have more dialogue between leaders before they consider armed conflict, to save their own precious lives, and find reasonable peaceful solutions.

Then the countries most important asset, our young citizens, can live to better our nation.

Rick Bodlaender, Kirkland