The veterans buried here are honored as the valiant dead of the armed forces who ventured far, fought bravely, and gave their lives to preserve freedom and liberty in America. They include those of World War I, known as the Great War and the war to end all wars, who went overseas into the grim reality of twentieth century warfare with poison gas, machine guns, tanks, aircraft, and submarines, fighting in trenches, on the sea, and in the air to help make the world safe for democracy. They include those of World War II, who fought for the freedom of America and the free world in the Pacific and European theaters, on the beaches at Normandy, in the deserts of North Africa, and on the islands of the South Pacific against a resolute and often brutal enemy, showing the uncommon valor praised by Admiral Nimitz. They include those of the Korean War, who fought for freedom, justice, and peace on Heartbreak Ridge and at Inchon, enduring freezing winters, summer heat, and times when they were greatly outnumbered. They include those of Vietnam, remembered as young people sent to war as kids who lost youthful dreams, and some their lives, for freedom and honor, returning as men marked by the horrors of war and denied the respect they deserved. They also include those of the Persian Gulf War, praised in General Norman Schwarzkopf’s words for their determination to complete their mission quickly and as the thunder and lightning of Desert Storm.