It is challenging to sever trusting connections that you develop with allies during a battle, says guest columnist Jim Jones.

Nearly 1.4 million Americans have lost their lives in wars since the American Revolution, including around 667,000 who were killed in action. Every year on Memorial Day, which falls on May 29 this year, we remember, honour, and grieve those brave lives. Americans who have served in or close to combat zones carry their memories with them all year long. It shouldn’t be limited to a yearly celebration for everyone else.

Battle lines have become muddled in the country’s most recent battles, beginning with Vietnam, where American service members have collaborated with local forces to combat a common foe. It is difficult for those who have collaborated with local forces, whether they were South Vietnamese, Iraqis, or Afghans, to forget those local soldiers who lost their lives for the greater good. Although we remember our military dead on Memorial Day, I believe it is equally important to honour our international allies on this unique day.

I worked and lived alongside South Vietnamese soldiers (ARVNs) throughout the most of my tour in Vietnam, the majority of whom were Roman Catholics or Cao Dai Church members. They shared the same objectives as most Americans did as human beings. They had my life in their hands, and I think most of them did too. Without thinking of them, I cannot consider America’s fallen. We abandoned many more ARVNs to a terrible fate as about 300,000 ARVNs perished in the conflict. They should be honoured and remembered. I’m aware that many Americans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq share my sentiments regarding our international allies. In times of war, trustworthy relationships are difficult to sever.

I feel the same way about those brave individuals, despite the fact that our relationships with the Ukrainian people are on a different level and we are largely non-combat allies who supply moral support and arms from the sidelines. The Ukrainian people are fighting and losing their lives in a conflict that advances the essential national interests of NATO, the United States, and our partners on the other side of the world. The figurative tip of the spear that defends liberty and democracy from autocratic regimes in Russia, China, and Iran is Ukraine.

According to reports, there have been 124,500–131,000 casualties overall in Ukraine, including 15,500–17,500 combat deaths and 109,000–113,500 injuries. It would be most appropriate to honour and grieve them, along with our war dead and our foreign allies who perished supporting American forces, because their struggle is largely our fight. I’ll be honouring my 58,220 brothers and sisters who lost their lives while defending the country in Vietnam on Memorial Day. Along with them, Lieutenants Dinh and Tanh, Captain Thanh, and interpreter Tom remained with us the entire time until we abandoned them in 1975, leaving them to their unfortunate fate.

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