Duane Jalas knows a thing or two about sacrificing for his country.

The Vietnam War veteran, retired pastor and Sutherland native spent 14 months recovering from a bomb explosion that occurred 53 years ago during the Tet Offensive. His hands were mangled and the road to recovery was long, but he considers himself lucky.

More than 1.35 million Americans fighting in conflicts ranging from the Revolutionary War to the War in Afghanistan never made it home alive.

"Countless men and women have put themselves in harm's way. It is imperative that we remember them and the freedom for which they so bravely fought," Jalas said during his Memorial Day address at Pleasant View Cemetery. "This is our legacy and what we want for our children and grandchildren. Freedom is not free."

While acknowledging soldiers who gave the supreme sacrifice, Jalas also saluted U.S. soldiers who paid for Americans' freedoms with unthinkable injuries and emotional damage sustained on the battlefields.

"Many are still suffering," he said. "Do you think about them, thank them and pray for them?"

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New banners dedicated to the Avenue of Flags honored the following: Dale Wacker, Marvin Olhausen, Rodger Burley, Dale Nagel, David Schroeder, Mike Higgins, Dennis Leth, Keith Steinbeck, Dennis Hickmon, Rodney Harms, Robert Gable and Ronald Hennings.

Jalas said the battle to uphold the freedoms and liberties guaranteed to every American by the Constitution is an ongoing battle.

"There are people and things that are upsetting our very system of government," he said, claiming the Constitution was "in jeopardy." "Some people are trying to change it, or make it ineffective. Either way we will no longer have a democracy."

Shifting gears, Jalas also acknowledged Americans who sacrificed their safety, and in some cases their lives, during the COVID-19 pandemic. He praised Operation Warp Speed, which expedited the creation of a vaccine, and also recognized the many workers in all sectors of the health care industry who helped with the shot's rollout.

"All these ongoing heroes we recognize and give our heartfelt thanks for you," he said. "May our loving and merciful God keep up the good work in you."