Nearly six years after the worst terrorist attacks in American history, we have yet to be hit again on our soil. No one would have thought this possible immediately after the 9/11 attacks. But it is true because America is on offense in the War on Terror.



Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the brave men and women of the armed forces who have made that achievement possible, and to honor their sacrifice. Since 2001, over 3,800 Americans have died fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan. Over 60 were from Kentucky.



Our country must honor those who died in the line of duty as well as their families. The debt we owe them can never be repaid. I’ve had the honor of meeting many of the families of these service members, and I’ve told them their loved ones did not die in vain.



Many who fought in the War on Terror live to tell their stories, and I recently heard one I’d like to share involving soldiers from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Four soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division lived up to the warrior ethos of never leaving a fallen or wounded comrade behind.



The city of Ramadi, Iraq, has seen some of the worst battles between coalition forces and the terrorists. One night in March 2006, Sergeant Jeremy Wilzcek, Sergeant Michael Row, Private First Class Jose Alvarez and Private First Class Gregory Pushkin, among others, made their way through the city’s narrow alleys back to base.



Suddenly Sgt. Row saw two figures run into a house. Immediately suspicious, he stopped the team in its tracks—just as machine-gun and small-arms fire and grenades erupted on the street in front of them. The soldiers took cover and returned fire.



Pfc. Alvarez noticed a fellow soldier had been hit and was lying in the middle of the storm of bullets. Without thinking twice, he ran into the line of fire and threw himself over his comrade. But he was too late. The soldier was dead.



Pfc. Alvarez kept firing until he had unloaded his weapon at the enemy, and then stood up and began to carry the soldier’s body to a safe area. Sgt. Row provided cover fire, while Sgt. Wilzcek and Pfc. Pushkin ran into the firefight to help Pfc. Alvarez carry their colleague.



The three soldiers were nearing cover when two rocket-propelled grenades exploded yards away from them, knocking all three down and slicing Pfc. Alvarez’s knee with shrapnel. But the three continued, finally reaching a safe area out of the path of bullets.



Sgt. Wilzcek and Pfc. Pushkin then ran back into the enemy’s kill zone several times, rescuing more trapped soldiers. Sgt. Row continued to lay down cover fire, even though the same explosion that injured Pfc. Alvarez’s knee had buried shrapnel deep in his elbow. Finally, every soldier made it to a safe area.



They were out of immediate danger. But gunfire all around them made clear the terrorists were still out to kill. Sgt. Wilzcek, Sgt. Row and Pfc. Pushkin made their way to the roof of a building, and with the advantage of the high ground, successfully killed, captured or drove off the terrorists, enabling the squad to return to base safely.



This February, now-Staff Sergeant Wilzcek and now-Specialists Alvarez and Pushkin were awarded the Silver Star, the third-highest award given for valor in the face of the enemy. Sgt. Row was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor.



Their acts of heroism rank them among the finest America has to offer. But what I find most amazing is that they are everyday people who could be your neighbor, coworker or relative. And we have thousands more brave Americans in uniform all willing to do the same.



So this Memorial Day, remember the courage of our servicemen and women, performing extraordinary feats just like the men of Fort Campbell. Remember the sacrifice of those who don’t make it back home. As long as America has fighters of such spirit, we can never be defeated on the battlefield.



Senator McConnell is the Senate Republican Leader and only the second Kentuckian to lead his party in the U.S. Senate.