The dozens of names permanently etched into the simple, white stones at the Natchez National Cemetery aren’t especially fanciful.

With a few exceptions you won’t find many of the names in any kind of history book and few will ever have films made in their honor.

The sheer number of veterans buried in Natchez and other cities is mind-boggling. So many exist in fact that the government has to assign a number to the back of each white marker.

But the names of those that rest on that hallowed ground — Elmo Stewart, Charlie Granson and dozens of others — should mean the world to us.

Sure, the friends, relatives and fellow veterans who those fallen heroes place importance on the men who remain with us only in a memory and small block letters etched in stone.

But each of us who enjoys the freedom of living in American should recognize their importance – and not just on special holidays such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Yesterday as crowds of residents flocked to the cemetery for Memorial Day services, we were struck with a single thought — why don’t more of us visit there more often?

If we do not appreciate what the men behind each of those names has given for our country, we may one day lose the freedom they fought to protect.

Those who have given the ultimate sacrifice deserve our gratitude and a permanent place in our collective memory. Each of us should celebrate Memorial Day each day of the year.