I was trying to figure out what I wanted to write about for Memorial Day this year, when a message popped up on my blackberry last week.  The answer was right in front of me.

"The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom," read the email from the Pentagon.

Along with the hundreds and hundreds of emails that I get every day, the Pentagon sends out press notices about servicemembers who have died.

Every time I get one of these emails, I quickly read it and think of the families who are now grieving, especially on this Memorial Day.

"Cpl. Jacob C. Leicht, 24, of College Station, Texas, died May 27 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan."

Sometimes they have died on the other side of the globe.  But other times they have died down the street from where I live.

"Sgt. Edwin Rivera, 28, of Waterford, Conn., died May 25 at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained May 20 when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using indirect fire at Contingency Outpost Xio Haq, Afghanistan."

Sometimes the home towns remind me of places that I have heard of before in politics.

"Pfc. Christopher R. Barton, 22, of Concord, N.C., died May 24 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire."

Other times I notice that it's not a young American who has died.

"Maj. Ronald W. Culver Jr., 44, of Shreveport, La., died May 24 in Numaniyah, Iraq, when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device."

And there was another reminder that Iraq is still not a safe place for U.S. soldiers.

"Staff Sgt. Amilcar H. Gonzalez, 26, of Miami, Fla., died May 21 in Ash Shura, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire."

And then there are the sad stories of someone who has died, maybe in nothing more than an accident.

"Spc.  Stanley J. Sokolowski, III, 26, of Ocean, N.J. died May 20 in Kirkuk, Iraq,  in a non-combat related incident."

When that email is opening, I always wonder, what town, what state will this one be from?

"Pfc. Jason  D.  Fingar, 24, of Columbia, Mo., died  May 22 in Durai, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when  his military vehicle struck an  improvised explosive device."

And then I think about the kids in the armed forces from a typical college town.  And a town that I know.

"Lance Cpl. Philip P. Clark, 19, of Gainesville, Fla., died May 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan."

Those were the emails from the Department of Defense over the last week.

The families of these soldiers will have a different Memorial Day in 2010.