Memorial Day is upon us as the nation honors the memory of those who have died in service to the country, primarily on battlefields.

This year’s Memorial Day looms like no other in our nation’s storied history. We ought to include thousands of Americans who also have died in service to our nation, but also in service to their neighbors, their loved ones and even to total strangers.

We are about to reach a ghastly milestone: the 100,000 casualty mark of those who have died from the coronavirus pandemic that has swept the globe.

Many of them — and I don’t know the precise number — are those who wear uniforms. They are firefighters, police officers, nurses, doctors, paramedics, EMTs. They drive police cruisers, fire trucks and ambulances. They expose themselves unwittingly to those who are infected by the killer virus. Many of them become infected themselves. Tragically, many of them draw their final breath … most often alone and without the loving touch of a spouse, a child, a parent or a sibling.

Yes, we set this holiday aside to pay tribute to those who have died in battle. Yet we are waging a battle here at home, as other nations are fighting similar battles within their borders.

This battle is inflicting a terrible human cost. No matter the happy talk we hear about the “progress” we’re making in this fight, many of our countrymen and women are still dying. We are losing them at a tragically unacceptable rate.

They should remain in our place of honor forever.