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These green-walled hills of Maryland are filled with names of the men and women who have served their country. They were remembered last week as a group on Veterans Day.

Many names are carved in stone, found in cemeteries across the county or on monuments placed prominently so they can be remembered by future generations. There are many thousands who have proudly served, yet their sacrifices are seldom remembered beyond a single day of the year when bugles mournfully blare.

Plaques and monuments in Memorial Park note that county residents have served in the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, War with the Barbary Pirates, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish American War, Boxer Rebellion, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and Persian Gulf War.

And today we continue to read about the sacrifices being made by county men and women in their country's service. Some have lost their lives on foreign soil in undeclared wars. Some have died elsewhere while serving their country.

Were a list prepared, you would find names of militiamen who marched with Gen. Edward Braddock in 1755 during the French and Indian War. Planning his march in Frederick Town, he considered the local militia inferior to his British Regulars.

Yet when attacked near Fort Duquesne, the local militia knew how to fight in the woods while British troops did not. It was the frontiersmen who were superior to Braddock's decorated army.

A marker in Memorial Cemetery is dedicated to Company A, 1st Battalion of the 115th Infantry, Maryland National Guard formed in 1775. That unit contained two units raised in Frederick County that marched more than 500 miles to Boston in three weeks to join forces with the Continental Army. They fought so bravely, they were considered among the best under Gen. George Washington's command.

The 1st Maryland Infantry (USA) and the 1st Maryland Infantry (CSA) fought each other at Front Royal in the Civil War. Both units contained Frederick County men. Those men in the Union regiment responded to their commander when he uttered, "Rally round the flag."

Though they lost in a bloody fight, it was with pride that they returned to this county, defeated in battle, but not broken in spirit. It was truly a battle where brother fought brother, the only battle of the war where units with the same name opposed each other.

The 115th Infantry saw service during the Spanish American War and the Mexican Border Incident. During World War I in the Meuse-Argonne offensive considered the major battle of that war, the 1st Maryland fought for 21 straight days suffering major casualties, Frederick County men among them.

I'll never forget when I was a kid seeing men on Frederick's streets who had served in that war. Some suffered with lungs ravished by the effects of mustard gas sprayed by the enemy, before it was banned as a weapon internationally.

In World War II, the 29th Division of the Maryland National Guard, containing many local men, landed at Normandy on Omaha Beach, scene of the most vicious fighting and suffering. It distinguished itself in the prolonged effort on the beach, sustaining major casualties.

In the many county cemeteries, you will find graves of Frederick County residents who died while serving in military units. On some grave sites, that service is noted, on others, it is not, their military service only recorded in family or governmental archives or not at all.

Thus we should take the time not just on Veterans Day, but every day, to salute those who have served and are serving in our armed forces. The Stars and Stripes continues to wave proudly across this land because of them.

Paul Gordon is a local historian, and was mayor of Frederick city from January 1990 to January 1994. His column appears weekly. You can reach him at prg202@comcast.net. To submit a letter to the editor in response to this column, log onto www.gazette.net, and click on the Speak Out tab.