Meanwhile, news coverage eclipsed a fever pitch last week for the memorial service for the late Michael Jackson. Singers, celebrities and leaders from around the world converged at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to pay tribute to the proclaimed “King of Pop” in a memorial service not seen since the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

Justin Casillas, 19 of Dunnigan, Calif., and Aaron Fairbairn, 20, of Aberdeen Wash., would get no such similar treatment. They were killed July 4 at Combat Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, “of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked the outpost using small arms and indirect fires,” the DOD stated.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class Tony Michael Randolph, 22, of Henryetta, Okla., died July 6 in an improvised explosive device attack on his convoy in northern Afghanistan.

Lance Cpl. Charles S. Sharp, 20, of Adairsville, Ga., died July 2 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province of Afghanistan.

Likely the only song played at their funerals was Taps. And they certainly did not approach the $4 million price tag the cash-strapped City of Los Angeles will pay for the Jackson service.

Jackson, who came to be one of the most polarizing figures in American culture, was given a send off normally reserved for royalty. In fact, there’s a saying that “the only royalty in America is celebrity.” That was never more evident than last week.

No doubt Jackson had a profound and far reaching impact on the world. He helped pen the song “We Are the World,” which helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for hungry families in Africa in the 1980s. His charitable contributions are well known.

But so are his alleged improprieties, particularly against children. The courts say he was innocent. Others aren’t so sure.

June 30 marked a watershed moment in the war in Iraq. That date marked the beginning of the pullout of the majority of U.S. troops from Iraq. Not much was heard on the national news scene. But several thousand still remain behind in “support” roles in Iraq. Tens of thousands are still roaming the remote villages and mountains in Afghanistan.

So, while the world celebrates a persona bigger than anything or anyone since The Beatles, lets not forget who the true heroes are. The war in the Middle East has gone on for more than six years now. American casualties, while significantly declining, are still occurring.

While there is nothing wrong with celebrating the life of a pop culture icon, we need to keep it in perspective. There are heroes out there just as, if not more, deserving of the adoration we’ve seen recently.

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