How have we forgotten?

I keep hearing talk about how we need to stay in Iraq in order that the lives lost there won't be lost in vain. While I don't exactly agree with the war in Iraq, I do agree that no life should ever be lost in vain.
But what about the many lives lost during the Revolutionary war? Have we forgotten the sacrifices made in the pursuit of freedom? Have we forgotten the lives that were lost in fighting against communist regimes? Have we forgotten the lives lost because of socialist regimes trying to keep control of the people? Have we forgotten the evils of socialism? Have we forgotten how bad life was in communist Germany? How have we so quickly forgotten?
We need to ensure that none of these lives were lost in vain, by remembering why they were lost. We need to remember the lives that were sacrificed to make our country free, and ensure that they were not sacrificed in vain, by continually fighting for our freedom. We need to remember the lives that were taken because of socialism, and remind ourselves that socialism is evil; IT DOESN'T WORK!!
There is nothing new under the sun, and those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. If we don't remember our history, that's okay. We'll definitely remember it next time, when, instead of being the one who looks in from the outside, we are the one experiencing it firsthand.