In my small town of Wilmette Illinois, we honor those who sacrificed their lives in military service for our country with a parade that is perfect for the television age: it is not more than seven minutes long—just the amount of time between commercials. We can all pay attention to the girl scouts, American Legionnaires, VFW heroes, and local pipe and drum corps for that long.

We often forget in the middle of the picnics and the sales that this is a day to remember those who honored us all with their lives. This Memorial Day, all of us—especially those of us doing work in business ethics and corporate responsibility—should add a group of individuals to the roster of those we honor.

I am thinking of the men and women who work for private enterprise in support of those who serve our country. They may be involved in wars that many object to, and may even have jobs that many find objectionable, but there are tens of thousands of people serving as cooks, clerks and drivers who do not wear a military uniform, but put themselves in harm’s way for a the opportunity to earn a living and defend our country.

Over 1,000 contractors have died in Iraq alone since the war began.

We honor and remember them, and those in uniform, for their service.