“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”—John F. Kennedy
Memorial Day. Today, we honor and remember the lives of those who have given their lives in military service. “All gave some. Some gave all.” Today, is for those who gave all.
I am not a fan of war. I look forward to the day when we can truly say we have beaten our swords into plowshares (Isaiah 2:4). I also believe that there are times when one must stand and fight. Few returned unscarred by the realities of war. Many don’t return at all. Today, we honor our fallen.
Referring to those who have died in war as our “fallen” seems like a description of failure. There must be a better word to describe the ultimate stand that these men and women have taken.
Heroes has been on my mind the last several days. It was the common theme of the “My Three Songs” contest a local classic rock station does. We also watched 12 Strong on Friday night (the story of the “Horse Soldiers”, the first to engage in combat in the war in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks). The reality of “heroes” has changed in the movies. We are no longer fed the glories of war like the John Wayne films I grew up on. We now get to see the wounds both physically and psychologically. We also see the traumatic effects of war on the families.
Memorial Day is not just a day off from work, or a day just to grill some burgers and dogs. Memorial Day is a day to remember. For those of us who have not lost loved ones in war, it is a day to come to the side of those who have—to give them comfort and support, and to be proud with them of the sacrifice their family has made for this nation.
Memorial Day is a day, also, to forget. It is a day to forget our divisions—politically, philosophically, and demographically—and remember the sacrifice that many have made that we can freely voice those divisions.
Carpe momento!