Memorial Day Remembered

Once again I have the honor of presenting some thoughts by a guest blogger, JoAnne. As usual, she reminds us about why today is a holiday and what it means to be an American. Thank you JoAnne.

A Passing Thought for Memorial Day

Instead of worrying about which Presidents laid which wreaths at Arlington, I wish you were all as lucky as I am to live close enough to have been able to visit there on numerous occasions. I’ve taken the guided tour, wandered about on my own, and even attended the funeral of a family friend there. Each time, I was struck by the sea of simple white markers that are placed so that the rows are in perfect alignment no matter which angle they are viewed from. And the markers themselves are all the same – they don’t discriminate between officers and enlisted personnel, between male and female, Republican or Democrat, straight or gay, Christian, Muslim, Jew, or atheist. Or whether you died heroically in battle, spent your entire service on a safely remote base, or (as was the case for our friend), went from active combat to a long history of alcoholism ending in an ugly suicide.

Everyone there is equal in value. And there’s a waiting list of sorts to get in, especially given the current rate at which we’re losing the WWII, Korean, and even Vietnam vets. Families often forego the comfort of having their loved one buried closer to home because of the tradition associated with Arlington, the honor of the company they’re keeping, and the sheer “Americanism” of it all. These men and women were willing to put their lives on the line to defend ALL of their fellow Americans – not just those of their same religion or political party. They followed the orders of their Commander in Chief, whether that Commander was Lincoln or FDR, George W. Bush or Barack Obama. They put aside whatever differences they had with each other to defend all of the various beliefs that make up America.

Many of them gave their LIVES for that America. Most of us on here can’t seem to even give our fellow Americans the time of day, let alone the common courtesy to respect their differing opinions and values, or to put the good of the country as a whole ahead of our own selfish partisan interests.

Make you feel proud much?

To all our service members – past, present, and future – and to their families and loved ones, I say “thank you”. Next week we can and will return to the petty bickering. But just for the rest of this weekend, can’t we for once put our differences aside and reflect on what this weekend is all about?

Anyone?