A lot of things have been said and written about memory and I hold myself capable of reciting quite a lot of them. Perhaps because I am a sucker for history or just because I am growing old, memory and memories are becoming increasingly important for my small universe. And just maybe it should be this way, it should be that people try to remember or at least not forget -which is not always exactly the same-.
Yesterday people in the US celebrated Memorial Day, a day dedicated to the fallen of all wars, which for this young nation may just have been too many already. Maybe this makes the necessity of a Memorial Day even bigger but then again why don't European nations have one as well?
Regardless of what might be said (or written) by others (and myself) about the Americans and their lack of historical thinking, there are some things that they cherish and value more than other people. It may be also true that to a foreigner, especially a European who has read about the near-destruction of his continent as a consequence of non-negotiated nationalisms, the over-abundance of USA flags all over the place and the constant talk about a strong, willing nation (in addition blessed by God) may look a bit repelling. But we are living "interesting times" and this forces us to try to think a bit more like the others instead of judging them on our own grounds, or to cut a long story short...sometimes it's better to try finding excuses than always looking for the blame.
And I 'll be honest. I liked Memorial Day. I liked the fact that the fallen get to be remembered once a year, even if it is a bank holiday. Wars may sometimes be just or -most of the times- unjust, worthy or -almost always- unworthy. But the life of a young man is always worthy and his death is always unjust.
Yesterday we strolled up and down Boston's North End, visited cemeteries full of flags and memorial grounds full of flowers. The day before we came across this pair of boots next to a small flag in Backbay Fens. Friends or relatives of soldiers that died in battle tend to leave their boots next to a flag as a sort of dedication. For me it stands as both a memorial of the fallen and a protest against the stupidity of war.
I just hope Memorial Day serves for the same purpose.
this is a comment about memorial day (decoration day)
ReplyDeleteTake Back Memorial Day by Christopher Michel Military.com
This morning I opened the paper and a series of circulars spilled onto my lap – bright, colored pages with bold fonts and frenetic language: “Now through Memorial Day only!” and “A Don’t Miss Memorial Day Sales Event!” As I took a deep breath and gathered up the pages that had spilled to the floor, at once it struck me: We owe more than commerce to those who sacrificed the balance of their lives for their country. It's time to take back Memorial Day.
Memorial Day is meant to be a solemn occasion, a uniquely military holiday—the only one that honors fallen soldiers. But since the first one on May 30, 1868, a little after the Civil War (then known as “Decoration Day”) when flowers were placed on the graves of soldiers from both the North and the South, Memorial Day’s quiet reverence has slowly been lost to the noise of commerce and the American pursuit of recreation. This didn’t happen overnight; it snuck up on us. And it’s not necessarily the fault of the American people who time and again have proved themselves patriots.
Even more surprising is that this disappointing trend hasn’t ebbed since the Long War began more than five years ago. Today the solemnity once associated with this day should be closer to the surface. Our nation is at war, which is to say our friends, family, and neighbors are fighting. Some of them do not make it home. In recent years, too many Americans have been personally touched by the sacrifice of battle. But the unfortunate reality is that for most people, the war remains a distant concept, something that happens on TV.
Losing brave Americans on fields of strife is not a new phenomenon. It’s part of our heritage. For over two hundred and twenty five years, our troops have made the ultimate sacrifice for what they believed was worth more than their own lives: Freedom. Not just the notion of freedom or the sound bite called forth in politically expedient ways, but freedom practiced by Americans every day.
This freedom is a gift across time, given most often anonymously. And now it is Memorial Day. How can Americans take it back and do right by the valor that created this day?
By action. For starters, the National Moment of Remembrance resolution asks that at 3 PM local time on Memorial Day all Americans should “voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence.”
Beyond that, Americans can honor the dead by supporting the living, especially those who serve. Send a note or visit the family of a servicemember who has died. Visit a veteran who is convalescing. Make a donation to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Armed Forces Relief Trust, or the Armed Services YMCA. Volunteer to work with local veterans’ groups. Encourage your employer to publicly recognize the veterans who work with you. Better yet, commit to hire veterans or military spouses in the coming year.
Visit the graves of fallen soldiers. Leave a flower on the stone. Consider the grave and behold the cost of freedom.
Or simply shake a Soldier’s hand. Support for the troops is more than a sticker on an SUV. Whatever we do, let’s make it personal, not commercial.
Let us take back Memorial Day, not for abstract ideas or guilt for having forgotten, but to pay a debt. To remember—and to act on the memory—is the least we can do for the men and women who said, “I will die so strangers’ lives will be better.” Make Memorial Day a personal reflection of a stranger’s costly gift.
forgot the link
ReplyDeletehttp://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,98680,00.html