Over the years, I haven't made it to as many Memorial Day ceremonies as I would have liked to...or just flat out should have! I went to one a couple of years ago with my kids and then yesterday, I went to the ceremony at the Hampton National Cemetery where my wife and the boys and I had helped place flags on the markers this past Friday.
Major General Longo from Ft. Monroe was the keynote speaker. Instead of remembering only those who were gone and represented by the many marble stones that were in the field before us, he asked us to remember especially those who went off to war and did not die, yet still came home less than what they were when they left. He share two stories with us, the most significant was the one he told about his father.
Lieutenant Colonel Longo had been a Chemical Officer in Vietnam. He went away for one year, 1967-68. When he returned, he was a very different man. General Longo shared how his father would wake up every night for 34 years screaming that "she has a bomb, she has a bomb!" He would not wake up until his wife would hit him hard enough to rouse him from his nightmare. As General Longo stated, "this happened every night for 34 years until death mercifully freed him from his nightmare". I can only imagine how difficult it was for his wife as well. So now, Memorial Day has a new meaning for me. We must not forget the unseen wounds that return from war or the families and friends of those service men and women who also often have to deal with the tragedies of war.
Colonel Reyes, at the Fort Monroe ceremony an hour later, was not the keynote speaker, but said words that meant so much more to me that I can't even remember the main idea of the keynote speaker's speech. COL Reyes spoke about how the Memorial Day holiday has lost its meaning. Years ago there were parades with military units, Veteran's organizations, and bands...lots of bands. Now, most parades are gone...too "expensive" to organize and put on. I can't imagine how expensive it could be to have people line up along a road and walk, but maybe I don't know all the details. Plus, that would be inconvenient during a "long weekend". As we sat at Continental Park, I remarked to my wife how it was unfortunate that the small crowd that was in attendance would be dwarfed by the crowd that will be there at the weekly concert by the TRADOC Band on Thursdays. The crowd should have been just as large.
Now, Memorial Day is the "unofficial beginning of Summer". It is when swimming pools open or the mall has a big sale. It is a day when so many of the people of this great Nation forget what this day is really for. I would like to applaud all my Facebook friends who DID remember what this day is about and posted appropriately. If you are one of those who has forgotten...please take some time and educate yourself...and your children.
We have allowed the schools to stop teaching our children patriotic songs because God is mentioned in them...so patriotism begins to die. I used to make a "Poppy Poster" in grade school. Anyone seen one of those lately? Take advantage of this holiday to teach your children about the good things this Nation of ours offers. Cut through the politics, the high gas prices, and the problems that we have. America is a great country and a wonderful place to live. We must, however, never forget or allow the lessons learned in the past and paid for with blood to go to waste.
God Bless you all as we get back to work today...and God Bless America...the Land of the Free...BECAUSE of the Brave!!!
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