Memorial Day is here. It is a day that I love because it highlights the lives of the men and women who paid the ultimate price for this County. A day I hate for the very same reason. It is a day when we should recognize and remember why these warriors gave their lives. In their oaths, they swore to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign or domestic.” They agreed to be faithful to the ideals of our forbearers and to the documents they founded. All veterans actually signed a form and spoke an oath that said, in no uncertain terms, they were willing to die for this country. Some, too many, fulfilled that solemn obligation. I hope that their memory is no less profound as we as Americans find ourselves embroiled in political and economic turmoil. We need to remember that for well over two centuries men and women have given their lives in the name of FREEDOM. From Trenton to Ft. McHenry, from Gettysburg to Aisne, from Normandy to Inchon, from Sarajevo to Mogadishu to Bagdad and Kabul warriors have paid the ultimate price. Have I forgotten a battlefield? No, for me it is last because for me it is personal. It is Khe San and Dak to, Mu Gia and Tchepone. It is Laos. It is the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It is a war called Viet Nam. These are the places where my comrades in arms paid the ultimate price. My heart aches for the men and women who died in all conflicts but most especially for me, Viet Nam. I cannot forget their faces. Memorial Day. More than that, my heart, my mind, my very soul weeps for the warriors we had to leave there in South East Asian jungles because rescue and recovery was impossible. Memorial Day. It is even more heart breaking to know we tried to rescue them but could not. Some are Missing in Action, some are Body Not Recovered and some are still listed as Prisoners of War because we know nothing more. Memorial Day. I hope their souls know we tried, we used every asset, we tried every tactic but in the end we were forced to leave them behind. My heart aches for their families. Memorial Day. But the search goes on and we will not rest until families of one of our own can find peace and closing in the tragic loss of a loved one. And as I know the search will never end, I know, in the realm of armed conflict, of death, wailing, praying, emptying ammo magazines into the dark night and dodging huge batteries of Anti-Aircraft Artillery, there is a fellowship among fighting men that endures through every step and every breath of life. And that fellowship extends to those who didn’t come home. That is honor, that is our vow, that is our oath, that is Memorial Day and there are far too many people in this Country who don’t understand that. God bless our Military Veterans who gave their lives. Enjoy Memorial day. Just, please, don’t forget what it is about, is not “Happy” it is being humble and thankful.
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 01:43:58 +0000
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