Growing up, we didn’t talk much about our family’s heritage. There were no tales of heroic deeds by famous grandfathers who put their lives on the line for our country. No stories of compassionate great aunts who ground their hands to the bone in support of troops. We were only told that we were descendants of William Tecumseh Sherman, which, growing up in the Deep South, was like a Bigfoot skeleton we kept deadbolted in the closet. Despite this, we were conditioned at an early age that the sacrifices made by others to protect American freedom were noble deeds worthy of our utmost respect and honor.
I enlisted in the US Air Force out of High School and served 4-years under President Reagan. So the closest I ever came to losing my life for my country was when I drank too much Soju in the ROK and tried to pick a fight with a train. But I was absolutely willing to die for the idea of America. We all were.
Despite our many flaws, America represents the great human experiment in pluralism. We think differently. We worship differently. We date differently. But none of that matters next to our united belief that all human beings are born with certain inalienable rights. And that as long as we all play fairly with each other, we can make this work. Yes, this takes sacrifice. But next to giving your life for your country, the sacrifices you must endure to do your part in making this a great country are trivial.
Try to imagine what it must have been like to be on the battlefield in Antietam. Or on the beaches of Normandy. Or in the jungles of Cambodia. Or on the streets of Fallujah. Unless you’ve been faced with the prospect of giving your life for your country, you simply can’t imagine it. Neither can I.
So please, take a moment this Memorial Day as you sit comfortably at the beach or the pool with your drink and your device – and think about the sacrifices of others who made this moment possible.
God blesses America every day. Take the time to notice. Hail the victorious dead.
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Stacy
May 25, 2009
Beautifully stated.
Rebecca McCormick
May 25, 2009
I admit, the “two panties” teaser made me click. Glad I did. Great post.
Shortly after our son returned from 16 months active duty in Iraq, he delivered an impromptu address at an insurance convention. We still get an occasional email about this: http://tinyurl.com/RealFear
Kat
Nov 11, 2009
I’m thinking of a grandfather who was never the same after being gassed in WWI, of uncles who fought in WWII and Korea, as well as Vietnam, and cousins who were nurses. You’re right, we can’t imagine. But we can be grateful and compassionate…to those who’ve served in any capacity, whether it’s in the mess hall or medic’s tent or on the front lines. And I am grateful for the unsung heroes: the spouses, children and parents whose lives are impacted when a loved one goes off to serve. Of course, the best way to honor them is to go to greater lengths to avoid war in the first place. Thank you for this post, Jim.
Janet Vanderhoof
Nov 11, 2009
Yes, I definitely don’t know what it is like to give up my life for my country. My mother was French, her house was bombed in Normandy. She had always felt like a victim most of her life. My father was in the Army, but never used his gun, although he did fall in love with my mother when he met her in the subway in Paris, while on leave.
I grew up in the 60’s and most of my male friends went to Vietnam. They were never the same, when they came back. Very sad to see someone lose their spirit.
There are other ways that we give up our lives, not necessarily for our country, maybe it is taking care of an ill loved one. They don’t have holidays for that, yet I do respect everyone and appreciate the soldiers who protect our country. It is important to remember that they are fighting for our freedom that we take for granted.
Sorry for the babble, but this brought up a lot of thoughts. You are a great writer, please remember that on this day as well.
Jim Mitchem
Nov 11, 2009
Yes, it’s time to let peace rule – at some point. I just wonder…
Jim Mitchem
Nov 11, 2009
Not babble. Definitely not. In fact, I think the primary concepts you’e talking about are gratitude and compassion. We show gratitude to our warriors for protecting us from evil, and compassion to those they leave behind. But what of simply being more grateful and compassionate to as many people as possible every day? Too wimpy. Too selfless. Too risky.
Thanks Janet.
mckra1g
May 30, 2011
I remember the images of Vietnam being beamed into our living room when I was a child. I’ve never served in any of the armed forces. However, I think that for those who did not go into battle physically, there is a call to compassion stateside that is also courageous in its own way.
We are called upon to die a thousand deaths to ourselves when we are asked to live our Bill of Rights. …When we are asked to treat our neighbor as we would wish to be treated. …When we fight to uphold civil rights for our brethren/sisters… One group toes the line to uphold the ideals for which they fight; the other group does its best to enforce them.
Your posts always make me think. Thanks, Jim.
Shelby
May 20, 2015
I joined the Air Force after 9/11 as a Security Forces specialist. I carried a rifle and a machine gun mounted on a humvee on a base with no flightline or actual air component, so the USAF isn’t just hanging out in Korean bars. I spent six months in the soul and center of Islam. What I learned from that six years was that the greatest gift we can give our troops is the prospect of peace, and a foreign policy that makes the US troop an actual liberating hero, not a tool of “protecting our interests”. Nevertheless… hail the victorious dead. There is no soldier more courageous than the American fighting for a just cause. That the American people should actually know the sacrifice of the .5% who take the oath instead of believing a yellow magnet “supports the troops”. Hail the victorious dead who fought for their brothers and sisters in arms. Hail the victorious dead of our Canadian, British, Indian, Australian, French, German, Danish, Polish, Kurdish, Iraqi, and other Muslim brothers and sisters who have died not in the name of God, but in the name of freedom to worship God as each sees fit. Hail the victorious dead who have stood up to be counted among the free men of history.
My novel – Minor King
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