The Sheila Variations

We have such...it's almost an embarrasment of freedom and riches; it's so easy to forget and criticize those who offered everything so that we may live as we do.

I love the point made in that last post (the "remembering better" post) that small towns seem to know how to honor Memorial Day right ... while the big cities just treat it as a nice 3 day weekend. Having grown up in a small town myself, I know that that is true.

Yeah, that's very true, isn't it? It's much more personal in small towns..."that's my barber in that uniform; I didn't know he fought in Korea".

Exactly, Bingley. It's about the community.

Without fail, that speech from Henry V ALWAYS brings tears to my eyes by the end. Must call my grandfather today, though it's practically wishful thinking he'll even know what I'm thanking him for.

Growing up in our (Bingley, Crusader's and mine) small town during Vietnam, we were surrounded by the sacrifices obscured in the numbers of 'the city'. Seventeen lonely poles with American flags when our Vietnam Memorial was first built and 21 by the time hostilities ended. Kids five or ten years older than me. Guys I'd hated 'cause they teased, idolized because they were the quarterback or just plain lusted over as my hormones grew up. One who joined the Marines because he thought the world of the Grinch and died a Recon Lt.: a booby trap on a jungle trail. You are so right, Red. Community. And a heavy, heavy price, God bless them.

THS: Your post on Sammy Davis (no, not THAT Sammy Davis) brought tears to my eyes.

My Father retired from the Air Force a Colonel. I was an Air Force brat for many years, and I have this weird memory for planes. Every kind of plane you can imagine. Weird, weird trivia.

I remember when I was older I would ask my Dad about the war, and what it was like. He could never really tell me. It was the only time I ever saw him get really emotional, so I never pressed. I could se it was filled with so much pain, and so much heart ache, that for him to go back there, even in his mind, was too much for him. Whatever he did, he took to his grave with him.

Thank you for that post, Sheila. Shakespeare. He really had it going on, didn't he?

xoxox

From the little you've told me, Alex, your father sounds like a truly extraordinary man.

Linked..also, Sheila, I have an item from St-Ex that might interest you.

My dear, beloved Grandfather was a WWII Veteran, and he passed away when I was a week shy of 16. I thought it was cool, but I didn't appreciate it they way I do now. Typical teenager, I guess.

He left just after my grandmother had their first son, and didn't come home until the boy was a toddler. What I wouldn't give to have him back, even for just one day to say "Thanks." I love and miss him as a Grandfather, but I have so much more respect than I did, now that I'm older and can appreciate what he was willing to do for his country.

I feel fortunate to live in Indianapolis, a fairly large city with a relatively small city feel. Obviously, not everyone here feels grateful for the service that has been given by armed forces personnel, and some are even downright hateful. But in general, Indianapolis is a very patriotic town and there is a sense of thankfulness that is expressed officially by the city. I’ve been to a number of military towns and I don’t think I’ve ever come across as many memorials or official tributes as we have here in Indianapolis, a city without any military installations. The Medal of Honor Memorial and the USS Indianapolis Memorial, both along the canal that is part of White River State Park, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the circle that serves as the very center of the city, Military Park, Indiana World War Memorial Museum, the American Legion Mall/Veterans Memorial Plaza which has within it the WWII, Korean and Viet Nam War Memorials, and many others.

This past Friday, I spent the morning at the Medal of Honor Memorial as the name of the latest Medal of Honor recipient, Paul R. Smith (Iraq, 4 April 2003), was etched into a glass panel directly above the names of the last two recipients, Randall D. Shugart and Gary I. Gordon (Somalia, 3 October 1993). Unfortunately, it was the same day that two glass panels of names of MOH recipients were replaced after having been broken by some peace activists/assbags that couldn’t just express their opinions but had to vandalize the memorial and spit on the memories of those who ensured the very freedom which they abused.

I hope that whatever political or other beliefs people may hold, they can truly reflect on how fortunate we are to live in the United States, with all it’s freedoms and prosperity, and how we have benefited from the service and sacrifice of those we celebrate today. I know that not everyone feels the way I do, but for those that do, I leave you with the following:

A quote from General George S. Patton:
"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died, rather we should thank God that such men lived"

The lyrics to Taps, the most powerful and poignant 21 notes of music ever written:
Day Is Done
Gone the Sun
From the Earth
From the Hill
From the Sky
All Is Well
Safely Rest
God Is Nigh

Happy Memorial Day

The end of the Henry V speech reminds me of this:

"There is one great thing that you men will all be able to say after this war is over and you are home once again. You may be thankful that twenty years from now when you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what you did in the great World War II, you WON'T have to cough, shift him to the other knee and say, 'Well, your Granddaddy shoveled shit in Louisiana.' No, Sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say, 'Son, your Granddaddy rode with the Great Third Army and a Son-of-a- Goddamned-Bitch named Georgie Patton!'"