Memorial Day, 2006

Today is Memorial Day. Today, we remember the brave and honorable men and women who sacrificed so much to keep our country safe and free. How can we even begin to properly honor their memory, or to say a true "Thank you!" to the men and women, still living, who have or are still serving?

May I offer what I did this weekend? We went to Washington, D.C., on Friday, and had a personally guided White House tour on Saturday morning. After that, we walked down to the National Mall, and saw the World War II Memorial:

This Memorial is particularly special to me, because my Father served in the Pacific arena. He was on Wake Island when the Japanese attacked, and was nearly killed. He rarely talks about his experiences, but when he does it's very understated and filled with controlled emotion.

I took this picture because it is a sentiment we would do well to remember. General George C. Marshall made this statement, and I could not agree with it more.

"Overwhelming force" is the key to winning wars. We ought never to burden our Armed Forces by entering into war without the determination to win complete victory. Any other outcome, any other resolve, only serves to weaken our country and hobble our military - and cause unneeded death and casualties.

All or nothing. Period.

We also visited the Lincoln Memorial. It is a very imposing building, and very stark inside. All that is there under the roof are three things: on the left, as you enter, the Gettysburg Address. On the right, or North wall, is Lincoln's Second Inaugural Speech. In the center, of course, is that famous statue of that great man:

Any other pictures would detract from the accomplishments and dedication of that great man.

After the Lincoln Memorial, we decided to go to the Korean War Memorial and bypass the Viet Nam Wall. We had a very game ten year old, but she was starting to get a bit weary. I will make sure that I visit the Wall the next time I'm in D.C.

The Korean War Memorial is - not surprisingly - wrenching. A squad moves up the slight incline, thru the rice paddies, and is backed by a granite wall. On that wall are etched the faces of many servicemembers, and they merge with the stone and appear almost ghostly. The squad moves towards the apex of the Memorial, where the Flag flies, and the wall finishes its arc with these true words: "Freedom is never free."

We continued walking east along the south side of the National Mall, and saw this lovely Memorial commemorating the war dead of the District of Columbia:

We then went to the Washington Memorial and enjoyed a long rest before returning to the hotel.

 

All this was incredible, stupendous, moving and inspiring. However, for me the highlight of the trip was when I entered the National Archives and stood before the Declaration of Independence,

the Constitution,

and the Bill of Rights.

These three documents are the foundation of our country, the bedrock of our society - and the reason that the men and women whose memories we celebrate today died.

I stood above these precious papers, and gazed upon parchment handled and composed by the likes of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and John Hancock... I read the faded ink, and I treasured the words they wrote:

In the Declaration:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

In the Constitution:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

and in the Bill of Rights:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized...

These are the documents, the ideals, the goals that men and women have fought and died for. These ideals are what cause men and women serving today to step up and volunteer their time and their lives. Each and every person who has served or is now serving swear this oath:

I, {insert name here}, do solemnly swear, (or affirm), that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

Our servicemen do not swear allegiance to a person. They swear to honor and defend the rule of the law of our land. The law they swear to protect and defend is written in these precious documents.

And I stood over them, no more than six inches away, and cried in profound gratitude for the wisdom and foresight of the men who were our Founding Fathers. I cried because I was so thankful that God Himself has been so gracious and so richly blessing this country. I cried because so many men and women have stepped up and made the ultimate sacrifice to serve the ideals in these documents. I cried because I live in the land that these documents rule and guide.

I cried in gratitude that I was born an American, and that my country is still brave and true, and that heroes still love her and serve her.

Thank You, Lord, for Your grace and guidance for America. Thank You for Your Providence and the good men and women you have given us. Lord, please keep our hearts and spirits faithful to these heroes, and help us protect and defend the ideals for which they serve and die.

Others blogging: Emperor Misha I, Below the Beltway, Right Wing Nuthouse, Atlas Shrugs, Blue Star Chronicles, Darleen's Place, Agent BedHead, Merri Musings, Cao's Blog, I'm Not Emeril, Ogre, Gribbit Online, Virginia Virtucon, Social Sense, Annika's Journal.

Technorati tags: Memorial Day, military, veterans, thank you, holiday, gratitude

Comments

[GM Roper]

1.

R'cat, that is one of the most moving posts on Memorial Day I've seen, and I've seen some good ones. I especially want to thank you for visiting the WWII memorial... Those heroes are dying at the rate of about 1000 a day and will, soon, all too soon, be gone from us forever.

God Almighty, where do we get such fine men and women?

[Shaun Kenney]

2.

Excellent post!

[Jane]

3.

Than ks very much for that R'cat. It's a very inspirational post.

[superhawk]

4.

Cat:

I accidentally TB'd the wrong post! Delete the first one, please.

Rick

[Mustang]

5.

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. Be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition; And gentlemen [in England] now abed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here." (Shakespeare, Henry V, IV, iii.

Americans who sleep peacefully under the blanket of freedom may be the least of all who appreciate the sacrifices made on their behalf. More the pity, they may never understand what motivate our men and women in uniform who, in the past and present, give all that they have for people they never knew.

In an era when most young people seem to lack direction, commitment, and a vision for the future, our service men and women are the fabric which binds us as a nation. Today, as in the past, our service personnel have a sense of who they are, what they can achieve, in peace and in war. At some point in the lives of most of our citizens, they will feel accursed that they did not accept the heavy mantle with which liberty is maintained -- that they did not become one with a band of brothers.

[Lisa Gilliam]

6.

Thanks RomeoCat this was wonderful!and our WW2 guys are dying fast,so it is great that the memorial finally was built,and now it is up to us too keep their memories alive.

[David]

7.

Strong post! Thanks!

(My dad was also in the PTO during WWII. Also little chatter about his experiences, a few quiet monologues in answer to some questions over the years, but those, his letters to my mom and the accompanying pictures were it.)

[Raven]

8.

Aww RCat, this is a beautiful post. Thank you for the pictures and the heart and soul you put into this.