Arlington National Cemetery: Courtesy of José Rodríguez — **Arlington National Cemetery**: Courtesy of José Rodríguez

Awhile back, somewhere I read a conversation in social media about the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Per The History Channel, it is the holiday on the last Monday in May celebrating men and women, who died while serving. It started after The Civil War as Decoration Day and became an official holiday in 1971. Many consider it the unofficial beginning of summer.

Veterans Day, on the other hand, per the VA’s website, commemorates the end of World War I (“the war to end all wars“) combat. Prior, it was known as Armistice Day. One year later, in November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared that “Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory. “ However, it wasn’t until June 1, 1954 that it became the holiday to honor veterans of all wars.

How Service Became Real To Me

Normandy American Cemetery: Courtesy of José Rodríguez — **Normandy American Cemetery**: Courtesy of José Rodríguez

Nearly 23 years ago, when I was 17, I went on a plane for the first time. This 10 day trip started in Paris and ended in London. About halfway through the trip, we stopped at the Normandy American Cemetery.

At that time, I think that I only knew one person that served: a cousin. So I didn’t have too much of a reference to really understand and appreciate what it takes to serve. Truthfully, I don’t know how many 17 year olds could comprehend this.

So returning to my visit to the Normandy American Cemetery in 1997. Initially, I think that I considered it just another site that I was visiting on that trip. I had a book, The Story of D-Day June 6, 1944 by Bruce Bliven, Jr. (Amazon Affiliate link) that I bought and I learned about D-Day in history class, but it wasn’t yet real to me.

That visit was my first time ever visiting a military cemetery. I remember how eerily beautiful It was to see all of the white crosses. They went as far as my eyes could see. On the surface, it was beautiful. Yes, I understood that there were people beneath those crosses, but it still wasn’t real.

At a certain point, our guide told us how many of our soldiers buried beneath those crosses were 17 or 18 years old. I thought about some of the comparatively minor things that I experienced up to that moment and some of those things spooked me. Now, take me at that age and put me on a Norman beach with bullets whizzing past, bombs exploding and comrades getting killed all around me, that scene was and still is beyond my comprehension. I can’t imagine some of what those guys faced before death silenced them and ended their terror. The scariest thing is that those guys were my age.

Thank You

In general, I have spoken about how we don’t know, by looking at someone, what they have undergone. When I see a veteran, I have no idea if they saw any action or not. If they didn’t, it doesn’t take away from their service because either they enlisted (chose to serve) or were drafted. In either case, they served, while I didn’t.

Awhile back, I used to work at a small watch/jewelry repair stand. Any time that I would see anyone with any veteran garb, especially older gentlemen wearing WWII hats, I would hook them up with a watch battery. Especially with the older men, I figure that they might be on a fixed income. A free watch battery was something small but the least that I could do for them. Lastly, I never made a big show, but I would tell them, “Thank you.”

The Legacy of Veterans

Let’s circle back to our upcoming Memorial Day. I won’t analyze the justification of our past conflicts. Also, in this post, I won’t discuss what is currently going on politically. This being said, I will return back to that realization from the Normandy American Cemetery. Those soldiers that gave their lives could have been me, could have been us. Had they survived, they could have been our neighbors, our teachers, our co-workers, our bosses.

So, if they sacrificed their lives to protect us and our rights, what are we continually doing to justify their sacrifices? They didn't die to protect just some of our rights. They didn't die to protect just some of us. We established the argument for our rights in The Declaration of Independence, formalized the in The Constitution and expanded them in The Bill of Rights. So when some of us are on social media trying to yell the other side into submission, is that the best way to honor our deceased? When some try to protect only their way of life, while try to limit others’ ability to live theirs (…”life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness), is that the best way to honor our deceased? Are we really doing our best to honor them?

So as some of us have a day off, as some of us barbecue with our families, we should ask if we could do more to honor their collective memory? As we carry on with our lives, what more can we do? It isn't my style to tell people what to do, as I feel that we should all make our choices. Rather I ask questions to help nurture the self-examination that can initiate positive change. As you look inside of yourself on this Memorial Day, I hope that you can indeed honor our deceased’s sacrifice.

WHAT ARE WE CONTINUALLY DOING TO HONOR THEIR SACRICICE?

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