I had to work all of Memorial Day weekend, therefore I did not get to attend any of the local ceremony's at the cemeteries. And because we don't have a TV that works (only for DVD's and VHS use) I couldn't even watch the Memorial Day Concert on PBS.
Mom, dad and I went to cemetery over the weekend and walked around. I stood there and looked at all the flags, standing watch by the tombstones of those who stood for my freedom and liberty by serving this country. There were so many flags. And to think that this was just one cemetery of thousands . . . "How many people does it take to protect a country?" I asked dad.
I read
this article at work on Monday. The picture of 19 year old Army Pfc. Kevin is what grabbed my attention. He's only
19 years old and has lost both legs and an arm. He looks so young.
What does his life hold for him? He most likely will have a very challenging time getting a job, because of his disability. Why should employers not give him the job when he voluntarily offered his life, for that employer's freedom?!
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| US military in action 2010 |
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| 2010 |
I attended a Civil War reenactment with my
unit two weekends ago. I had been looking forward to it, but when I got there, I didn't
enjoy it like I thought I would. The men went out and shot at each
other; the cannons went off, the crowd cheered at seeing the smoke rings
from the cannons. I sat there watching the battle, wondering if this was how the
towns people felt when they left to watch the first battle of Bull Run.
I could not help but sit there and wonder how we had come
so far from what our real reaction would be to see men fighting and
dying. Why do we think of re-living a horrible war as 'fun'? Back then, you would
cringe to hear a cannon go off, because the dirt around you would be
descending on you as your messmate friend is blown off his feet, never
to walk again due to one or both of his legs being blown off, or worse.
"Would
the real men from the Civil War be pleased to know we are honoring them
by pretending to kill each other?" I wondered. I thought about that
all weekend and came away with an answer: No. I don't think they would
be pleased to be honored in this way. Yes, they would be glad that we
are not forgetting them. But there has to be a different way to remember
them than re-living such horrible battle scenes. We re-live the battles, but we (reenactors) don't take the battles seriously. Yes, the commanders take things seriously, but not all the soldiers do. When someone takes a hit, their fellow soldiers stand over them in the ranks and laugh at how 'pretty' he looks, laying there in the grass. (I use to portray Sarah E. Edmonds who disguised
herself as Franklin Thompson and was a soldier, nurse and spy. That's how I know a little bit of what takes place when seeing 'the elephant'. )
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| Conner Prairie 2012 |
This Memorial Day has stirred me into wanting to honor our fallen soldiers. But honestly, I'm not sure how to go about doing it. Mom suggested I check into the Daughters of Union Veterans, due to my diminishing passion to see Civil War reenactment battles. Don't get me wrong - I will be the first to admit how much I love to see the brothers in arms stand and face each other, sending volley after volley of black powder into the air! (Although there are times when I mentally tell them to dress the line, or start taking hits, or advice the ice angels to start giving aid to the men.)
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| Conner Prairie 2012 |
But after this Memorial Day, I have changed. I no longer care to honor our fallen military personnel in the way that I have.
I have not yet thought of how to honor the military people who gave so much . . . but I will think of something. Even if it means personally visiting as many cemeteries as I can.
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| Morgan's Raid bridge, Conner Prairie 2012 |
