Of monuments, memorials and memory

Posted by Ken Campbell May 31, 2010 0 Comment 856 views

I think people often confuse Memorial Day with Veteran’s Day. It’s easy to straighten that out. Remember, Veteran’s Day is a day in honor of all who served; Memorial Day is for the ones who didn’t make it. All gave some. Some gave all.
That is a staggering thought.
Consider also: a memorial is an event, an occasion, something that happens only rarely. (In this case, it’s a day.) A monument is a physical reminder of the lives that were lost, a sobering, palpable work of beauty born from extreme suffering, and singularly heroic deeds that have achieved legendary status. And all of it is well placed, as far as I am concerned.
Memory, on the other hand, is a very personal thing. For as long as the memory holds, those who have paid the ultimate price can still live on. That’s how memory works. The ones who were cut down in their prime, just as they were getting started, ultimately they did it for us, whether they really even knew it at the time. They remain as they were back then, whenever “then” was. Back in the day. Young and strong, full of plans for the future, eyes bright and backs straight.
And so, I remember Sgt Mike Maw. SSgt. Terry Miyoshi. Capt. Mark Elster.

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