Decoration Day.....

[SdoubleA]

I am re-posting this piece I wrote two years ago. Thank you for allowing me to share it again.





Once upon a time, it was called Decoration Day.

Rather than a go to the lake, get drunk, and make an ass of yourself time...it was a solemn day. A day for thinking about those that gave their lives in order for so many to enjoy the screwed up lives they live today.

I still care. Not just one day of the year. Several. I remember ..... and I still miss them. Some family....mostly old runnin' buds of mine that came back in a government regulation box...if they came home at all.

The ones that did make it back home, I still visit often. To tend their graves, to talk, to remember the days of innocence... of a time so very long ago.

Airborne, Special Forces, Berets, my friends wanted to make a difference. And damned if several of them didn't do just that.

A few came back alive, but dead inside....and unrecognizable to many. Physical scars, emotional scars, scars nevertheless. A few survivors could cope.....a few could not....and died on peaceful shores.

America changed.....people changed.....and not necessarily for the better.

I yearn for a simpler time....a time when life was sweet....and worth something.

A time when America and Americans were damn proud.

Of God.....and Country....and were not ashamed to admit to either.

Call it "Memorial Day", go to the lake, get drunk, make an ass of yourself.

As for me, and mine, we will call it Decoration Day....and by God's grace, we will remember......as long as we remain.

 

[John6185]

Isn't that the absolute truth? Today our children aren't as innocent as we were at their age and it's a shame. I long for those days but theyre gone forever apparently.

 

[dennishoddy]

If I'm in town, I always participate in putting flags on Veterans graves at the local cemeteries with the VFW post I belong to. It's a sobering duty and some bring their kids or grandkids and sometime take a moment over a certain grave to talk to the kids about when that conflict occurred, or maybe they knew that person and want to expound some history. You never know what was said, you just see them talking.
You don't need to be a veteran to help.

My last active duty station was Ft Leavenworth Ks and there was a National Cemetery right next door so got to look at it every day going to work.
Our unit volunteered among others to put flags on the graves and was amazed at the number of unknown soldiers graves. For some reason, thought there was only one at Arlington, but there were rows and rows of them there. Most from the war between the states but some more recent.
You just stand there looking at the headstones and wonder what family never got to properly bury their loved one and how they must have felt watching their loved one leave and possibly never another word from them. They were just gone.

 

[John6185]

I go to the VA Hospital and all the old fat veterans sitting in wheelchairs with swollen legs and ankles and think about them running and being active in years gone by. I would guess that they do too. It's really sad to see what used to be young men grow old and not being able to care completely for themselves.