Today's Americans stand on the shoulders of those who strove before them, beneficiaries of centuries of ingenuity, sacrifice, intrepidity, investment and effort throughout the world.
For most Americans, Memorial Day is a day of leisure earned by the sacrifice of others.
More than one million persons have accepted active duty in the military service of today's United States of America. All have been volunteers, pushed by patriotism, practicality and perhaps other factors in varying measures.
Millions of others have completed their service. Some enlisted, some were conscripted. Some pursued danger, some had no choice other than to confront it. Some accomplished great missions, some were sent on fools' errands, some were issued immoral orders. Some were required to overcome not only the enemy but also the ignorance and bigotry of their peers or superiors. Nearly all have distinguished themselves, whatever their orders, by simply doing their duty.
Some returned as heroes, some (including heroes) returned to a society that treated them like dirt. Some returned in caskets, some never returned.
More than one million persons have died in the military service of the United States. At a technical level, Memorial Day honors the dead and Veterans Day honors the living. All, however, deserve a moment of reflection, a kind thought, a measure of gratitude on Memorial Day.
Infytune: The Wall, Bruce Springsteen (co-writer: Joe Grushecky)
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4 comments:
Thank you for this post.
Seconded from someone who reads this blog but has never made a comment, before this one. Thank you for everything. You are the best writer in Pittsburgh not just in what you say but how you say it, both are amazing. I always look forward to seeing what you are going to say. I feel like I learn something even if I disagree with you. I hope you come back to regularly writing but I just want to say sincerely, "thank you".
beautiful, just beautiful
You suck
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