Remember Memorial Day Meaning

Arlington Cemetery, from a visit in 2014. Center sculpture is titled “Price of Freedom.”
Lower left is honoring the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Right is the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

I almost forgot about Memorial Day this weekend. It’s the last Monday of May, but there are six days of May after the last Monday. So it came as a minor surprise. I had half written a post for this week, but I’m setting that aside for a few days to do this Memorial Day remembrance.

I admit, it took me a while—longer than it should have—to recognize what Memorial Day was. As a child, it was sometimes called “Decoration Day,” the day we decorated the graves of our ancestors with flowers from the garden. I didn’t attach the military meaning to it; we decorated the graves of all our relatives in a given cemetery, not just military members.

And once I attached the military meaning, then I incorrectly thought of it as a day to honor veterans. I didn’t get it right until maybe a decade and a half ago. Here’s the accurate info:

·       Armed Forces Day, for those currently serving, is celebrated the third Saturday in May (May 16 this year).

·       Veterans’ Day, for living former servicemen/women, is celebrated November 11.

·       Memorial Day, for those who died while serving, is celebrated the last Monday in May (May 25 this year).

 

Originally, Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30, whatever day of the week that fell on. That was changed when the majority of our holidays were placed on Mondays, in 1971, to give people a three-day weekend, which allowed for travel and was probably intended to thereby allow for more celebrating of those days. Unfortunately, a three-day weekend has made some such weekends generic. And Memorial Day may have thus suffered loss of meaning, or reverent remembering.

So to remedy that loss of remembering, I’m adding this post here, in grateful thanks to those who gave their all. As Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address:

…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Memorial Day is meant as a holy day, not a mere holiday. I expect most of us will enjoy the holiday aspects as well. Maybe a cookout or a family outing. But it would do our country well if we also set aside a bit of time to use the day for its intended purpose—to remember the fallen.

To read the full article, FOLLOW LINK TO SUBSTACK.

Have a Reverent Memorial Day

I’ve been rereading the Constitution lately, finding ways of describing what the founders were trying to accomplish in this sacred document.

It isn’t rocket science. It’s only about 5000 words, just a few pages. It’s in the English commonly spoken a couple of centuries ago, but words haven’t changed so significantly that you can’t ascertain the meaning. It’s not written for only lawyers to understand; it’s written for all Americans to understand. And it’s important that we do.

It actually takes a great deal of effort to write words clearly and briefly. Our Constitution was written with remarkable care and inspiration. What a gift that is! It is unmatched in the history of the world.

When we abide by the Constitution, we get not only political freedom; we also get economic prosperity and thriving civilization. But abiding by the Constitution is the challenge.

Some years ago someone asked Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi whether a particular legislative act—some million-word-long monstrosity—was Constitutional? Where in the Constitution was the power granted? It’s a question that ought to be asked, first and foremost, of every piece of legislation. But she actually responded with shock that such a provincial, archaic, irrelevant question would even be asked.

That’s a problem.

We have one party that uses the term “constitutional” to mean “whatever we want to do can be construed to fit; it’s a living document.” And we have another party, some of whom understand we need to restore and preserve the Constitution, but some others do no more than try to prevent the slippage into tyranny from going so fast. That’s not good enough. Pumping the breaks to slow a decline does not get you back up the mountain. You need to ascend that mountain to have freedom, prosperity, and civilization. Down at the bottom of that descent you unavoidably get tyrannical oppression, poverty, and savagery.

The Constitution is the best vehicle ever created to ascend that mountain.

But it requires actually abiding by it. That means some things are required of us citizens—We the People—who are self-governing sovereign citizens, rather than subjects of a ruler. We’re required to pay attention. We need to know the law, know our rights, assert our rights. We need to resist even the small usurpations of our rights, on principle. And—if at all possible—we need to do this with convincing words and civilized actions, rather than physical battle.

But there have been times—many times—when battle to protect our nation has been necessary. And this day we celebrate Memorial Day to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

I’m going to repeat a photo essay I shared for Memorial Day a few years ago, from a trip in 2014 to Arlington Cemetery and some other memorials in Washington, DC. The reverence of Arlington especially touched my heart. Reverence is honor and respect you give to show awe and profound love. Awe and profound love are the least we owe to those who gave their lives for us, so we can enjoy what our Constitutional Republic affords us—if we can keep it.

______________________ 

Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

We got to witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This was one of the most reverent moments of our trip. We all stood, in silence, throughout. No one forced us to be so respectful; yet it’s hard to imagine someone refusing to give reverence in that setting.

The ceremony takes place whether people are there or not. The soldiers revere those sacred dead; we are invited to join them in that honor. We felt privileged to witness it.

 

Retiring the Flag at Arlington Cemetery

After the ceremony, we were waiting for our tour bus, and I ran off to take a few more photos. I happened to notice this additional ceremony, the retiring of the flag in early evening. There was no crowd around. The soldiers were doing the honorable ceremony, because that’s what they do. I took the photo from a distance; I was glad I got to see this sacred moment.

Among the Acres of Graves at Arlington Cemetery

I know it doesn’t sound like a thrilling vacation to go to a cemetery, but Arlington Cemetery is worth experiencing. It’s vast, and beautiful, and sacred. If you’re not used to experiencing reverence, plan in a trip like this to help you learn what it feels like.

Iwo Jima Monument

The Iwo Jima Monument relates to World War II. It is located just outside the Arlington Cemetery. We saw it just before sunset, which made photography a challenge, but the sky toward the sun was stunning. This photo is taken with back to the sun so the monument shows up as more than a silhouette.



World War II Memorial

One of my favorite memorials was the World War II Memorial, located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Memorial. We were there on a day when buses were bringing WWII veterans, many in wheelchairs and in their 90s, to honor those they served with most of a lifetime ago.



Each star represents 100 lost lives in WWII

There’s a wall of stars at the memorial; each star represents 100 who lost their lives. There are 4048 gold stars, representing the 405,399 American dead or missing.  

 

Vietnam Memorial Wall

The Vietnam Memorial Wall is most impressive maybe because of its length, full of names of those lost in service in that war.

Korean War Memorial

On the opposite side of the Lincoln Memorial is this Korean War Memorial. It also has a reflective wall, this one with faces looking out. The wall is alongside a garden of statues, soldiers walking through undergrowth, as you might have seen them in action. I hadn’t been aware of this memorial before the trip. But I saw it in a scene of a TV show after returning home. This was another place I really felt the reverence. Maybe it relates to having had a son stationed in Korea.

May the reverence of this day help you appreciate all other days.

We Must Never Forget

It’s a Memorial Day, which is always worth noting here, where we seek freedom, prosperity, and civilization. Freedom isn’t free.

I’m mostly sharing what other people have posted to celebrate this day.

First, a reminder of what this day is:

·         Armed Forces Day, for those currently serving, is celebrated the third Saturday in May

·         Veterans’ Day, for living former servicemen/women, is celebrated November 11.

·         Memorial Day, for those who died while serving, is celebrated the last Monday in May.

       

Image from Military Families United, found on Facebook.

Here are some images that remind us of the reverent spirit of the day.

Quote from Ronald Reagan,
image found on Facebook, from Founding Principles

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in the rain,
imaged shared on Facebook in 2015 by Randy Baughn

Here are some reminders of what our freedoms cost.

Image shared on Facebook by Newsradio 740 KTRH

 

Image found on Facebook, shared by Until Every Troop Comes Home

This next section is the Memorial Day post from my US Representative, Dan Crenshaw, former Navy Seal who lost his right eye in Afghanistan, specifically honoring those he lost from his Seal Team. The words and photos are his:

Enjoy your Memorial Day and let us remember why we celebrate. We celebrate the lives of the heroes we have lost. Never Forget.

Please read the entire post.

Brendan Looney. Did our first deployment together at SEAL Team 3. One of the best and most respected leaders on the Team. Husband, son, and brother. “Be Strong. Be accountable. Never complain.”

Pat Feeks. One of the best JTACs out there. Best story teller I ever met (those who knew him will understand!). Loyal friend, husband, brother, and son. He always showed up when you asked him to.

Dave Warsen. All American. Spent a lot of time together on our deployment to Afghanistan. When not on missions, we’d hit the volleyball court (half sand, half rocks). Strongest guy in the platoon, and also the happiest. Truly loved and missed.

Kevin Ebbert. My roommate in BUD/S. One of the smartest, most capable, kindest SEALs I ever knew. Skilled medic, loving husband. Missed dearly.

Brad Cavner. Cool, collected, and a great operator. Brad taught me to shoot left-handed after I lost my right eye, and spent countless hours getting my CQC skills back up to speed. “It’s about the Brotherhood.”

Tom Fouke. My old roommate. Dear friend. The gentlest big guy I ever knew. He raised an Argentine Horned frog named Lester when we lived together. Loved life, loved Metallica. World would be a better place with him in it.

Brett Marihugh. The most motivating and entertaining guy in our BUD/S class. Told stories for hours about his time as a cop before he joined. He pretended to be a doctor so he could visit my hospital room in Afghanistan and check up on me after I got hit by an IED.

Charles Keating IV. “Chuck Heavy”. His laugh was contagious. Life of the party. He was killed placing himself in danger so that his Team wouldn’t have to. Navy Cross recipient. Epic hero, husband, son, brother.

Another story of loss is Jennie Taylor's, mother of seven whose husband was killed in Afghanistan on his fourth deployment in fifteen years. She is now faced with carrying on their life dreams in his absence, with God’s help.

Jennie Taylor with her husband and kids
image from here

Finally, below is a brief speech from President Ronald Reagan on a past Memorial Day. There’s this memorable quote in the middle:

Our first obligation to them and ourselves is plain enough: The United States, and the freedom for which it stands, the freedom for which they died, must endure and prosper. Their lives remind us that freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost. It imposes a burden. And just as they whom we’re grateful were willing to sacrifice, so too must we, in a less final, less heroic way, be willing to give of ourselves.

And it ends with this good summary for today:

As we honor their memory today, let us pledge that their lives, their sacrifices, their valor shall be justified and remembered for as long as God gives life to this nation.

Remember

In Sunday School yesterday we talked about an event in Joshua, when he parted the waters of the Jordon River for the people to cross (which was so Moses-like, it let the people know he was their new prophet). They made a memorial with twelve stones—one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel—to mark the place. So they and their children would remember the event.

There are a number of scriptures in the Book of Mormon that remind the people to remember the goodness of God in delivering them: from Egypt, from Jerusalem to this promised land, from bondage at various times in their history. For example, Mosiah 25:16, Alma 29:11-12, and Alma 36:2.

In addition, our sacrament prayers help us make the commitment to remember Christ our Savior always, so that we can have His Spirit with us.

Remembering is something we need to do. To remember good things that have happened. To remember good others have done for us. To honor those who have sacrificed for us.

A healthy amount of remembering helps us live better in the present.

So, on this day, we are better if we take a moment out to remember those who have sacrificed all for us.

The photo below is a a memorial here in Houston, just a slight detour from our normal route to the Houston Temple. A friend discovered it for the first time a few days ago after visiting the temple. If you don't know it's there, it's easy to miss. I remember when this was being built. It's comforting to know it's there, along with other memorials. Because we need to remember.

In my own effort to remember, I’m going to repeat much of what I wrote for Memorial Day five years ago, about Memorial Day's history, and about our need to remember.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Not Just Another Monday

I read something yesterday,* about Memorial Day, reminding me that it wasn’t until 1971 that Memorial Day, along with several other holidays, was changed from a specific date to a particular Monday, allowing for three-day weekends. The author hypothesized that something of the meaning began disappearing with that change.

Fallen Warriors Memorial--Houston
from their Facebook page

I started thinking about that, for other holidays as well. Presidents Day was one; we no longer celebrate the birthdays of Lincoln and Washington on their actual February birthdays, learning about them in school classes and elsewhere. Instead we have a holiday for family vacations, a brief college break, an extra shopping day, during which we have pretty much nothing in the way of traditional ceremony reminding us of those two extraordinary presidents.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, celebrated on a Monday in mid-January, came after the change, so has never been truly connected to his actual birthday. Having a holiday for a single American, no matter how influential, seems odd when we only bunch our greatest, and all, presidents some Monday in February. It’s better when the day is referred to as celebrating equal rights or something—something worth teaching about in schools. But again, it’s a day off from schools, with very little in the way of traditional celebrating.

We tend to keep traditions alive better when they are date specific, rather than a convenient Monday. Christmas tends to be full (overfull, at times) of traditions. The Fourth of July, Independence Day, could hardly be celebrated on a different day, and it does retain traditional parades, fireworks, and brass bands in addition to summer cookouts and family time together.

Thanksgiving is on a changing date, but always the fourth Thursday of November; it remains full of tradition. It can be anywhere from a single day off during the week to a four-day or even seven-day vacation. Easter is day specific as well, a certain Sunday after the spring equinox. There’s enough meaning attached that we get together for traditional family celebrations whether we get time off or not. So it’s possible, even without specific dates. But the three-day weekend does seem to have lessened, rather than increased, our ability to pay attention to the purpose of special days.

What if we had kept Memorial Day on its original May 30^th? Would we remember it is as something much more than the first good cookout day of summer? Would we meet together somewhere in reverence, at a cemetery or monument, and tell stories of fallen heroes? Would we remember how solemn this day is, compared to July 4^th, and compared to Veterans’ Day? I don’t know. And I don’t suppose it’s likely we’ll go back.

But here in Texas we say, “Remember the Alamo,” and of the current war against radical Islamists who attacked us 9-11-2001, we say, “Never forget.” Memorial Day was officially instituted after the Civil War, to honor soldiers who had fallen on both sides, so we would never forget their sacrifice that brought us toward full freedom, and all the soldiers since who have made that ultimate sacrifice….

We plan to see grandkids, have some Texas barbecue, and enjoy the Monday off. I expect many of you will do the same. But I hope we can all also do some grateful remembering.

_____________________________________

*The link had video/audio of three mournful but beautiful pieces of music honoring fallen soldiers, worth listening to.

Last Full Measure of Devotion

It’s Memorial Day, and I want to add my tribute to those who paid the “last full measure of devotion.” Mostly I’ll be sharing tributes others have offered that I think are beautiful.

Let’s start with words from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:

…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.—Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

These words from Lincoln show up at the end of the three-minute video below, Hillsdale College’s Memorial Day tribute from 2016, which includes Ronald Reagan offering tribute, plus the song “Mansions of the Lord.”

Here are some of Reagan's words:

We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free. We must realize that nor arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.

The price for this freedom at times has been high. But we have never been unwilling to pay that price.

Those that say that we’re in a time when there are no heroes, they just don’t know where to look.

President Reagan had a knack for saying the right thing. Here’s another tribute using his words. It comes from Champion Forest Baptist Church, which is in Northwest Houston, from 2014, which includes these words from Pres. Reagan:

The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers—grave and gray-haired. But most of them were boys when they died. And they gave up two lives: the one they were living, and the one they would have lived…. They gave up everything for our country, for us. We owe them a debt we can never repay. All we can do is remember them, and what they did, and why they had to be brave for us.

One more. This links to a tweet from 2015 in which Chris Pratt is teaching his son the Pledge of Allegiance. It should make you smile.  

A Day for Reverence

The word “holiday” comes from “holy day.” Sometimes we forget the underlying sacred meanings of our special days, as they become an extra day off work or school. But I’m trying to honor the meaning of Memorial Day with this post.

Memorial Day is the day we remember and honor those who sacrificed their lives for our country’s freedom. Each one is a life cut short, but forever meaningful.

I love the way they are honored at Arlington Cemetery—every day. These photos were from our trip there in September 2014.

As with many other holidays, there are songs that remind us of the meaning. So I’m sharing a couple of those today. This first one came up on Facebook, and I like both the song and the visual tribute. The person who posted said the photos represented three separate funerals he attended—one was the son of a dear friend.

This next one I came across a few years ago, linked in a post about the true meaning of Memorial Day. The song is old, and more often used in the UK than here. But it was written to honor those sacrificed in war. Because of the sacredness of the words, it is by tradition, never practiced or performed publicly, but only performed at funerals for those lost in war. It’s hauntingly beautiful, and I go back to it on Memorial Days now.

Also mentioned in that same piece is an ongoing series called IGTNT (I Got the News Today), honoring the fallen ones, one at a time. Worth checking out.

Memorials

Last fall we took a trip to Washington, DC, which I reported here in September, in four parts. I’m repeated parts of them today, in the reverent spirit of Memorial Day, plus maybe some additional things.

 

Inscription on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

 

We got to witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This was one of the most reverent moments of our trip. We all stood, in silence, throughout. The ceremony takes place whether people are there or not. They revere those sacred dead; we are invited to join them in that honor. We felt privileged to witness it.

Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

 

 

Retiring the Flag at Arlington Cemetery

After the ceremony, we were waiting for our tour bus, and I ran off to take a few more photos. And I noticed this additional ceremony, the retiring of the flag in early evening. There was no crowd around. The soldiers were doing the honorable ceremony, because that’s what they do. I took the photo from a distance; I was glad I got to see this sacred moment.

 

Among the Acres of Graves at Arlington Cemetery

I know it doesn’t sound like a thrilling vacation to go to a cemetery, but Arlington Cemetery is worth experiencing. It’s vast, and beautiful, and sacred.

Iwo Jima Monument

The Iwo Jima Monument relates to World War II. It is located just outside the Arlington Cemetery. We saw it just before sunset, which made photography a challenge, but the sky toward the sun was stunning. This photo is taken with back to the sun.



World War II Memorial

One of my favorite memorials was the World War II Memorial, located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Memorial. We were there on a day when busses were bringing WWII veterans, many in wheelchairs and in their 90s, to honor those they served with most of a lifetime ago.



Each star represent 100 lost lives in WWII

There’s a wall of stars at the memorial; each star represents 100 who lost their lives. There are 4048 gold stars, representing the 405,399 American dead or missing.  

Vietnam Memorial Wall

The Vietnam Memorial Wall is most impressive maybe because of its length, full of names of those lost in service in that war.

Korean War Memorial

On the opposite side of the Lincoln Memorial is this Korean War Memorial. It also has a reflective wall, this one with faces looking out. The wall is alongside a garden of statues, soldiers walking through undergrowth, as you might have seen them in action. I hadn’t been aware of this memorial before the trip. But I saw it in a scene of a TV show after returning home. This was another place I really felt the reverence. Maybe it relates to having had a son stationed in Korea.

 

 I want to add this photo, honoring four fallen Americans in Benghazi, September 11, 2012. We’re still trying to find out what happened, and why the administration lied about what happened, and continues to obstruct the investigation. The honor is for today; we’ll save the troubling discussion for another time.