Memorial Day was established by General John Logan on May 5, 1868, and was observed for the first time on May 30, 1868. They placed flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Ironically, the first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873, how can New York have changed so drastically, between then and 2012? Then, in 1890, Memorial day was recognized by all of the northern states as well.
Following in General Logan’s footsteps, on this day we remember and honor those American soldiers who, for love of God and country, one day decided to listen to the “call” of duty and proceeded to sacrifice not only for themselves but they also shared it with their loved ones.
And while Memorial Day has turned to a BBQ holiday, where people wish one another “Happy” Memorial day, it is good to remember that this somber holiday is about honoring the Fallen.
Responding to “the Call”
While some enjoy everyday life tending mostly to their own needs, there are others, who for the love of country and of our people, decide to abandon everything they have, family, friends, comfort... and join our military.
That decision, however, implies a change not for the better for the direct families who have to learn to live in a one-parent family setting. And while our soldiers give up love, their decisions also affect their spouses, who remain home, with the full responsibility of their family at home, living a loveless life as well.
General Patton and the Righteous War
Naturally, giving up on a life with a spouse is not an easy thing to say the least, but such acts of ultimate patriotism do not mean that anyone has given up on life.
General Patton rightfully said: “I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country...”
What he meant was that his soldiers had to take care of themselves, make the right decisions, precise and cautious moves, simply because he did not want them to die needlessly.
A Far Cry from Current American Leadership
What a far cry was General Patton’s position from the current liberal political and military leadership.
To give just an example of the difference between them, just imagine how would General Patton have reacted to the 9/11 attacks. He would have said, “There is no place on earth that the bastards would have been able to hide!” And he would have acted accordingly.
How about the twisted political-military policy of “courageous restraint?”
Dear Reader, do you even imagine General Patton putting up with such an outrageous, insane, suicidal measure against his own men? Never!
Patton was a Patriot
General Patton’s patriotism is such a foreign notion nowadays in America. In his time, Americans knew their men were safe with him. Safe, that is, under the circumstances of war where he or she could defend him or herself, then their death was something the families could deal with pain but also with dignity, pride and honor.
However, in the current political-military situation, we will never know how our soldiers have died given that they must obey the rules of “courageous restraint” where the enemy’s life takes inordinate importance. Under those circumstances it is doubtful that their families would have accepted let go of them and therefore, the country and the political and military leadership are accountable to our soldiers’ parents, husbands, wives, children and community at large.
Wounded Warriors
As we honor the fallen, here a story of pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, courtesy of the Herald Mail:
“When the sun goes down, anxiety sets in.
Howard Burch is haunted by sounds, smells, horror and grief.
After the 1983 suicide bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, Burch was among the U.S. Marines on body detail.
“We had to go in and take the 63 bodies out of the embassy,” Burch said. “My job was to bag ’em and tag ’em. That’s something you can never live down, never forget.”
He returned home, terrified of sleep and the nightmares that menaced him. Life centered around avoiding sleep at any cost. Two failed marriages, drug addiction and homelessness ensued.
In 1997, Burch was diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. But he didn’t receive appropriate treatment, he said, and spent years on the streets.”
In the above story, those 63 marines were our men. And Howard Burch is also a casualty, almost a living dead. And how many of them are roaming around...
Honor the Fallen
Each and all of our Fallen Soldiers are American heroes, and so are their families for having allowed them to join our military.
And one way to honor the fallen is also to think of the future, and the American people, as one man, must stand behind their military, they must watch over them.
They are fighting the wars abroad, as one elite commander once told me: “We can only try to keep them as far as possible from our shores...” And, many of those wars have not been ours, and yet, our men have obeyed to the call.
Our Military’s Keepers
There comes a time in the life of a nation, when the red light of danger is turned on, and people have to behave responsibly. And that’s true above all in the case of our military people, who leave everyone behind to become our human shields, between the enemy and us.
In the liberal, anti-patriotic society we live in, it’s difficult to visualize what the word ‘responsibility’ means. But, the responsibility of looking after them befalls on us, their thankful compatriots.
While the American military are fighting at the front, we owe it to them to stand up and shoulder them, here in mainland, because in reality they are not only fighting against the sworn enemies of America, but also against their worst enemy: our treacherous political-military leadership who are the ones bowing to foreign authorities, in flagrant attack and treason to our Constitution and our country.
And, as we honor our fallen heroes, we must watch after the living, that they may not be led into an undeserved, dishonorable death.
May the Fallen be honored by remembering their memory, not only on Memorial Day, but also every day as their struggle and courage knew no rest, no sleep and no respite.
The lived and died to defend us. We must live to honor their memory and defend the living.
God bless America
Art©StephenEHughes
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