Friday, May 27, 2005
Memorial Day
Memorial Day, a day for remembering. It is also a day to reflect upon the ironies of life and how fortunate we are to be here to do so. Veterans, young and old, of wars ,new and old ,will regale us with war stories, some true, some not , and try to explain, mostly to themselves, why there always seems to be a war intended to end all wars, a goal
as elusive as smoke, but never ending. We, as Americans
believe that some wars are just. We have to believe that because we have so many of them. Some of them seem
frivilous now; Grenada, for instance. Who remembers why we went to war in Grenada? What big battles were fought there? All I can remember is that it seemed like a good idea at the time. My personal war was the Big One, WW2. It was so long ago and seems like only yesterday. Whenever I get to thinking that I'm really not that old, I recall a time when I was substitute teaching at an elementary school and I was asked by this little third grader if I ever fought in a war. When I answered him,he asked which side did I fight on, the North or the South. I smiled and told him I was a tad young for that one. I don't really think he believed me. So much for heroic impressions.
Well, regardless of all the heroic speeches and grand pronouncements, we Americans have become a little more skeptical and a lot more selective of when and where to wage war and that I believe, is a good thing.
Memorial Day, a day of remembering....and learning.
George Morin
Auburn
as elusive as smoke, but never ending. We, as Americans
believe that some wars are just. We have to believe that because we have so many of them. Some of them seem
frivilous now; Grenada, for instance. Who remembers why we went to war in Grenada? What big battles were fought there? All I can remember is that it seemed like a good idea at the time. My personal war was the Big One, WW2. It was so long ago and seems like only yesterday. Whenever I get to thinking that I'm really not that old, I recall a time when I was substitute teaching at an elementary school and I was asked by this little third grader if I ever fought in a war. When I answered him,he asked which side did I fight on, the North or the South. I smiled and told him I was a tad young for that one. I don't really think he believed me. So much for heroic impressions.
Well, regardless of all the heroic speeches and grand pronouncements, we Americans have become a little more skeptical and a lot more selective of when and where to wage war and that I believe, is a good thing.
Memorial Day, a day of remembering....and learning.
George Morin
Auburn
