Scoop’s Views

The late General Douglas MacArthur was once quoted as saying, "No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation." That’s a concept that many today have forgotten, often in lieu of protesting or other self-serving goals, such as passing on military service, attending law school, and later in life, seeking office of President of the United States.

As many around the country prepare for today for a long weekend, it seems a lot of people have forgotten what this particular holiday weekend is centered around Memorial Day. It’s a traditional day of remembrance of those military men and women who selflessly laid down their lives in order that those of us, here at home, may continuing living in freedom, mostly peacefully, and without a dictatorship or junta as the controlling party of the nation.

This weekend, well actually, the past several days, have been hard on me. I’ve been reflecting, subconsciously, I suppose, on the many men and women I’ve known over the years who paid the ultimate price in service to this nation. Those thoughts have invaded my dreams, as well, taking me back to younger days when I, too, wore the uniform of this nation.

While many people are firing up barbeque grills, heading to resorts, beaches, and other spots to party this "holiday weekend," others are visiting grave sites, ensuring all deceased veterans have flags at the tombstone. Other people are doing other things in memory of those who have given their all for the United States, going back to the earliest days in this nation’s history.

In a town not far from Philadelphia, and the town itself is immaterial, the residents and family of a returning Marine gathered yesterday to welcome home from Iraq a lance corporal. In fact, he was given a hero’s welcome, complete with a motorcade, emergency vehicles with flashing lights and sirens, and people lining the streets to cheer and welcome him home. Oh, let’s not forget the Harley-Davidson riding Vietnam vets who also rode in the motorcade, as well as the VFW members, their caps embroidered with various campaigns, ranging from an array of World War II battles to modern day conflicts.

Among those in the crowd was the mother of an Army corporal who had been killed in Iraq. She summed up the meaning of the welcome home parade, saying:

"He was there and had a job to do. Now he’s back home with his family and will go on with his life. It’s not always that people go off to war and come home a hero. My son went into the Army and was sent to Iraq. He was killed not long before he was supposed to come home. We’re here to welcome home this Marine today because he deserve’s this kind of welcome for what he’s done for the country. Monday is the day when I will be remembering my son. A lot of the people in the crowd today will be at the cemetery with me, honoring my son and all the others who died in combat. That’s what it’s all about. Remembering the heroes who gave it all for us." 

Unlike a few email "greetings" I received, telling me to have a "happy" Memorial Day, and others suggesting I "party" and "welcome in summer" — with no thought to the true meaning of this holiday, this mother really summed up the meaning of Memorial Day.

There’s a price for everything, and while you’re sitting in the luxury of a home, with a fan or an air conditioner to keep you cool, we have thousands of troops sleeping in many foreign countries, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, and many other locations, and many without the luxury you have of sitting in front of fans or in air conditioning.

While many fire up the grill, burn the hot dogs, grill the steak, and play the role of BBQ master, many of our fellow Americans will be fighting for their lives. No, that’s not just an expression. Some will, sadly enough, be dealing with the pain inflicted by an IED; others will be dealing with or dying from gunshot wounds or mortar attacks. Others will die from a combination of battlefield tactics employed by insurgents — terrorists, the enemy — while you’re partying on the beach or at the park.

Be sure to enjoy those hot dogs, and later in the day, the steak and potato. The last meal some of our troops ever get will come from an IV bag, or, if they had a gourmet meal, either a portable meal, known as an MRE (Meal, Ready-to-Eat), which is the replacement for the C-Rations of days long gone, or possibly something from the chow line while.

In my life so far, spanning just over four decades, I’ve lost count of the number of friends and acquaintances I’ve lost due to combat, starting with Vietnam. When I came of age to serve, in the early 1980s, I stepped forward and did the very thing most will not do voluntarily. While in the Army, I lost several friends. Most died in training accidents, though a few died in combat.

After leaving the military, I kept in touch or kept tabs on more than several people. Some of those people died in combat, as well. Then, as the next generation, kids who are now the age of my oldest, came forward to take point, more than a dozen that I knew from infancy have also laid down their lives in service to this nation.

Looking back, especially at the life of a dear friend, a medic who’s life ended far too early, there’s not much I’d change. I only wish I could blot out the "what ifs" from my mind when it comes to thinking about him and others I knew all too well. What if he had finished his time and gone to medical school? What if he hadn’t gotten killed and had come home to hold his new-born son? Yeah, what if?

I don’t care about politics this weekend. I wish the idiots who are campaigning would put aside their political crap this weekend, as well. Instead, one is doing what appears to be a sick "naked dancing baby" imitation in Puerto Rico. One is having a giant "social event," while I haven’t heard too much about the plans of the other candidate. Again, I don’t care. This is not their weekend. It’s a weekend that belongs to those who died serving under past presidents. That alone is something all three ought to honor and respect. Then again, the current resident of the White House, George Bush, ought not step in Arlington National Cemetery, as his actions — or lack thereof — while supposedly a pilot in the National Guard, are much less than honorable.

As you go about with your life this weekend, remember to thank a veteran for what they’ve done, as well as for the many things you will never know in order that you might have the life you have today. Also remember all those who died, including those whose lives are memorialized through movies. It sad that the movies don’t bring home the true cost of war: the pain, the fear, the blood, the sweat, the adrenaline, the uncertainty, and the commitment to duty, honor, and country.

There is a price for everything. Freedom is not free.

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