Proud Military Family-Image by Google Images
Most people who think of Memorial Day probably think about the millions of veterans who have fought for our country. But, Memorial Day is about more than *just* the veterans.
Memorial Day is, or should be about the ENTIRE Military Family, including parents, siblings, wives, children, neices, nephews, uncles, aunts, etc, all who are doing their part to support the soldier. No man is an island, no soldier fights alone. When he goes into battle, he takes with him the lessons, the morals, the ethics he learned, not only from his military training, but from his home life.
And these experiences, and the people who helped to shape these experiences should be honored too, as support staff to the soldiers carrying the artillery.
I believe the best thing we can do to support our military, and memorialize all those who have fought for this country, both on foreign and domestic soil, is to support the families of veterans just as much as we support our veterans.
Let's remember that today.
**Dedicated to my "Granddad" Bill, a WWII B-2 bomber pilot, who did far more good for his family, and for me off the battle field than he ever did on the battle field. Bill was diagnosed with ALS, and his wife Ronnie took care of him in their home, until she was diagnosed with cancer, undetected and untreated, as she focused all her attention on taking care of him.
She passed from cancer several years before he did. Neither one ever mentioning anything about the VA or the government. They didn't need them, they had each other.
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Comments
I agree with you about the minimalization of Memorial Day into a corporate commercialized holiday, but at the same time, I'm simply asking people to broaden their definition of "giving their lives in defense and support of our nation"
Does a mother or a father not support and defend their child, who then goes off and defends the country?
And I guess I see THAT sacrifice, raising and educating children to become soldiers, and wanting to defendd our country just as admirable as those who carry the weapons.
As I said, no man or woman is an island. We ALL have support staff in order to simply survive
I think a day commemorating family members is equally justified, but it should be a separate day. Today we honor the fallen. They earned it by giving their lives.
LOL I could do with it being about 20degrees cooler, but its ok, thanks,you too
I guess I'm just a hard headed stickler on this one, because of the overly heroic depictions of our soldiers on Memorial Day.
It's not the 1950's anymore, People do actually suffer from the effects of war, and those effects need to be shown just as much as the W.R. Monger's (From Monster's Vs Aliens movie) of the world
Honestly, man, I'm sitting here watching CNN reporting all the goings on, and my first thought is:
"where is the I'm a war veteran, but I'm too crippled and ugly, but not dead enough to be featured on CNN, so I'm stuck as an invalid being taken care of by my underappreciated, under valued family who don't see me as a hero or victim, they just see me as me"
I dunno....There's an entire "lost generation", for lack of better words, of veterans who are completely ignored and disregarded, and most of them are receiving most of their support from family and friends, not the media or the government
I guess it's a matter of how one defines "fighting"
Scanner-
Amen to that
( I updated Bill's story btw, for anyone who cares)
Too many people forget about 'the others"
Rated with hugs and an Andrew Sisters tune.
And those are just the wounds we see....not to mention the unseen wounds of mental and emotional trauma that live with our veterans for life
Sadly, peace comes to the dead much easier than it comes to the living
What we need are 2 holidays. One to honor the dead, another to honor the living who are still suffering and fighting the life long term effects of the wars they and their support staff fought in
Like I said to Torman where's the:
"I'm too ugly and disfigured because of war, but not dead enough to be featured on CNN" Day?
I'm not disagreeing with everyone here, and certainly not with "your" point (*ahem*) of a separate day honoring service member's families, but today is set aside to honor those that died defending our freedom to do things like be here and bitch about the day honoring their sacrifice not being inclusive enough. :eyeroll:
Give them their due, people! They died believing that they were protecting you and your rights. You can agree or disagree with the need for a war in the first place, but DON'T insult the memory of the men and women who served and fell.
We have 2 days, Veterans Day and Memorial Day to honor those who fell. What about those who simply got knocked out and received a concussion who end up with ALS 20 years later, or what have you?
Why is DEAD more honorable than INJURED?
Because that IS the message some of us receive when the dead are honored, but the critically and chronically wounded are ignored
So from here on out, I will consider there being two days a year to honor our military, past and present. Thanks!
Don't believe me, fine. Here. Read the first paragraph, dude:
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/veteransday.htm
If you want to declare that Veteran's Day should be renamed "Everyone Who Ever Had Anything To Do With Supporting Service Members Day" I'm fine with that. But show some respect for the men and women that DIED defending your right to bitch about it, K?
Lezlie
BUT Memorial Day is for the dead- not the Veterans, not their families, Memorial Day is about honoring the memory of dead soldiers. It's a day of mourning. :(
Yes, exactly. I'm tired of Veterans Day and Memorial Day being about 80 year old guys being shipped back to the battlefields where they fought, to commemorate the dead and "fallen: soldiers, while there are MILLIONS of people in rehab centers and hospitals and languishing at home, who fought in wars, but are not "war heroes", they're just regular guys who got their legs blown off or their arms blown off, and they're living with that disability in obscurity while the "pretty" veterans who can walk and talk and salute get all the attention.
where's the "Born on the 4th of July Guy (the tom cruise movie" Day??
Where are the BOT4J guys in the media AT FUCKING ALL on veterans day or Memorial Day?
Sure, you see them in movies (BOT4J, Coming Home, Water Dance), but those are fictional characters. Where are the real "regular guy" soldiers?
Can't top that, Stud. R
Sometimes I wonder just how far this "Band of Brothers" thing goes, ya know? Obviously people are okay with the "lost generations" of soldiers who are being taken care of by family, while the ones fortunate to be taken care of by the government get all the publicity.
Okay I was going to just let this go but now I'm pissed.
You visited a VA hospital lately, sweetie? Have you spent any time with the guys there and helped them start to recover from getting their arms and legs blown off during Desert Storm, from being sprayed with Agent Orange in Viet Nam or dealing with the effects of losing large parts of both feet because of frost bite that they got in the Chosen Reservoir? Till you do you can take your "publicity" and stick it in your ass.
Do you think ANY of them wouldn't give every bit of "publicity" back in exchange for being whole?
And while your being "jealous" of all the good times their having at government expense, maybe you'd like to have been there when they lost that limb saving their buddy or protecting some hamlet is some god forsaken country. Yeah, they sure as fuck have it good, don't they!
BTW, toots, EVERY combat wounded veteran rates medical attention by the VA. They do a great job with virtually no money or outside support. So your "lost generations of soldiers" can get the same care as those "damn publicity hounds" that you seem to feel the need to disparage. In fact, I don't believe that there are lost generation of soldiers. The VA has a tremendous outreach program so anybody whose not being treated CHOSE to not get assistance.
P.S. You should be glad Sandy's not here. He'd be standing on your chest right about now. He isn't here because he spent the weekend volunteering down at the VA, (just like Suzy and I used to and like he does every weekend). I bet that "80 year old guy" he's pushing down the hallway, who put his fucking life on the line to protect your right to be a whiny bitch, is ALL excited about the attention he's getting.
You have your perspective, I have mine, and of course, they differ.
You talk about honoring the dead. That's all we DO in this fucking country.
Let's honor the walking, talking "undead" who gave just as much of their life for their country as the guys making speeches and having war reunions, all covered by media.
Let's see the REAL face of war, and it looks more like the guys in the movies (although those are an awful stretch for what they're supposed to portray), and less Arnold Schwarzenegger/Sly Stallone/Robert Gates/Admiral McMullen, Dan Choi etc.
When I see an equal number of people in wheelchairs, with oxygen tanks and canes, as I do guys doing old time swing dancing with their spouses at these reunions, we'll talk.
Until then, I am sticking to my guns here, and saying that, yes there is a "Lost generation" of folks who are not getting adequate care, or attention.
And we have 2 examples, at least, right here on OS, Bobbot and Scanner. And probably others. I don't see THEM being invited to war memorials in DC and appearing on CNN.
(Unless they've done that and not told anyone)
Mom was just waxing nostalgic this weekend about the work she did in the factories here during WWII. She never saw gunfire but she was part of the war effort and I consider her to be a veteran. Anyone who has lived through an era of war is a veteran, in a manner of speaking. Not to belittle those who sacrificed life and limb, but..
Soldiers go to war for many reasons. Defense of their country, their ideals, their families. They fight in defense of 'home'. Few soldiers are mercenaries, without 'home' few would feel compelled to enlist, or fight in a war.
So I agree, in a very real sense, the Day is not just about fighting veterans, but about their families and friends, and anyone who contributes to the effort, or simply stands vigil at 'home'.
But perhaps what the day should be about is understanding why those who died needed to. Not to remember their sacrifice, but to remember why they were asked to.
Rated for further thought.
Unfortunately, there is no answer to "why?", regardless of the situation or circumstance. Any reason given is really nothing more than a "what are we fighting for?" not "why do we need to fight for X"
Who was it who said (and forgive me if this isn't the exact quote) "ours is not to ask why"?
Bullshit.
Give the dead their due.
The the families of vets and vets who survived get a different day.
Though I admire the attempt, and you got a lot of people going, I'm on the opposite side of the fence on this one.
Dosen't mean I don't like you or anything so don't get your panties in a bunch.
By the way where the hell are you? Get your ass back here, will ya?