FLAGS IN
MEMORIAL DAY 2012
When Mrs. Moon asked me if I would write a piece for Memorial Day, I was at a loss for words and then I remembered that this weekend, the members of the Third U.S. Infantry Regiment (the Old Guard, will be joined by service members from the U.S. Marine Corps Ceremonial and Guard Company, U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard in placing more than 260,000 grave decorating flags in front of the gravestones and another 7,300 flags at the niches in the columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery. In addition, 13,500 flags will be placed at the Soldier’s and Airmen’s Cemetery near the Soldier’s and Airmen’s Home in Washington, DC. These 280,800 flags represent about one-fourth of all the men and women who have died in the service of their nation. Not all died on active duty, some died many years later, but they all have one thing in common—they were all willing to lay down their life for their nation and many have done just that.
Arlington National Cemetery was once the home of Colonel and Mrs. Robert E. Lee. In what seems a fit of pique, Quarter Master General Montgomery Meigs recommend in 1864 that 200 acres of the Lee plantation be confiscated to serve as a burial site for Union soldiers. Over the last 148 years, presidents, congressmen, senators, generals, admirals, astronauts, and privates all lay here side by side in neat rows; their white marble headstones silently marching off to the horizon. A black world heavyweight boxing champion lies here along with World War II’s most decorated soldier. A movie star tough guy and former World War II Marine is buried here. Private William Christman, the first Confederate soldier buried at Arlington lies in a silent grave. Section 60 of the cemetery is dedicated to those who have laid down their lives in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
There are many monuments here. There, on a hill, stands the monument to four, “know but to God”. It is silently guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by young soldiers of the Old Guard. There is a vault near the Lee home, now know as Arlington House, that contains the remains of 2, 011 Confederate soldiers. In Section 46 stands a monument to those seven astronauts who, “slipped the surly bonds of earth and danced the skies on laughter silvered wings…and touched the face of God.” Five Marines and one Navy Hospital Corpsman stand, frozen in bronze, raising the American flag over Mount Surabachi. The mast of the U.S.S. MAINE and the remains of more than 200 of its crew serve as a reminder of the Spanish American War. An eternal flames burns for a president shot down in Dallas. Nearby lies his infant son, his wife and two brothers. A carillon of 50 bells, a gift of the Netherlands, rings out the passing hours.
These gravestones and their Memorial Day flags; these monuments are there to mark this Nation’s most hallowed ground but for all their glory, they do not do complete justice to this place. At the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln said,
We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who her gave their lives that this nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
Therefore, as we celebrate this Memorial Day, let us remember President Lincoln’s words on that day long ago,
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—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 shal 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.
This land and the land surrounding the plantation has become America’s most hallowed ground.
That was really beautiful George. Very fitting given the current policital climate. Thank you.
This was a very moving tribute to all who have served, are currently serving, and to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their county and it’s people. I will be forever grateful to those men and women. Most of all, I am so proud of my father, George Harris, Capt. USN (Retired).
Proud of you as always Dad!
Go NAVY!
By Wilfred Owen, written in 1917 and published posthumously
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!–An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime…
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,–
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
I am not ready for the Viet Nam War to be 50 years old. Why it was only yesterday.
It sure didn’t take long for military advisors to turn into full fledged troop commitment.
@Bubberella
Thanks for this piece. We had a coach in our highschool, Mr. Ramsey, who had a large white patch in his hair and on his face from mustard gas in WWI. Always hated going through gas mask drills in the gas chamber, particularly when they made you take the mask off before they would let you exit!
George
I had a great uncle with shell shock, a neighbor who had been gassed, and a high school English teacher who shot his own right thumb off to leave the trenches in WWI. All gone now, of course.
The oldest veteran I ever met was a man in our home town who was in the Spanish American War. It must have been in the 1940’s–maybe 1943-44. At that time he seemed really old–might have been younger than I am but when you are a kid, all “old” people a re “really olde”.
@Bubberella
I can understand shooting yourself in the foot, but shoot your thumb off–must have wantred out very, very badly.
When I was a kid, the last Civil War veteran died. My parents’ grandfathers (all four of them) fought in the Civil War and my parents (my mother is still very much alive, my father passed away last autumn just a couple of months short of his 100th birthday) remember those people very well from their childhood. History is not that far behind us.
I concur with the earlier observation that people are not doing a very good jog of distinguishing Memorial Day from Veterans’ Day. They are two very different holidays with different purposes. I would favor a return, however, to the Armistice Day nomenclature of 11 November. We probably should set aside a Sunday for annual thanksgiving for the service of veterans.
It sure would make it easier to distinguish who to honor. Or…honor everyone twice a year. Honoring those who serve and those who die while serving doesn’t seem like a bad thing to me.
That is amazing to have all 4 great grandfathers fight in the civil war. I can only muster up one who did, to my knowledge. I actually have to go back to a great great grandfather to get a Civil War Vet. My great grandfather was a little boy and he supposedly saw Custer and his whatever division come through Rio near Charlottesville and burn the orchards. He had great hate after that and cheered when Custer got his.
I get so confused with the greats. I have to do it as powers of 2 with me being 2 to the zero power.