As I grow older, my love of my country seems to expand by leaps and bounds.I have a much deeper appreciation for what it means to be American, what it means to live in America.
We have spent time this weekend enjoying some of my favorite things, farmlands and baseball, hot dogs and vendor peanuts, garage sales and friendly folks.
But this year, more than any other year, I am acutely aware of the fragility of the world, of the impact of war on everyone. Big and little, young and old, from one corner of the world to the next, it seems that no one escapes it.
Somehow these times they are changing, and yet, they aren't.
90 years later this local soldier's grave is as poignant as ever for me.I visited the Vietnam memorial in Washington D.C. in my early 20's. My dad is a Vietnam Vet and it was a life changing moment for me. I touched some of the 58,000 names on that wall and realized my own good fortune, my father came home to meet my mother, to have children and grandchildren.
But he is far from untouched by war.
And by association, even as a young child, I was touched by that war. It forever changed our lives. It forever changed my father.
According to this there are more than 33,000 causalities of the Iraq war. 16 deaths alone this month. 29,000 injured. Numbers much smaller than Vietnam, but no less significant.
I know that many of you are forever changed by the Iraq war, or wars of the past.
In my heart they are not forgotten. You are not forgotten.
Sarah what a lovely post.
ReplyDeleteWar is such a sad state of affairs. So many casualties and lives changed forever.
Soldiers from both our countries do us proud.
Alison
Beautify said Sarah. Clarice
ReplyDeleteWhat a poignant post! We attended an arena football game on Saturday and had the pleasure of observing an enlistment ceremony for about 15young men and women. I was disturbed to hear boos and anti-American sentiment in the audience. But, probably one of the saddest statements was made by a young girl of about eight. She asked, "why do we have to sit through this garbage?" I told her that those people were going off to serve our country and were fighting for our freedom and her response was "so". All the while, her parents sat there never attempting to correct or educate their daughter. Thank you from a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army.
ReplyDeleteLaura
i love that post. thank you for saying all of that so very very well.
ReplyDeleteSarah, I just found your blog and I am touched by your Memorial Day post (and inspired by your craftiness!) Thanks! Jess
ReplyDeleteVery nice post.
ReplyDeleteso well said. I can write anything like that without ending up in a puddle of tears.
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