Memorials

I probably knew at one time the origin of Memorial Day, but had forgotten it.  The first Memorial Days were organized by veterans of the Civil War.  Many of the survivors on both sides of the war felt the only people who really understood them were others who had fought on both sides.  So small get togethers were organized and the custom gradually spread and was finally recognized by Congress and now encompasses veterans of all our wars.  While an enthusiastic supporter of this tradition as a youngster; after all, what kid would fight against a day off?  I have come to a more nuanced view in my latter years.  We should not be celebrating wars.  Most of ours had more to do with conquest than freedom.  The warriors are another story.  In the days of the citizen army, right through the Vietnam war, most young men did not have a choice.  If the army drafted you, there was little argument aside from those who objected to war.  You served your term and if there was fighting, you took part.  As we have come to a more professional army, those who serve are generally those who want to fight.  Is this service, or merely a chosen occupation.  Maybe we should honor used car salesmen too.  Of course, many who are in the army genuinely believe they are serving a higher cause.  However, when you realize the idiots who got us involved in Iraq did so to advance an Imperial America, you also must admit they could not have done it without an army.  Thus my ambivalence regarding our latter day grunts and Memorial Day.  The only way we will ever stop losing the youth of our country to the meat grinder of war is to question the very premise of this service.  Something to think about this Memorial Day.