Memorial Day-More than a Day Off

For me, the meaning and significance of Memorial Day have evolved. Once viewed as a happy holiday with great sales, the day is now a solemn recognition of the casualty of war and the price of freedom. Memorial Day is much more than a day off!

While creating posters for Memorial Day, I could not bring myself to create “Happy Memorial Day” illustrations. Happy? Really? War is not a happy thing. And neither is the thousands and thousands of the fallen fighting for freedom. I paused to reflect just how my detached and indifferent attitude about war shifted so dramatically. Well, it is due to several experiences.

Movies and TV mini-series

Movie and TV productions about war have impacted and shifted my respect for Memorial Day. Especially those produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Here are the ones that I find most powerful:

Born on the 4^th of July – 1989

I recall wanting to start a riot over the fact this movie did not sweep the Academy Awards. A strong commentary about war – it affected me deeply. The film is about the life of Ron Kovic’s (played by Tom Cruise) military service and paralysis during the Vietnam War, and eventual leadership in anti-war activism.

Saving Private Ryan – 1998

What impressed me the most about this movie was Abraham Lincoln’s Bixby letter to the widow who lost five sons in the war efforts. Additionally, the loyalty the soldiers hold for one another. Again, back to Wikipedia about the film.

Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American epic war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Set during the Invasion of Normandy in World War II, the film is known for its graphic portrayal of war, especially its depiction of the Omaha Beach assault during the Normandy landings. The film follows United States Army Rangers Captain John H. Miller and his squad as they search for a paratrooper, Private First Class James Francis Ryan, the last surviving brother of four, the three other brothers having been killed in action.

Band of Brothers – 2001

I am so grateful to a work colleague with whom I shared our fondness of good TV productions. He admonished me to watch Band of Brothers. I’ve seen the mini-series three times now. Band of Brothers according to Wikipedia:

2001 – Band of Brothers is a dramatized account of “Easy Company” (part of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment), assigned to the United States Army’s 101st Airborne Division during World War II.

The men still alive represented in the film were showcased as the end of the production. I was moved to tears.

The Pacific – 2001

Another phenomenal production about the men of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment through the European Theater, I’ve seen this mini-series twice and would not hesitate to watch it again. The character study is in-depth and meaningful. The Pacific is based on the stories shared in the real memoirs of U.S. Marines Eugene Sledge and Robert Leckie, both of whom are characters in the series.

My heart swells with appreciation each time I drive by the highway in San Diego that honors, John Basilone – a major character in the series. From Wikipedia:

John Basilone: (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal Campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both of these decorations in World War II.

My Personal Experiences

The Vietnam Wall in Washington DC

I visited the Wall in Washington DC in 2000. Tears welled up as I approached the memorial, and streamed as I read the thousands of soldiers who died during that war. It was nearly unconceivable.

The DAV (Disabled American Veterans)

Jean my lifelong friend’s father fought in the Korean War. He survived but not without injury. His leg was brushed by a bomb, requiring him to wear a support brace for the remainder of his life. As a veteran, he was a loyal and active member of a local Disabled American Veterans Chapter.

I never visited the DAV until invited by Jean to participate in their annual Americana event. One year I served as Master of Ceremonies, and in another, I was a speaker. Being in the company of Veterans, many in wheelchairs, who survived the ravishes of war made a deep, lasting impression.

My Uncle Bill

My mom’s brother, Bil, was in the Navy and based in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Luckily he was enjoying time off sunbathing elsewhere on the Island at the time of the attack. But, he was drawn into and survived the war thereafter.

Barry’s Brother

During High school, an unforgettable memory is of my friend Barry. He collapsed on my steep driveway sobbing, in grief from the news that his older brother was killed in the Vietnam War.

John Carter

One of the “people I admire” posts features friend John Carter. The impact of the Vietnam war as he described his experiences in an award-winning Toastmaster speech, deepened, again, my reverence for those who fought (and fight) in warfare.