On Gratitude….Memorial Day

I’m staying in town this Memorial Day weekend with my family, deciding to avoid the throngs of people who are occupying some of the popular beaches along the North Carolina coast. A few years ago we took advantage of this same long holiday weekend, by sharing a home with family friends in Carolina Beach.

Yesterday, while stopping in at the local store of a big box retailer, I spotted them: members of the American Legion standing outside, asking everyone passing by if they wanted to contribute something to aid disabled war veterans and veteran families.

Earlier in the day I had noted to my wife that I hadn’t seen these men and women around and wondered where I might find them. Happily, they were in their usual spot as in years past.

I waited until I was done with my shopping to stop by their table and was immediately struck by how generous everyone was: both of the large, translucent jars were filled with greenbacks, with many people giving larger bills.

I found four paper poppies to take home, made my donation, but I wasn’t about to leave. Instead, I turned to one of the veterans and said, “thank you for your service to our country.” Those simple words began a conversation which detailed one vet’s service in France during the Cold War and discussion about the state of our armed forces today.

We both knew in our unspoken words that many Americans are ambivalent to our nation’s military action abroad, questioning not so much our resolve but seeing little reason for getting or staying involved. I blame this viewpoint on a lack of clarity coming forth from our elected leaders who, on the one hand, readily apologize for some of our previous actions while failing to give a clear vision as to who we are and what we are doing.

Memorial Day does, of course, allow us to remember (and thank) the service of our war dead. Along with the handmade poppy, a staple of American Legion fundraising, I received a copy of the “About Our Poppies” testament which describes the origin of this tradition.

Soldiers who served in World War I were intimately familiar with the poppy fields of France and Flanders, inspiring Moina Michael to write:

We cherish too, the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led;

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

Profound words fittingly spoken.

Photo Credit: Ashton B Crew