What Exactly Are We Memorializing?

Last night I was watching a movie. At the climax the villain is about to get shot by one of the heroes when he reaches behind him and grabs the hero's kid to use as a shield. Keep that image in mind.

I struggle with this holiday - Memorial Day - and Facebook only makes it more difficult for me. Lot's of slogans are bandied about - "Defending Our Freedom" probably tops the list. There are also a lot of images of American flags posted everywhere. The history of how the day got to be a holiday is a bit murky.

Before the end of the Civil War, organizations of Southern (Confederate) women were decorating the graves of the honored dead. It was officially proclaimed in 1868 by the head of the Army and celebrated that year by laying flowers on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery. Individual states began to officially sign on and by 1890 all Northern states were recognizing the day - not, however, the Southern States refused to participate, choosing to honor their war dead on a different day.

It wasn't until after the War To End All Wars (WWI) that the holiday was expanded from a Civil War holiday to honor the military dead of all wars. Good thing that, because the wars have kept on coming.

I fear we are drifting towards American Fascism as our Empire begins to crumble. The National World War II monument was dedicated in 2004. Commentators at the time pointed out the irony of the design---more than anything, we fought that war to stop the spread of fascism and we ended up designing a monument that Hitler himself would have appreciated.


Mind you I am not criticizing the spirit behind this monument only the style which is very much "Grand Empire" style. This is what I fear - that these monuments are shifting away from remembrance to celebrating empire--that they are being coopted, being taken hostage, if you will. I fear that the Memorial Day holiday has also been taken hostage, like the child in the movie. "We celebrate those who have died defending our freedom." Oh, really? I have yet to hear an adequate explanation of how the current wars are protecting our freedom.

The only thing that has jeopardized our freedom since 9/11 has been the "Patriot Act."

How too has the invasion of Panama, the invasion of Grenada, Vietnam, Korea - how have any of those actions defended our freedom? Think about it. I am not discussing whether or not they were justified actions - I am simply questioning that buzz phrase as a justification for war.

"Support the Troops" is another such buzz phrase - used often to shut down criticism of the war. "We can't be critical because we have to support the troops." Our soldiers, sailors, and marines are being held up as hostages to justify wars of empire and commerce. Memorial Day is dangerously close to being just another propaganda tool, and that truly is a dishonor to the men and women who died while serving in the military.

In closing I would like to return to the photo I posted at the beginning of this entry. This is the famous Buna Beach photo. It is the first photo that was allowed to be published that showed our war dead. We have been conditioned by so many subsequent images of our war dead that we no longer understand the power of that first image.

Look closely at the body in the foreground. Those white specks are maggots. This dead G.I., probably from some small town in America, died on a Pacific beach half way around the world from his home. This is the true cost of war and we remember that on Memorial Day. The rest of the year we have an obligation then to ensure that men and women who give up their lives do so in the name of a just cause.

The justice MUST come first--before the blood is spilled. Otherwise the blood is spilled sacrificially to coat an unjust war with false honor. "We will keep fighting so that they will not have died in vain." As before, the fallen dead become hostages.

Today I remember and mourn the many young men and women who have died while serving in the military--the ongoing tragedy of sacrifice not to freedom but to empire. End the wars now and bring our kids home! Peace.