"Happy" Memorial Day?

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May 25, 2009

"Happy" Memorial Day?

My four-year-old son has been saying "Happy Memorial Day" to us all weekend. (Cute aside: until Friday or so, he was still saying "Happy Mother's Day," which led to many reminders that "every day is Mother's Day.") There are many reasons to be downright elated today, but part of me feels like saying "Happy Memorial Day" is somewhat akin to wishing someone a "Merry Yom Kippur" or a "Rockin' Ash Wednesday."

We are proud of our brave men and women who have sacrificed life and limb to keep us free; and we are, surely, glad to live in a nation founded on such principles as liberty and justice. And, heck, it's nice to have a Monday off. But is today really a "happy" day?

If you've never been to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, the day Rolling Thunder puts thousands of rumbling motorcycles in a continuous stream around the National Mall, you should make a point of doing so. The other war memorials, and the Arlington National Cemetery, and your local national cemetery, are all worthy subjects of a visit as well. But for me, there's something especially poignant about the Vietnam Memorial's wall.

My father served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war, although he did not see combat. A conscientious objector, he nevertheless responded to the call of duty, and volunteered for "Operation Whitecoat," wherein GI's were subjected to medical experiments. (Whether the biological-weapons research was purely defensive, or at least partly offensive, is an interesting discussion, but of no consequence concerning the bravery of the program's members.)

The very fact that it has taken killing, maiming, bombing, "collateral damage," atomic weapons, covert coups d'etat, flag-covered coffins shipping into Dover, legless vets wheeling through the mire at Walter Reed, and all the rest, to preserve these United States, should bring a jolt of sobriety to even the most carefree among us. Death of human beings at the hands of other human beings is never glorious, even if the courage of those who faced similarly grim circumstances while carrying out their duties is eminently laudable. Shift the context the slightest bit, and "bravery and honor" become "murder and genocide."

So, yeah, I'm making potato salad to go with the cookout feast. We might even go buy something that's on sale. But if you think it's all frisbee and barbecue, sunblock and beer, think again. Remember why we as a nation set aside this day for commemoration. And by no means wish me a "happy" Memorial Day, unless you're four.