It's OK to get lost in all the Barbeque & good times of the weekend, but we should also take a moment to reflect on the guys who made it possible for us to enjoy all this.
I had the privilege of officing for many years with a guy named Bill Ergovich. Some of you may remember him as Katheryn's long time campaign treasurer. But we only got to know him in his secret identity. In real life, Bill was a superhero.
You see, in WW II, a teenager named Bill Ergovich enlisted in the Marines, and became a naval aviator. There he went on to fly very small planes over a very large ocean while being shot at a lot -- so you and I would not have to learn Japanese, which is a very difficult language. (In that very different War, a child of privilege like George H.W. Bush or Joseph and John Kennedy also signed up. That's why I never gave Bill too much trouble for voting for Bush 41 or Bob Dole -- They had a bond I could not begin to imagine.)
On the other side of the world, a Lousiana good ol' boy named Dempsey Williams -- Marcella's hubby -- went ashore in Normandy. About 8000 of those boys died on the beaches. In one day.
That's twice as many as Bush 43 has managed to get killed in Iraq in five years.
But, I digress.
Bill & Dempsey, George H.W. & Bob, Joe & Jack -- and all the rest of our troops -- were in a War that really mattered a lot. Nobody made up Hitler, Mussolini & Tojo. Forget Star Wars. The Axis really was an Evil Empire -- so evil, we could not even imagine. And a bunch of very normal guys went off and -- literally -- saved the world!
Then these superheroes came home, and reassumed their secret identities -- and, for those of us who have been very lucky, became our friends.
Thank you, Bill.
Thank you, Demps.
Thank you all.
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14 comments:
My grandfather was one of the many superheros as well. The Black Forest was his unfortunate hangout for a time. He would never speak of it until his last months on this earth. Only then did I really understand his sacrifice, his fear, his loneliness, his desire to live and return home. The history books can't begin to put the emotion into the stories as well as the ones who were actually there. Phil, thank you for reminding us what this day is all about!
Cortney
Courtney and Phil...
While I appreciate your acknowledgment of the many sacrifices made by our veterans, I must point out that we have a day dedicated to honoring all those who have proudly served and sacrificed for this country. We call it Veteran’s Day.
This day, however, is quite different. This day, formerly known as Decoration Day, and now known as Memorial Day, is dedicated to all those who did not return home.
It is a day dedicated to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, regardless of their personal beliefs.
We commemorate the deaths of the Union and Confederate Soldiers along with those who lost their lives in the World Wars. We don’t differentiate between the wars that were politically accepted and those who died during any military action.
We don't care what President was their Commander-in-Chief, and we don't care which political party they supported.
“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” —Thomas Paine
Phil... (if you had an e-mail address listed, I would have sent the following in an e-mail)
Your snide remark directed at G.W. Bush, on this Memorial Day, demonstrates how much you appreciate the gains without truly acknowledging the sacrifice of those who gave their lives to protect your rights.
This day isn't about politics. Give it a rest. Take the day off, and dedicate it to those who deserve to be honored. There will be plenty of time for you to inject your political beliefs, and express distain for our current President. There is a time to voice your opinion, and a time reserved to offer solemn respect. I’m sure the families of those who have lost their lives while G.W. was Commander-in-Chief would appreciate your restraint.
Dear 'blower:
It in no way reduces my respect for those who gave their lives to use their surviving comrades as an example of the very ordinary origins of the men that did not return. I was born too late to know those who did not return from WWII.
I did know a few who died in or of Vietnam -- a bipartisan case of imperial hubris.
As for politics? I honestly do not consider criticizing Bush 43's decision to lie us into an unnecessary war that has cost us 4000+ dead Americans as "political". I have nothing but the highest regard for those who have served this country in Iraq, and nothing but the greatest sorrow for those who have died there. Would that their Commander in Chief had shared the high value I place on them. Like the WWI Tommies -- the famous "lions led by lambs" -- our troops deserved better.
One of the things we should all resolve is to never to accept policies that waste the lives of our citizen-soldiers. The blood of patriots is too precious to waste.
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