Thursday, May 27, 2010

Memorial Day Memo

The Colonel stumbled (electronically) across a group on FaceBook this morning that piqued his interest. The title, Boycott Memorial Day and Veteran's Day Sales! (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=97231198872), made him think initially that perhaps this was some mouth-breathin', America-hatin,' wacky liberal site devoted to trashing real Americans. As has become a disturbingly more frequent occasion of late, the Colonel was wrong. Much to the Colonel's delight, the group was created by a young Marine!

Just when the Colonel had settled comfortably into the plush armchair of curmudgeonly disdain for the brainlessness and traditionless condition of the current twenty-something generation, along comes something like this to bring him to the position of attention--feet at a sharp forty-five degree angle, fingers of his left hand curled slightly with thumb along the outseam of his trousers, and the fingers of his right hand ramrod-straight in salute at the outside edge of his right eyebrow.

The Colonel has many causes and crusades to which he devotes his energies, but none more dear to him than the effort to educate those within reach of his voice and pen regarding the sacredness of Memorial Day, and the distinct difference between Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. While he always appreciates the sincerity of the sentiment, it has always frustrated the Colonel to be thanked for his military service on Memorial Day. The Colonel did not die (at least he doesn't think he's in Heaven, presently--although Eegeebeegee is close, and the comely and kind-hearted Miss Brenda is an angel) on a battlefield in service to his nation.

Memorial Day is reserved solely for remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in the wars to which our nation sent them. Memorial Day should not be a celebratory holiday. It should be a day of solemnity and thankful remembrance of our honored war dead. The trivialization of Memorial Day as a beach holiday and a shopping summons denigrates the memory of the fallen.

Period. End of discussion.

1 comment:

Michellada said...

Sir,

Words can't express the gratitude I feel for this write-up. May the Colonel continue to be blessed!