Meaning and Purpose

An article on the CNN website was making the point that the purpose of Memorial Day is often confused with Veteran's Day.  The writer, pointed out that Memorial Day, which we celebrate today, is to honor those who lost their lives in service to our country.  On the other hand, Veteran's Day is to celebrate those who served their country. However, I am not sure that the mixing of the two is a bad thing.  In fact, many chose to recognize this day as a way to recall lives lost of their loved ones.  After all, the simple term "Memorial" would add to that type of celebration. November 11 is often forgotten, and is a second tier national holiday celebrated by the Post Office, and the friendly Illinois brethren to our south.   I do not believe that the broadening celebration hinders the original meaning, and in fact may assist us in preserving our collective memory. War has become, over the past two decades more specialized.  It is not fought with army against army, but rather army against varied groups of insurgents in settings more urban and where guerrilla tactics are used.

Photo of Lt. Col. Steven P. Goff, MD at his funeral service

 Our human nature is formed by the experiences and people around us--they form and shape us.  Part of us may die, yet, part of us can also regenerate.  In a larger sense, however, every person who has served this nation has likely lost a part of themselves due to the conflict.  Some part of that person likely died, whether they know it or not.    They would be transformed by the experience.   One only needs to view the statistics relative to the increase in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) cases. Over the years, it has gone by different names.  Of course, the increase may be due to better diagnosis, or it may be due to the changes in the way wars are fought.  The use of drones, and aircraft, may on the one hand seem rather antiseptic, but as shown in the situation of author Walter Miller, a WWII bombardier, he was affected by the destruction caused by Allied bombing in that war. I also think of my brother-in-law Lt Col Peter Goff, MD who, like Miller, would take his own life long after the event which occurred that likely set off the terrors in his mind.  Steven Peter Goff was severely injured in the  1996 Khobar Towers bombing, and even though he too was injured continued to treat those more severely injured. This act of bravery would earn him the Airman's medal. A piece of shrapnel from the bombing was embedded in his body going with him to his death, and has become part of his cremated remains.  It was a daily reminder to him of the experience of a horrific bombing.  Even though Steven Goff did not die while in a conflict, he was still in the armed forces.  Memorial Day is for him too.

Urn containing the cremated remains of Steven P Goff

But yet, even broadening it out to those family and friends who have died is also not a bad thing, nor does it trivialize those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.  For when they remember a loved one, are they not more likely to also recall those who gave the sacrifice in battle?  Memorial Day is more than camping, it is more than a day off.  It is for us to recall, each in our own personal way, the sacrifices of those who have served our country,and those who had meaning in our life, whether or not in the military.  As war becomes more detached, with use of drones and other technological advancements, the number of persons who die in a conflict is reduced, compared to the past. That does not mean that those who are involved do not have scars.

John "Bud" Hovel, second cousin once removed of author
He was killed in action in Korea, 1951

Medicine has seen to it that many will live, although part of them may have died from the experience from which they were engaged.  They have suffered, and many will continue to suffer from the physical and/or mental wounds received.  But suffering is also part of being human.  As Dumbledore said to Harry Potter in the popular book series:  "Harry, suffering like this proves you are a still a man!  This pain is part of being human...the fact that you can feel pain like this is your greatest strength."  Becoming too desensitized to pain reduces our emotions, and what makes us human.

2011 McFarland, WI Memorial Day Celebration, 

Also what makes us human is our ability to be revitalized.  For some it is the work of modern medical care, for others it is engaging in varied types of activities that give purpose and meaning, for some others it is prayer.  For many, it may  be a combination of activities.  Perhaps this is why it is so important that the feast of Pentecost falls so close to Memorial Day.  Pentecost is renewal, it is the work of the Holy Spirit.  It is for those those who have suffered a loss, for those in need of some healing, for those who strive to have purpose, it is for those who sin.  So, while it is for all of us, perhaps it is most poignant for those who have suffered a loss and are moving through the stages of grief to make new sense and purpose of their life. Spring is the time of year of rebirth, the season itself is a metaphor for renewal and birth.  Memorial Day was in part set in May, as the theory was that every part of the nation would have a flower in bloom at that time of year.  Flowers are a gesture that life springs eternal.  That is what Pentecost represents as well.

2011 Memorial Day Celebration, McFarland, WI
Casket flags of past Legion members

While Memorial Day in its rigorous sense is for us to recall those who lost their life serving their country, recalling the death of a spouse or father to colon cancer, a heart ailment or some other malady should not diminish that recollection.  When our individual and collective thoughts memorialize those who cared for us, or who we cared for, we can also look to renew our lives and our spirits.  That is the true power of Memorial Day.  Take some time to say a  prayer not only for those who have died in service to our country, for those who protected the nation, for the friends and family lost, but also for yourself.