By Patricia H. Kushlis
Lest we forget: “Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.”
The house around the corner flew a huge American flag and a Marine Corps one right below it all weekend. The church – likely Christian evangelical – a few blocks away displayed on its large billboard a reminder to those of us who just might have forgotten that it is our religious duty to honor the military. Not those who have “fallen in service to our country” but the military. End of story.
The president delivered his Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery where he invoked those in attendance - or watching on television - to honor the military that have fallen in service to our country. Fine. As far as it goes.
But wait a minute. Let’s look a little more closely at the definition of Memorial Day. Here’s what I found in my Time Almanac:
“Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971 and is observed on the last Monday in May. It originated in 1868, when Union General John A. Logan designated a day in which the graves of Civil War soldiers would be decorated. Originally known as Decoration Day, the holiday was changed to Memorial Day within twenty years, becoming a holiday dedicated to the memory of all war dead.”
What is wrong with today’s picture?
Simply put: Those who died in America’s wars are more than the US military in whose name this holiday appears to have been hijacked.
Just walk into the lobby of the State Department through the Diplomatic Entrance on C Street and look at the ever growing list of names carved into the marble wall on the left – if, that is, the security guards will let you in. Those are names of American diplomats who died in service to their country beginning before the Civil War. This list is increased every year on Foreign Affairs Day which occurs on the first Friday of May. Sure, many included in it did not die in war zones, but some did.
The others?
Let’s just say they helped keep this country safe and out of war. Isn’t that as important if not far more so?
What about the CIA’s fallen? And what about war correspondents and civilians caught in the cross-fire? Shouldn’t they too be honored on Memorial Days past, present and future? Aren’t they too America’s war dead?
Seems to me its time to reclaim Memorial Day from its current exclusive military preserve. Of course: Honor the military who have died in America's wars – but not exclusively. We also need to remember that in the long run it’s not just the US military that helps keep this country free and safe.