Today is Memorial Day.
One Memorial Day a few years back I put a bayonet on the end of an M-1 rifle and stuck it in the ground. Then I put an old style steel helmet on the buttstock and hung dogtags in the trigger guard.
The classic WW2 soldiers grave.
I did this in my front yard after dinner.
Then I retreated to the porch to watch.
As the people in the neighborhood were walking their pets, I noticed a few things.
The do gooders who never seem to have a clue as to why they have it so good in this country crossed the street to avoid the horrible sight of an uncased firearm. The truth is they didn’t want to face up to the truth.
The reason we live so good and sleep well in our beds is because rough men with arms stand by to do unspeakable violence on our behalf.
Most of the other people that walked by, though, grew silent and thoughtful. Some would spot me watching from the porch and nod.
One old timer looked up at me and said to me, “Someone knows what the day is all about.”
He looked like a Korean vet.
Now, I don’t want to ruin everyone’s barbecue, but I would like to see people take a moment or two to think of how damned costly our basic American lifestyle is.
It won’t hurt. It is the purpose of the holiday, and besides, if someone is so cheap with their day as to not be willing to spend a few minutes in thought, they don’t deserve the day off. Send them back to work.
Today is not the day to thank a living vet for his service, the proper day for that is Veterans Day. The veterans that you can thank are alive.
Today is the day to thank the veterans that didn’t make it home.
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