Memorial Day...a time to honor and reflect, not politicize

I would like someone to tell me how back yard BBQ’s and beer, car and furniture sales, and the empty, insincere words of bloviating politicians has anything to do with honoring our men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice.  

Can anyone tell me when and why this solemn day; one set aside to remember and reflect upon those many sacrifices became a day of unabashed celebration and retail madness?  

The way I see it, Memorial Day should be a time of national quiet reflection, of mourning those brave souls lost in the defense of our great nation.  It should embody the essence, or at very least, the calm tone of a wake.

The biggest item on my schedule today was to gather with several friends at the National Cemetery in Lake Worth to honor our fallen heroes together.  As always, there were some very touching moments; from the lifting of scores of orange balloons in honor of those stricken by disease via ‘agent orange’ during the Vietnam War, the color guard procession to introduce our flag, to the flyover by vintage warplanes including a Huey.  The sound of bagpipes bellowing out Amazing Grace and the PBSO offering a shotgun salute left barely a dry eye in the house.  Those are the kinds of things that belong at a memorial event to our heroes.

What does not belong at these events are the speeches by politicians discussing recent events such as the developing VA scandal, and the recent politically motivated, ‘affirmative action’ like mass Medal of Honor award ceremony conducted by POTUS.  That speech, too long from the moment of the speaker's introduction, came across to just about everyone I spoke with as a combined campaign speech and a plug for that congressman’s party.  My suggestion for all future such events would be to exclude office holders from any official participation or recognition.  If they wish to attend as private citizens and simply blend in, that would be fine; but no one wants or needs to listen to such political drivel on a day set aside to honor our fallen heroes.

There was one talk though that was not driven by any sort of agenda, and that was the heartfelt message delivered by S/Sgt. Brian Mast, US Army.  This young man, this hero, simply spoke of those who he served with.  How he remembered all of their names and where they were from; the training they went through together; the pictures of their wives and husbands, children, girlfriends and boyfriends; their smiles and tears; their plans and aspirations for the future; the jokes they told and pulled on each other; what it meant to him to be around such men and women, and how much he misses each one of them every single day.

Brian spoke so eloquently from the heart; and he delivered his remarks as if talking not only to his own children, but to the countless mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, and children of those he served with, and to all of us.  You see, Brian doesn’t have an agenda, and he isn’t looking to score points or get elected.  He is just a very brave soldier who did his very best to protect his friends and comrades, losing his own legs in the process.  All he wants for any of them, those who came before, and those who will follow, is for the rest of us to honor and respect their sacrifice.  I don’t think that’s too much to ask at all.