Re-Membering

It's Memorial day and we get a three day weekend to commemorate the somber and serious service of men and women under the illusion that killing people is going to solve political problems. I have never found this to be true. Killing people just leads to more war and violence and anyone that tells you different is lying.
We go back on this memorial day to the first anti war poem ever written by a woman name Enheduana in 2000 BC.

You hack everything down in battle
God of War, with your fierce wings
you slave away the land and charge
disguised as a raging storm
growl as a roaring hurricane
yell like a tempest yells
thunder rage roar and drum
expel evil winds
You are blood rushing down a mountain
spirit of hate greed and anger
you decide all fate
You triumph over all our rites
Who can explain why you go on so?

She is already tired of war 4000 years ago lamenting it's eternal reach and habitual presence in her everyday life. So, Is it really possible for us to remember the all the dead soldiers who willingly go to war? Whether it is to make a living, gain money for education, see the world, save civilians, settle an age old gripe or secure an imaginary border.

Every one who has ever taken up arms had a reason to go to war, even if it was as mundane as boredom. Do we remember only their bravery or the war crimes they committed, the lives they ruined? Or do we simply honor their memory and service to their country. It's confusing because, A soldier fighting in Afghanistan is supposedly defending our nation, but for the life of me, I cannot deduce how that serves us. Is it international security? No. Is it financial security? No. Is it defending our spiritually? No. Is there any logical reason ? No. But somehow we all agree on some level that this is acceptable.

Parents allow their kids to go. I know they are 18 and supposedly can make adult choices, but I disagree. I think they are still children and need guidance especially from people who love them.

I would make an exception however, if in fact there was a foreign, or domestic army coming down Albion Ridge Road, where I live. I do see the benefit of taking up arms and defending one's house, just like they are doing in the countries that we have invaded.

How does that make our Military righteous? Some felt righteous as in the case of the Kaiser or Hitler, it gave them a sense of pride, patriotism, and purpose going after these really bad guys. Innocent people in villages , animals and trees were just casualties along the way. Nobody planned it that way. Battles don't really take place on the battle field anymore.

And it could happen anywhere anytime a stray bullet may find its way to your door and not even have the courtesy to knock. When I even start to consider all the dead soldiers from all the wars I just want to cry my eyes out. Here are some statistics. According to the Washington Post 6,013 soldiers have died in the Iraq/Afghan wars. 500 hundred soldiers in the Gulf war, Vietnam, over 58,168. WWII 41,000. I'll stop there. ouch.

So today we are charged with the duty of remembering. the root of that word meaning to put back together as opposed to dismembering, which is what war does. It's a big job to remember just one person let alone hundreds, thousands. Let's put Sgt. Jesus Rodriguez back together after he was blown to bits by an IED.

Everybody called him Chewy. Last November, He was just walking on patrol with a buddy, they had been looking out for each other for the last 9 months since they were reassigned to Anbar Province. They had a Rat scouting in the field but the rat got distracted. Just that morning Chewt was skyeping with his kids sending them ridiculous stretchy faces on the I-photo. They were all laughing and making promises of a bright future. We remember him 8 years ago, falling in love with his wife, Rachel in High School Biology class and before that, going to school, not doing getting the best grades, but exiling in Chorus with his clear soprano. We remember him well, the youngest of three. Lil brother. The day he was born his father planted a olive tree. His mother almost died after a hard labor, but just having Jose in her arms would revive her. She loved him and kept him in her bed. She was the light in his life.

If we do this for each solider we've lost over only the last two or three wars. Remember each one, put them back into their lives. We will have a whole let of remembering to do, we just may forget about making war and remember why we were born.