This must be the first year I realized I had no one to memorialize on Memorial Day. I know Memorial Day is the day the pools open, and I remember asking my Dad the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day (a bit of a life-or-death question). But when it comes to a connection to someone who died in a war, or died during service, there’s no one.
While I know plenty of veterans, none were left behind. No relative, no in-law, no friend of a friend. Mom had four uncles, all who went to WWII, all came back. Ken was a bomber for the U.S. Army Air Corps. He came back, and so did Wilma’s brothers. I don’t know anything about Technical Father’s military history, except that he didn’t have one. Dad was at school under the GI Bill, he had a desk job that started on the last two weeks of the Korean War. He and all of his friends came back. And you’d think I’d know someone who had been in Vietnam, say, Gary, but he was 4-F (excused for medical reasons) because as he says, they didn’t have Walgreen’s in the jungle.
Of all relatives, friends of relatives, friends of the family, friends of the family of grandparents, all I came up with was a girl in sixth grade who had an MIA bracelet.
All I can think is that knowing me grants you immunity from death in battle. I’m sorry for those of you who have lost someone. I feel quite fortunate this Memorial Day with no one to remember.
6 responses to “A Curious Memorial Day”
Next time my BIL and cousin are in town, I’m bringing them to meet you. BIL should be able to retire without going to a warzone – he has less than 2 years of service left which are already accounted for – but my cousin has already been to Iraq once and is likely to return again.
I still have my POW bracelet. I’d have to dig, but I have it. It cost me $2.50. That is what it cost to be a cool at 12-year-old in 1972. That, and having straight hair. And being thin.
Off topic – Yes, I’m using the atom.xml feed. I picked that one because it had the largest number of subscribers, so I figured someone would notice if it went kerflooey.
Caroline – I will bless them and keep them safe.3 – Oh God, the straight hair. Even though I remember Seventeen magazine did a photo spread on “lacy hair” that gave me hope.Silk – Hm. Only have 17 people looking at me through Bloglines. I abandoned Bloglines for Google when Bloglines started getting funky and updating for no reason.
I have vets in my family, but thankfully everyone made it back. I know that Memorial Day is supposed to be for those lost in battle, but my family has always honored all of our relatives who have passed.
Floating princess – That’s a nice idea – sort of like honoring anyone who lived through a war.