Memorial Day: In memory of my friends and family

[vincenzoesq]

I posted this as a response to a Veterans Day post last November. I think it is appropriate this weekend. As the daughter of a WW2 vet, mother of a Marine, I can barely get through Memorial events which look more like celebrations. Anyway, here is my post:

Veterans Day, in memory of my friends and family
Posted by vincenzoesq in General Discussion
Sun Nov 11th 2007, 01:12 PM


Veterans Day is emotional and excruciating for many of us. Remembering college pals, so full of hope and promise, filled with the adventure of flying helicopters---gone. The high school friend who killed himself while home on furlough; the very good friend, brilliant and funny, who drank and drugged himself to death on Veteran's Day 20 years ago; the cousin who died of Agent Orange, and his children who are congenitally disabled; the Navy nurse, who couldn't get the pictures out of her head, and ended her life, and the two brothers with whom I went to elementary school, killed in battle, still fresh and painful on a visceral level, like a medicine ball hitting the heart.
The line between honoring our vets and glorifying war has become so blurry and faint that it is barely existent. It defies all reason that we sent our beautiful, bright children to be maimed and killed at the whim of our president. No wonder we have so many
Veterans Against War. They know, first hand, how wrong we are.

[Robbien]

1. So true

Peace be with you also.

[Imagevision]

2. Bush asks to support our troops while taking away benefits when some do arrive back home