“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
–Prime Minister Winston Churchill, speaking to the British House of Commons (August 20, 1940), addressing the bravery of the RAF pilots engaged in the “Battle of Britain”.
Yes, I know that Winston Churchill was British, but his sentiments are so easily applied to our own national experiences. Also, Mr. Churchill was 1/2 American.
Today is Memorial Day, a day to remember our fallen who gave their lives on the field of battle. Many assume that peace is the natural state of human affairs; it is not. War and lesser armed conflicts have always been present, from the beginning of time. Our own country was birthed through violent revolution, as we threw off the chains of King George III’s tyranny, and asserted our God given rights as Englishmen. We fought The Late Unpleasantness, the Confederates wishing to reassert rights infringed upon by Northern commercial interests, and the United States seeking to preserve the Union. World War I was the “war to end all wars”, but it only laid the foundation for the far more reaching and devastating World War II. During WWII, we came belatedly to the aid of Great Britain, and together the English speaking peoples rescued the world from the dark forces of fascism.
Following WWII, the Cold War came, as international communism spread its evil tentacles around the world, and the “West” faced a new and far more dangerous foe, given the nuclear age, in the Soviet Union. Armed conflicts arose in Korea, Vietnam, The Dominican Republic, Grenada, Angola, Nicaragua, Cuba and other “hot spots” in the Third World. The American soldier was present in all these events, seeking to preserve, not just our freedoms, but the freedoms we deem God to have given to all men. In America, we go to war, not to conquer, but to preserve freedom for all.
Memorial Day, or if you prefer, Decoration Day, began simply enough, in Columbus, Georgia in 1866, as the ladies of that town gathered to mark the graves of the Confederate fallen, and to remember their sacrifices. The commemoration quickly spread throughout the land, and is now annually celebrated with small town parades and ceremonies. The theme and the purpose of the day is to never forget what others have done for us.
John 15:13 states, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” True fulfillment is being filled with enough love that one is willing to sacrifice himself for something bigger than himself. That requires, paradoxically, a willingness to overcome fear and be willing to take risks and fully live and, yes, face death in doing so. On Memorial Day, we are thankful for the men who loved country more than self and in so doing freed future generations to live. May we honor that sacrifice by fully living and pay it forward by being willing to do the same.
May we never forget, and may we always be grateful.
GFK
Observations From The Fifth Estate 