Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles

Many of us are making “holiday” plans for this three day weekend starting tomorrow, including our president – our erstwhile “Commander in Chief” – who is going off for enjoyment, rather than going over to Arlington National Cemetery to lay wreaths among the fallen soldiers of this great land of ours.  I don’t know about you, but that really bothers me.  A lot.

I mean – we have plans, too, but quiet ones.  Nothing ostentatious or celebratory by any means.  In fact, in looking for a photo to place here on this post while ago, I found several images that had superimposed over them the words “Happy Memorial Day.”  I find that offensive.  Since when is a day of remembrance of men and women of valor who died for the cause of their country to be a “happy” day?  I think not:  in any way, shape or form.

Tom & I just finished watching the 10 part HBO series “The Pacific,” about our fathers and other elderly relatives, fewer every day who remain living, who fought in the Pacific Theater of World War II.  It was horrific, both in presentation on TV, and even more so in reality.  They talked with aged veterans at the beginning of each episode and the interviews were hard, even now, for some of them to do, all these many years later.

By the time the series closed; when we got to the 10th and last episode, I could barely stand it and cried most of the way through the hour for these men who came home changed forever.  The series had followed the lives of real soldiers who fought real battles, who had families they left behind, who had plans and dreams for the future.  Some of them didn’t make it home at all.  For many of those who did, it took a long time – if not a life time – to get over the nightmares of their experiences.

What made me cry the most is that their story has been so long in being told.  Some of the guys in the group had written books about their lives in war.  Others kept journals.  They were part of one company, so knew each other in real life.  But, most of these real life soldiers have already died.  Some as long as 20 or 30 years ago.  Just a couple of them remain alive today, and both are very elderly.  The majority did not live to see the respect and tribute that some among us so wanted to give them, including Steven Spielburg and actor, Tom Hanks, who produced the movie.

Nearby in New Orleans resides the National WWII Museum, which is magnificently done!  Tom Hanks had a lot to do with it, as well.  It began as the National D-Day Museum (exactly 10 years ago next week – June 6), a dream of author (now deceased) Steven Ambrose, who wrote of WWII in several books.  The museum was so well done that people flocked to New Orleans to come experience that important time in our history.  Thus, they expanded it to cover all of WWII, not just the European fronts.

I urge you all – any of you who can – to come to New Orleans and go there.  You will be forever changed by the experience, which includes listening to and watching oral histories of every day people who lived through it here in America, as well as soldiers who went overseas.

This is my “sermon” for the day.  For the weekend.  I hope to participate in remembrance activities on Monday and to stop and reflect on all who have served and fallen from the very beginning of this country of ours.  May we ever seek God’s favor and grace on us as we live as Christians in the freest land in the world, at least from its inception up until now.  And, may we NEVER forget.

God bless you all today, and God Bless America.  Dee