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March 15, 2007
Honoring past sacrifices
The gray foam and the great wheels of war go by and take all - and the years give mist and ashes - and our feet stand at these, the memory places of the known and the unknown, and our hands give a flame-won poppy - our hands touch the red bar of a flag for the sake of those who gave - and gave all.
- Carl Sandburg, 1918
When I travel, one of the must-do items on my list is to check out how various communities honor past and present members of their military. I've been to the top of the Soldiers and Sailors monument in the very center of downtown Indianapolis - and felt a bit guilty about taking the elevator to the top when I stepped off and met a 72 year old former Marine who had just climbed the 230-foot flight of stairs. Two years ago, I took a wrong turn coming home from Palm Springs and ended up in downtown San Francisco where the Lone Sailor statue at the northern end of the Golden Gate bridge stood overlooking San Francisco Bay. The plaque at his feet read, "Here the sailor feels the first long roll of the sea, the beginning of the endless horizon that leads to the far Pacific". I was reminded of my own father, now retired from the U.S. Navy, who spent most of the 20 years he served on board ship and away from his family. Last summer, I had a 6 hour layover in Savannah, so I grabbed a rental car and spent several hours driving through this beautiful Southern city - finding the Marine Monument in Forsyth Park was a perfect way to spend the afternoon.
Washington D.C. has far too many memorials to mention in one post - last spring, I spent a night and day viewing various sites. The elegant simplicity of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was heartbreaking - walking past years of names as numbers of those killed rose higher and higher. Rising out of the night were the statues that make up the Korean War Memorial. It gave life to the stories I've heard about the frozen Chosin and I could almost hear the crunch of battleworn boots through the snow as soldiers and Marines pressed forward into the fight. And no Marine Mom could visit D.C. without a visit to the Iwo Jima Memorial just a short walk from Arlington National Cemetary. Looking up at the statues of these defiant warriors who risked death to raise the U.S. flag atop Mt. Suribachi was awe-inspiring.
These memorials have stood for years as a tribute to the men and women who have given their lives to ensure freedom and democracy for the rest of us. These reminders of our historical past - cast bronze, carved marble, welded steel, and polished granite -serve as an investment in the future of our children and grandchildren. Someday, they will look at these memorials and remember the sacrifices of our troops.
Now, another memorial is being planned by a small Montana community. More information can be found at their website. Even if you do not live near Montana, consider supporting this effort - it's an investment in future generations who will look at this bronze statue and remember the past. Buy a brick, purchase a replica statue, send a donation - it's all good.
The Monument will be a 1.25 life size image of a combat soldier kneeling in from of a comrade's hastily dug grave mounted on a 12 ft long by 8 ft wide by 8 ft high black granite faced base. On the front side of the base will be etched in bold letters the words "We Will Never Forget!". Below that will be a listing of the 196 Flathhead County Servicemen who have been killed while defending our Great Nation, starting with Fred Weaton in the Spanish-American War and currently ending with Edward Saltz in the Iraqi War. Spaces will be provided for those who fall in future conflicts.
Read more about this at Blackfive and Grim's Hall.
Posted by Deb at March 15, 2007 02:24 PM