Memorial Days yet to come

On this Memorial Day let us pause to think of those who are still living but will be maimed or killed in the coming years and decades in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, et al. Let us think of all the children who will spend their lives without that parent so that the government in Afghanistan stays in power. Let us think of the widows and widowers who lost the love of their life so that Libya and Somalia are free of despotism. Let us think of the parents who will bury a child in pursuit of democracy in Iraq. Let us carefully consider what we are doing and count its cost.

I saw a news story on the Vietnam Memorial and its 58,000 names and wondered when we will build a memorial for the Middle East wars and how many names will be on it.

In our local paper, I read the story of a mom who was devastated by her son's suicide at the age of 25. He had done many tours in the Middle East wars (or whatever they are) and was forever traumatized. Once strong and capable, he could no longer function in this world. The VA gave him anti-depressants - that's all. Twenty a day returning vets take their lives.

The cost is unseen and often not honored. I just keep thinking if we spent as much time, energy and money on pursuing peaceful diplomacy...building strong families. I also think that every soldier should have "unbasic training" to deprogram them and force mental health professional care. We spend time to make people soldiers, we must spend time to re-make them into themselves. It shouldn't be shameful or up to the veteran to find health care. It's so wrong.

Memorial Day presents us with a very human problem: How to honor the sacrifice others have made on our behalf without slipping into cheap sentiment or polemic. Whether of the decrying the "cost of war" variety, the Band of Brothers schmaltz variety or the veteran as victim variety. It ranges from the truly heartfelt to the transparently political. I'm not sure how to strike the proper balance. It seems "far beyond our poor power to add or detract".

My brother, who is living in VA housing, just wrote to me saying that sometimes he feels he is living in a hospice, not a VA residence. The reason for that is the wounds, physical and emotional, they are living with.

I know that this not Veteran's Day--it's Memorial Day. I agree with your Lincoln reference, LDAHL. I'm personally in awe of the sacrifice of our soldiers, both living and dead, and I'm grateful.

I think the word "solemn" is another word not in Trump's vocabulary: https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/869213909848281088

I agree with you, Florence. All this unnecessary bloodshed of both military and civilians, the carnage of those wounded in body and mind, plus the effect on their loved ones and their immediate community - we truly cannot fathom it. Those of us waving our flags in the quiet cities and suburbs of the U.S. are so insulated we barely remember we have military still fighting in the middle east after 15 years.
A friend said she was told by the young child of an acquaintance that his soldier daddy "was fighting for our freedom." She didn't know how to respond since she didn't want to point out that our "freedom" has not been under attack by any Iraqis or Afghanis.

When will this end??

Thank you Lainey.