Memorial Day more than just day off

  • Published
  • By Maj. Charles Johnson
  • 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (AFPN) --  My office is decorated like most others in the military, with mementos and photos hanging around the room. My “I love me” wall is behind the desk, littered with the memorabilia of various assignments.

However, of all the plaques and mementos, the one hanging directly behind my chair has the most meaning to me. Less ostentatious than most and definitely more worn, it is a 7 inch by 9 inch American flag that was flown over the graves of several World War II veterans in the American Battle Monument Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia. It was given to me when I left Tunisia by a retired Marine gunnery sergeant who was the curator of the cemetery.

During my assignment to the embassy in Tunis, Tunisia, on every Memorial Day and Veterans Day all of the U.S. military would participate in a combined ceremony with the Tunisian military. The ceremony was short and about what you would expect for one of these events. The national anthems of both nations would be played, followed by a prayer from the local clergy, a short speech, and finally the laying of wreaths at the tomb of an unknown soldier, which was situated in a small, open-aired marble court in front of the chapel. Upon the conclusion of the ceremony, my wife and I usually strolled through the cemetery, reading the names of the fallen and pondering the tremendous sacrifices that they, and thousands of other Americans, have made in order to preserve our liberty.

Among the 2,841 graves of those who fell in Africa were several that always struck home with me. First, there were the combined graves containing the remains of four soldiers who were so badly mangled that it was impossible to determine who was who. The second are the graves of two brothers, buried side by side. The third was the grave of a Medal of Honor recipient with that same simple understated nomenclature engraved upon the headstone.

All of these graves, plus a wall commemorating the 3,724 missing from the African campaigns, served as a reminder to me of the terrible hell that is unleashed in a war, the personal loss that sometimes gets lost in the mix with so many dead, and also the individual heroism that embodies service before self. I always walked away from these events feeling very humbled and grateful.

While in Tunisia, we also visited a British cemetery, which combined the personal touches of local monuments with the more structured method of an American Battle Monument Cemetery. Families were allowed to add short eulogies, all of them quite moving, with short statements like, “Only son, you won’t be forgotten” and “God’s gift to us for a short while, your memory will be treasured forever.”

While stationed in Germany, we lived in a small village called Miesau that had its own war memorial, listing its citizenry who had lost their lives in WWI and II. Once I discovered this, I began looking for other memorials as we drove around and found that most of the smaller towns in Germany had similar monuments located in parks or village squares.

While not as numerous, I’ve discovered many similarly themed monuments or memorials in U.S. cities and towns. Whenever time permits, we stop and walk through them for a few minutes. Each town and state has its own unique way of honoring their fallen, reflecting local traditions and artistic flair.

We went to a 4th of July celebration in Stanley, N.D., and discovered they had created an arboretum with the name of each Stanley native who had been killed in action placed in front of a tree planted in his honor. This monument covered all of the wars of the 20th century, up through Vietnam.

Around the world, veterans are honored, at all levels, for their dedication and service, be they national memorials or local statements of appreciation.

Memorial Day is just around the corner and, as always, it is a good time to reflect upon the tremendous debt that we owe all our veterans who have fallen and those who are still with us.

This Memorial Day, remember it is more than just a day off from work, it is an opportunity to honor our veterans. I encourage you to participate in, or attend, one of the ceremonies on that day or at least take the time during a family gathering to reflect on the sacrifices of past veterans as well as those that are deployed, carrying on the tradition of serving the United States.

Their dedication to our nation is a great heritage and serves as an example for how to conduct ourselves in our job of defending America, underscoring the Air Force’s core value of service before self.

I often look at that framed flag behind my desk and wonder about the numerous men whose graves it flew over on those Memorial and Veterans Days before it was retired from service and given to me. Who were the ones it honored? Did they volunteer to serve as we all do today or respond to a draft, either way serving their nation honorably and making the ultimate sacrifice? Did they leave wives, children or heartbroken parents and siblings behind? The huge sacrifice made by hundreds of thousands of men, women and their families, throughout our history should never be forgotten.

Wherever you are or whatever you’re doing this Memorial Day, take time to reflect upon the sacrifices made by previous and current veterans and what it means for us to take on the duty and heritage they have bequeathed to us.