I started watching the World War II television miniseries Band of Brothers for at least the umpteenth time a couple of weeks ago. I happened to be watching Episode 7 "The Breaking Point" last night. This particular episode is narrated by Easy Company's First Sergeant Carwood Lipton, played by the actor Donnie Wahlberg. The men of Easy Company have survived the siege of Bastogne in the Ardennes Forest during the Battle of the Bulge, and they are now preparing for the assault on the German held town of Foy, Belgium.
There's a powerful scene at the end of the episode. Easy Company is resting for the night in a convent. They are all sitting in pews while listening to the abbey choir. As the narrator (First Sergeant Lipton) reads off the name of each soldier wounded or killed in battle, the soldier sitting in the pew fades from view. By the end of the scene, the pews are half empty. As I was watching this scene, I was once again reminded of why we need to celebrate Memorial Day. It seems appropriate that I was watching that particular episode, which I've probably seen at least ten or so times, at this particular time of the year.
Today is Memorial Day in the United States. Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a federal holiday that honors those military personnel who have lost their lives in the line of duty. While not known for certain, Memorial Day has its origins following the Civil War, when flowers were placed on the graves of fallen soldiers. Tradition has it that John A. Logan, the third Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, Civil War veteran, and politician from Illinois, first called for a "Decoration Day" in 1868. While Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30 from 1868 to 1970, the United States Congress standardized the holiday and changed its observance to the last Monday of May in 1971.
It's been a few years since I've written a post on Memorial Day, which is unfortunate. I think I last posted on Memorial Day in 2021, which was entitled, "Rest Easy Shipmates, We Have the Watch..." (please see my previous Memorial Day posts from 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 - see also "Decoration Day, "The Chimes of Freedom", and "The last full measure of devotion" for related posts). Once again, I am asking myself how can we best honor the fallen soldiers and sailors of the past, to which I answer, "We can honor them by cherishing our freedom that they purchased with their lives and continuing their fight for freedom."
"Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high." [In Flanders Fields by John McCrae]
"It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the greatest task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." [The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln]
Ours is a cause worth dying for. Our work has only just begun. Our toughest days lie ahead, but we are up to the test. "Rest easy shipmates. We have the watch."
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