Re: Memorial Day, 2008

Though late, wanted to respond and say I read every word of your post.   

Memorial Day has grown in import to me as well.  I did not serve.  Circumstances, timing had some part to play in that.   Today I accompanied my parents to a post Graduation Day dinner (Air Force Academy).  Most of the invitees were Army, classmates from WP, on a reunion and to honor one of their granddaughters who graduated today. 

Years ago when my pop first started opening up about his military experiences, me being a snot nosed kid with more important things to do, paid scant attention.  It took a long time to have it filter down into what this really means.  It was embodied today as my 80 year old father walked into a room of men who were 7-8 years behind him, hence "youngsters".  The host made a big to-do about his presence to which he was encouraged to open up about his military experiences.   

Went straight out of WP into Korea.  No basic training as the involvement happened as we know, extremely fast.  His CO received severe injuries but after observing this 2nd Lt., reached down through the ranks and picked him to lead Company K.  Today at the request of the host, he recounted a particular battle where he was ordered to essentially 'take a hill'.  I am tightening specifics of course. There is far more detail.  Gist was, he'd lost all of his officers, his company was down to 37 men when they began the assault.  He did not know until much later the hill was a N Korean and Chinese command post, meaning it was heavily fortified, and manned.  They attacked a hill of 600 NKPA and Chinese with 37 men.  As he stated, it didn't take long to realize they were up against it.  His preferred weapon was a Thompson Sub Machine Gun.  When things bogged down, he moved up to lead from the front.  Weapon jammed, so he armed himself with grenades, and led the assault.  

Long story much shorter, he cut a swatch up this 400 ft hill by throwing grenades to lead his men up the hill.  His, then theirs back at them.  And he led, he didn't point.  As a photo of the hill from months later said in it annotation, attacked a hill of 600 heavily dug in and fortified with 37 men.  They killed 400, captured 192.  He had 15 men left.  He was 23 years old.  He said when he stood on top of the hill, he remembers looking down onto an adjacent hill that came to be known as Pork Chop Hill. About 30 from the top was a trench system that circled the hill.  Later they counted 250 KIA.  What became prisoners were so shell shocked that fortunately a Chinese speaking interpreter on the hill convinced them to come out of their tunnel systems, and 15 US Army led 192 of them down after dark, off of the hill. 

The point of the story to me as I grew older was while he fought in several bloody battles, Korea and Vietnam, horrific ones, there were important numbers.  Like the number 192.  After having lost so many casualities, he was as he said pretty mad, but he did capture 192 when that number could have just as easily been 0.  He received a DSC.  He also received respect from his men that goes to this day.  A few years ago he was convinced to attend a reunion where some of his men presented him with a Calvary Hat.  When people see him he is oft accused of being a drug store cowboy.  Until someone corrects the record.  The hat is very real, and extended by men who served with him.   

Other numbers were after his military service he went about in historic preservation and performed service to his local community to the tune of creating highly successful businesses for other people.  His vitae is very long, and very very productive.  To this day he continues to press forward on local boards for community rennovation.  And a lot of other things.   

So Memorial Day has grown to mean a great, great deal to me.  It gave me a chance to understand that there are a lot of men like my pop who performed "in service of", not just in the military, but after retirement, they continue in service of....  the attendees today who also served but were of a different period were as most are, in awe of his service and record.  That is the point.  It is not just a charge up a hill and some basically staggering heroics.  It is what other people think of him, and others, as leaders, in all walks.  It is an embodiement of leadership, attitude, training, and a slew of other things that came together in a lot of events that got the job done.  I consider myself extremely fortunate to not only have calmed down out of my frantic youth and learned about his service, but being in a heavily military community, of so many others as well.  Yeah, this stuff matters a hell of a lot.  And I am not being histrionic when I say every goddamned day I am grateful to men and women who served, and performed, and perform.  I speak with a lot of returning Iraq vets just because I can.  I pursue it.   

So in the For Whatever It's Worth Department, I read the original post and there are two people over here where Memorial Day matters more than any other.  Myself and my wife.   

My son who got off to an extremely rocky start as a young kid has just been accepted into the Marines.  No one thought it possible due to his past.  The only two people who thought he could overcome some pretty bad stuff were him, and me.  I've been pressing him by challenging him to the APFT, then he does NOT want to see ME exceed him in the qualifications before he hits boot camp, at my age.  My father is now extremely excited and pleased because the military service line has an opportunity if my son can get the job done, to continue.   

Yeah, this day really matters.  It is beyond vital to maintain these core branches, all of them, here, established, functioning, and traditions maintained.  My $0.02 as I could not resist responding to this now belated original post.