Sunday, May 24, 1998

Yesterday's sacrifices must guide us in today's decisions

By Nebra Peters

Tomorrow we honor more than 4,000 veterans buried throughout Taylor County in a ceremony at Elmwood Cemetery.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is set aside for remembrance of those who died in our nation's service. It was first proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by Gen. John Logan in his General Order No. 11 and was first observed May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers. That tradition continues tomorrow throughout Taylor County as we place flowers and flags on our veterans' graves.

Unlike some holidays, Memorial Day is not merely an opportunity to sprinkle sound bites among those flags and flowers, then hurry off to a picnic or football game. It remains a day held true to its original intent in the hearts of all Americans.

In services around the world our brothers and sisters will gather to remind themselves of the debt we all owe, a debt that can be repaid only by our commitment to guaranteeing that the country they loved continues to endure. It also reminds us that we owe no less a debt to those in uniform today.

British philosopher John Stuart Mill once remarked that "no one is more miserable than people who have nothing they are willing to fight for." Conversely, it may be said that no one is nobler than those who believe in something so deeply that they are willing to die for it. We come together for Memorial Day observances in order to venerate that nobility.

On this day we recognize that the mortar holding our society together is mixed with the blood of those who fought in battle and the tears of those left behind. History teaches us that true Americans will suffer any hardship, challenge any obstacle and oppose any foe in the pursuit of liberty and justice.

They willingly do this not only for themselves, their children, their countrymen, but also for others whose faces they'll never see. It is our heritage. Should the day come when Americans refuse to respect our heritage, if we should remain silent in the face of armed aggression, then the cause of America, the cause of freedom, the sacrifices of our fallen heroes is lost.

Memorial Day is for remembering. In a society that demands liberty as an intrinsic right, we must never allow the sacrifices of our veterans to pass from our nation's consciousness. For who is more deserving of our respect, of our honor, than those who fought and died to preserve what the entire world cherishes -- the American way of life?

On this Memorial Day politicians in Washington are struggling to craft a federal budget. The timing in a sense is fortunate. As they toil at their tasks perhaps Memorial Day will cause each of our elected officials to reflect on the debt owed to our fallen heroes and to future generations. Perhaps they will be encouraged to honor that debt even in times of shrinking budgets by remembering that in comparison to laying down your life on a battlefield far from home, their task is easy.

They must simply ensure the continued security and prosperity of our country, the gift given to us by those who have gone before. They must sacrifice political expediency in the cause of standing by principles. They must ensure proper funding for our veterans' support agencies, for those still serving in the military today and for those who will serve tomorrow.

They must be willing to see to it that those veterans who have incurred medical disabilities and hardships as a result of their service receive the help and care they have earned. They must correct the disability compensation disparity and provide those benefits in addition to retired pay. They must remember that a promise given is a binding pledge that cannot be retroactively revoked.

As a nation, we must demand such decisions from our officials and support them when they are made. We must be willing to postpone or sacrifice things we'd like to have in the name of freedom and honor. We must be willing to give up our luxuries as the people we honor this day gave up their lives.

They did their duty; now we must do ours. We must never shirk this responsibility.

Nebra Peters is Veterans Service Officer for Taylor County.