A Day of Remembrance

Nov.  11 2014

At the bottom of the hill where you turn the corner onto Beecher, on the right, between the road and the water, is Midden Harbour’s war memorial.  It’s not large, but impressive nonetheless;  a granite wreath and cross with the names of all those lost in the two world wars plus one name—Gerald Field Martin—from Afghanistan.  There are none from Vietnam despite the fact that two young men volunteered and died in that fight.  Lots of debate over that at the time and still.

Today the memorial will have a fresh wreath laid at its base in a small ceremony attended by a few people.  No official functions, but you see lots of poppies around town, and the post office and market always have the donation pot set up to collect for veterans’ programs.     When you think about it, seems a meagre reverence to a great sacrifice, but it’s been a long time. 

Have always been torn about all this.  On the one hand, there can be no doubt about the value and heroism of the individuals, both survivors and casualties, who were sent onto the battlefield.  Their personal sacrifice cannot be overstated.  But on the other hand, the  homage almost seems to celebrate war.  Focusing on the gallantry of warriors obscures the horrors and the folly of war.  It is a barbaric, simplistic, pathological expression of failure.  Violence has to be considered in any supposed civilized society as an admission that we couldn’t come up with anything better.  And it should never be celebrated.

So, today I will salute and celebrate those who put themselves in harm’s way on my behalf.  But at the same time I will acknowledge my anger and sadness over the human failure which spawned such waste.