War reminds us why we remember

You look at the photographs of the U.S. military men and women who have died in Iraq, and you guess at their life stories. George Edward Buggs, 31, of Barnwell, S.C. poses in a cap and gown. Was he as ecstatic as he seems to finally be graduating? Lori Piestewa, 22, of Tuba City, Ariz., mugs for the camera. Was she the family jokester? You look at the photographs of the dead and realize that their faces tell the real story of what it means to fight, and die, in war. Their individual life stories were cut short in sacrifice to their country.

Today is Memorial Day, a holiday begun in 1866 to honor the Civil War dead – a holiday that has evolved into the day to commemorate all military people who have died for our country. In the relatively peaceful years, the true meaning of the holiday was often lost, forgotten in plans for picnics, planting of gardens, lake-cabin openings and competition for coveted camping spots. But this is a somber Memorial Day, one where it is unfortunately easy to remember the origin of the day.

The Spokesman-Review today devotes seven pages in honor of U.S. military personnel who have died in Iraq. Nearly 800 names are listed along with most of their photos. It is dramatic, sobering and thought-provoking. It may be controversial, but it need not be divisive.

For those who believe in what the United States is attempting to do in Iraq, the photos and names highlight the personal sacrifices of military family members and friends. It harkens to the tradition that there is nothing more noble than giving your life in the cause of your country. For those who oppose the war, the publication of the names and photos today illustrates the real cost of war. All those faces, all those futures – gone. And to what purpose?

The photos make it hard to escape the reality of this war, though it is sometimes easy to deny. It is not being fought on U.S. soil. Citizens here are free to go about their daily work and worry. Will interest rates climb? Will the employment rate improve? Will gas prices go down? And what’s up with those Mariners?

Though U.S. deaths occur now almost daily in Iraq, even the news stories distance us from them at times. A Marine was killed. A soldier died. The media do not always publish or broadcast the names of those killed and often photos are not available. (The Spokesman-Review’s Web site, www.spokesmanreview.com, keeps an up-to-date list of all allied-forces personnel killed in Iraq.)

The photos of the dead in Iraq in today’s newspaper also remind us of the inevitability of death, another reality we sometimes run from in this culture of Botox and nursing homes. William Sloane Coffin, minister and author, wrote: “The one true freedom in life is to come to terms with death, for death is an event that embraces all our lives. And the only good way to have a good death is to lead a good life. Lead a good one, full of curiosity, generosity, and compassion, and there’s no need at the close of the day to rage against the dying of the light.”

For the military men and women who died in Iraq, the light died too soon. This is the sad and somber remembrance of Memorial Day 2004.