Thank You

[LawrenceU]

Mark, Paul, Dan, 'Patch', Steve, 'Dooley', and Uncle Leon your sacrifice is not forgotten.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

 

[TimV]

Great post, Lawrence. At the weekend Memorial Day party the hostess picked me without warning to explain the day to all the kids there. Since we are all traditional conservatives and disagree with the last couple wars I said that while sometimes what our men died for may have been mistakes, they were brave men who did their duty, and we need to honor them just as much as those early Americans who were outgunned by better trained British who were fighting for a just war, but never gave up. I was a bit flustered, since I have a cynical streak, but when I asked if the kids understood what I was trying to say they all smiled and said they did.

 

[ZackF]

It's extremely difficult for me as I increasing tend to see the headstones as a waste of life on worthless wars. Given that many of these men were conscripted and threatened with imprisonment and even death for not "doing their duty", I find it hypocritical to support it without caveats.

 

[Curt]

I will perform the funeral service for my Uncle Jack on Saturday. He was a Marine in Korea, '50-'52.

 

[LawrenceU]

It's extremely difficult for me as I increasing tend to see the headstones as a waste of life on worthless wars. Given that many of these men were conscripted and threatened with imprisonment and even death for not "doing their duty", I find it hypocritical to support it without caveats.

Zach, be very careful where you get your sources for the thoughts, emotions, and motivations of warfighters in previous generations. Much of what is pumped out today is coloured by the angst of today. (The same can be said about many of the 'facts' surrounding the wars.) I know first hand many men who were conscripted, did not want to participate, but knew that duty meant denial of personal desire. Because of this they fought and fought with duty and honour, and yes pride. Duty is not a trait taught, let alone cherished, by most today; especially those under the age of forty.

 

[ZackF]

It's extremely difficult for me as I increasing tend to see the headstones as a waste of life on worthless wars. Given that many of these men were conscripted and threatened with imprisonment and even death for not "doing their duty", I find it hypocritical to support it without caveats.

Zach, be very careful where you get your sources for the thoughts, emotions, and motivations of warfighters in previous generations. Much of what is pumped out today is coloured by the angst of today. (The same can be said about many of the 'facts' surrounding the wars.) I know first hand many men who were conscripted, did not want to participate, but knew that duty meant denial of personal desire. Because of this they fought and fought with duty and honour, and yes pride. Duty is not a trait taught, let alone cherished, by most today; especially those under the age of forty.

Thanks for your charitable thoughts. I should be careful and certainly try to. I agree with you on the loss of the virtue of duty in society. However, I think virtue is easily manipulated for wicked means and ends. I believe war propaganda (then and now) is every bit "colored" as that of the blast of us peaceniks today. While I am not a pacifist (clearly unbiblical), though to many I appear to be one, it is indeed possible for one to believe his duty and the more courageous option... is not to fight. A man has a natural right to self-defense but not a duty to defend himself in any and all occasions. I would make further distinctions on what actions are actually defensive but I imagine I've already hijacked the thread enough.