Today is Veterans Day. I know it seems weird to have a holiday on Tuesday but we celebrate this one November 11th regardless on which day of the week it falls.
I have mixed feelings about the military (believing, perhaps unrealistically, that armed force shouldn't exist) but I have no qualms about recognizing and rewarding those who serve. There should be more opportunities for non-military public service -- real public service, not self-enrichment like Congress. Those opportunities appear in other countries and instill a sense of community among young people. That's healthy for a society.
Arriving to this country as an immigrant in 1951 my father leapt at the chance to gain quicker citizenship by volunteering for the U.S. Army. He was sent to Korea where he cut soldiers' hair. (He was trained as a barber in Germany.) My dad was naturalized as a citizen before the Army discharged him. A deal's a deal and both sides kept their bargain.
My father was proud of his military service which is why, when he passed away three years ago, I chose to place his remains in Long Island's only military cemetery. It's what he would have wanted. Let's remember those who selflessly sacrificed valuable chunks of their lives for the benefit of the rest of us.
My grandfather was also in the army. He ended up in some admin on base, and got shuffled around until he eventually got out, worked for a glass company for 40 years! Never talked about his service, and if my dad hadn't been born on a base, I wouldn't have known.
ReplyDeleteI understand your complex feelings about the military, and I feel similar. I think you did right by your dad. Honoring his wishes. Life is complicated. I like to think we do the best we can. Most of us.
Yes to everything you say. We think alike.
DeleteHi Ally,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this, it’s such a heartfelt and nuanced reflection on Veterans Day. I really appreciate the honesty in how you hold mixed feelings about the military while still recognizing the people who serve. That balance, and the compassion behind it, really comes through.
Your father’s story is incredibly moving. There’s something very dignified about the way he embraced service as a path to belonging in a new country, and how both he and the Army honoured their ends of that bargain. It must have meant a great deal to him, not just the citizenship but the sense of purpose and pride that came with it.
Choosing to place his remains in a military cemetery sounds like a beautiful way to honour his life and what mattered to him. It feels like exactly the kind of remembrance Veterans Day is meant for, personal, thoughtful, and rooted in gratitude.
Thank you for reminding us to look beyond policy and politics and to the individuals who gave years of their lives in service of something larger.
Lotte x
Thanks for grasping my intent. That's nice to see.
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