Monday, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day

Memorial Day finds me sitting in the warm air on our balcony watching our neighbor across the street mow his field. The clouds are moving quickly this morning, making shadows race across the weeds, which are likewise dancing in waves, pushed by the same wind. It's a perfect morning, and yet I'm subdued with the knowledge that it isn't as perfect for some who are reflecting on this day.  I don't personallyknow anyone who died while in military service, thankfully, but I can't even imagine. I have family members currently serving, and I remember the complete fear I felt when my high school best friends told me he was joining shortly after graduation. I always saw going into the military as a terrifying choice, and I knew that those who chose to do so were much stronger than I am. Same goes for military families. One of my good friends from college is a military wife (and was a military daughter), and she is, without a doubt, the strongest woman I know. I have a panic attack when Tyler drives to work in bad weather; I can't imagine sending him off to active service over and over. Even though I abhor war and am pretty much a pacifist, I still can greatly respect and admire the strength and sacrifice of those who joined the military for honorable motives.

My grandpa was one of those people I admire. Shortly before he passed away, I went through a bunch of his old photographs from his service in the Korean War, and scanned them so I would have a copy. I feel like I got to know him better through that process. He was proud of his service, but it had also scarred him. He never talked about it in depth, and he wouldn't watch war movies or active war footage on television. Most of the stories I knew from that time in his life, I heard from my dad, who gathered them from elsewhere. Still, he kept the photos and would go see his old Army buddies around the country when he was well enough. I really think he had mixed memories of that experience--the extremes of brotherly bonds and rampant death. How do you process such dichotomies when they're thrown at you all at once?  I'm just grateful I don't have to know, and I'm indebted to those who know all too well.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Grandpa's army days. 







5 comments :

  1. These pictures are soo cool! I love looking through old ones from my grandparents as well. A few month ago we found the video from their engagement, and it was amazing to see them so young and so in love.

    Have a good day!

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    1. An engagement video? How incredible! I love looking through old pictures.

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  2. Love this! You are a talented writer, Jess!
    Both of my grandma's brothers died in service, a year apart, almost to the day. She was in college at the time, and had to drop out to come home and be with family. A person who served with one of them recently came into contact with my grandma and had photos of her brother that were taken a few days before he died. It's amazing, and we truly, truly appreciate them!

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    1. Thanks lady! I can't even imagine losing my brother--much less two of them, so close together. I just don't think you would ever get over something like that. It must have been such a comfort to have those pictures turn up after so many years. Photos are so powerful to me; it's like they give you back a small piece of the person in them. What a great ending to such a sad story.

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  3. Beautifully written.

    Love those old photos! So neat that you have them.

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