Remembering Those Recently Fallen

Memorial Day is often seen as a time to remember those that have fallen in battles ended long ago. It is the unfortunate truth, however, that many memorials and grave sites visited have held burials much too recently.

It is easy to forget that we are fighting a war. No matter your personal or political feelings, troops have been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. Many of these soldiers are kids, people younger than you and me, and often times they are looking to eventually use their service to fund a college education or improve their lives. It is always so jarring to meet a soldier my age that has served overseas. Imagining what they have seen, and not knowing if it is okay to ever ask them.

Although there is much to be said for male soldiers fighting in foreign lands, there is also a special place in my heart for female soldiers. I imagine the armed forces, especially during deployment, to be a lonely place for a woman. Coming from a family with a military background, I know that the armed forces is not the place to spout off feminine ideals. Coming from a women's college, I often doubt my ability to keep my mouth shut on the issue. Women soldiers must have a particular kind of strength, both steadfast and full of grace.

Male or female, these are uncertain times for a soldier, as well as an American. It seems that we are living in a world where nuclear weapons are being traded like Halloween candy between the biggest bullies on the planet. Waking up far from home and doubting your country's ability to protect you from that sort of attack is enought to terrify anyone.

But why is it that we hear so few of the individual stories of loss from this "War on Terror"? I think it is because we forget what is happening if it is not right in front of us. Drunk driving accident and suicide (other common killers within this age range) are sadly more familiar for us. But I think, mostly, we cannot wrap our heads around the idea that someone our age has passed away from stepping on a mine or in combat. We just cannot begin to comprehend that world. To a certain extent, most of us would rather not have to.

This Memorial Day, I would like to take the time to think about a recently fallen soldier. To thank their families, acknowledge the bravery of someone born in the same year as myself. There are lists available everywhere of fallen soldiers' names during these last nine years. How great would it be to write a postcard thanking a family for their son or daughter's service? Imagine if all Online Grapevine readers did this? I can imagine nothing greater than a family of a fallen soldier to open their mailbox and see a stack of letters of gratitude. I think, no matter your political standpoint, this is something we can all get behind. At the very least, let us take a moment out of our day to imagine the day in the life of someone serving our country and remember that it is humanity, and not social and political affiliations, that tie us together.

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