Memorial Day 2018

My Grandpa, WWII Veteran Clyde Martin Becker in this picture from the New York Times, selling at a farmers market in southern Michigan. An island hopper in WWII who never spoke about it as many never did. Just a year or two before his passing about 10 years ago. My Grandmothers first husband passed in action during that same war.

It's obviously bitter sweet to post about Memorial Day or Veteran's Day. It's a day of memorial and of celebration. To remember the fallen for freedom and Democracy, and to properly reflect on and celebrate the freedoms we take for granted.

It's bitter-sweet for a second reason that's harder to address. A reason that I think keeps me from posting haphazardly on such holidays often times. It's that posting things that can be perceived as unabashed nationalism feels disingenuous when you have grown up in a world of ambiguous wars. Of proxy-conflicts. Of wars on "concepts" rather than direct threats. Of counter-attacks that are 10 fold against unknowing participants in a global dance that has been echoing for decades and generations.

But now I said it. I said my peace about the ambiguity that I hope everyone doesn't callously dismiss or gloss over, and I'm not pretending there's an easy answer to what I bring up. It's just...it's worth keeping in mind.

So here's to all the Americans who have given their lives to the idea of freedom and the idea of the United States of America. Without their sacrifice the world would indeed be a darker place, and I believe that, ambiguity and all.

Thank you fallen Americans. Thank you.