Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there. I did not die.
— Eulogy for a Veteran
Author Unknown
Memorial Day is the most bittersweet of holidays. It is observed in somber tribute to American service men and women who have fallen on the field of battle. And it is the unofficial beginning of summer, a time when families and friends gather to cook out and hoist a few.
That may seem inconsistent to some. But as we pause to remember those who have died in war to secure and defend our freedom, we do them no disrespect by celebrating the freedoms for which they made the ultimate sacrifice — as long as we keep uppermost in our minds the real reason we are celebrating.
Memorial Day takes on added significance this year, coming as it does following the war in Iraq, in which 200 of our troops died. As with all wars, this one caused some divisions among Americans. But we can agree on one thing: that the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who fought and died in Iraq did so in defense of freedom, in defense of the democratic ideals that our nation represents. They were fighting in the most immediate sense in the cause of liberty for the oppressed people of Iraq, who were under the yoke of an inhumanly despotic and sadistic regime. And by extension, they fought for our own liberty as well.
Memorial Day is truly special for the people of Moore County. We are next-door neighbors to Fort Bragg, home of the 82nd Airborne Division, and Pope Air Force Base. Moore is where many of the soldiers and airmen who served in Iraq reside. We offered our support to the families of those service men and women while they awaited word of the safe return of their brave loved ones. And Moore is home to a legion of military retirees who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, the operation in Iraq and other sites of armed conflict around the globe. They continue to serve here, as civic leaders, community volunteers, government officials and activists in charitable organizations. Most if not all of those retirees have lost comrades in wartime.
It is appropriate for those of us in Moore and across America to engage tomorrow in both solemn remembrance and spirited celebration. We are solemn as we reflect on the loss of Americans on the battlefield. We celebrate because, as the unknown author of “Eulogy for a Veteran” wrote, they truly did not die. Their spirits live in a strong, free and grateful America.
