Pearls: We are strong when we stand together

Matt Pearl

I drove to the King City Cemetery on Memorial Day. It’s an annual ritual for me to take a picture of the flags that always adorn the site, and Monday was no exception to my rule.

I wished once I arrived that I had taken the photo on Sunday, when it was sunnier, drier and just all-around more pleasant. But then another thought occurred to me.

Those whose memories we are particularly celebrating on Memorial Day, those who served – many in foreign lands on unfamiliar ground – undoubtedly had to tread through the mud during far worse weather. To serve in the capacity that the men and women in the armed services must do, those folks sign on to put their boots through mud for your sake and for mine.

I imagine those two World Wars, and soldiers marching through cold winters in Germany, or sweltering in the north African heat in the early days of WWII. I remember reading about Washington’s men at Valley Forge, frostbitten, their unshod feet bleeding in the snow, all in what was then the uncertain cause of American independence.

In my lifetime, we have fought Middle Eastern wars in the arid country of the old world. I have heard firsthand accounts of the sweltering hot days and brutal cold nights in that region, and it makes a guy feel downright ashamed for complaining in his heart that some Memorial Day drizzle had made picture-taking less convenient.

Now, I was brought up believing that those who serve in the military do so selflessly: the end goal in your and my freedom and safety, and endless parades and expressions of thanks are appreciated, but certainly not expected from our servicepeople.

I was also raised with the rule being that we thanked people who had performed a service for us. I’m not a perfect guy by any stretch of the imagination, but I find myself thanking people frequently: when they get the door for me, or as they hand me change at a retail store, or obviously, when they put their life and safety between our nation’s enemies and myself and do so to preserve my life and safety.

So, carrying the knowledge that I myself lacked the temperament – and possibly the courage – to serve in the military, I feel particularly as if I have received a valuable gift from those who have served. Many of them elected to give this gift, and others were drafted into service; I am thankful to each group for having undertaken such a difficult task.

Patriotism is a complex notion: being patriotic does not mean that I believe my government is always right, or that I necessarily always agree with this nation’s courses of action; but patriotism absolutely compels me to say that the United States of America is my country. When the nation succeeds, I get to share in her successes. When she fails, I must personally claim a portion of her failures.

It’s a reason that I look forward to the summer: the patriotic opportunities that the season gives. Memorial Day unofficially begins the summer, and Flag Day and Independence Day are around the corner.

I am acquainted with folks who are notably less moved by the Red, White and Blue than I am: this is America, and they may believe as they like and view this country as they choose. But the triumphs of our past and the hope the future holds for this country stir me emotionally.

I am aware that there are folks who feel disenfranchised from America’s promise of hope, and in many of their cases, others in positions of power or authority have wrongly denied them the blessings of freedom. We must all work to ensure that the Constitutional directives of liberty are equally applied to all citizens. Period.

In the meantime, let us remember that we are strong when we stand together; let’s be the best version of ourselves as we celebrate our wonderful land.

Matt Pearl owns and operates newspapers in King City, Albany and Grant City.