Post Memorial Day 2006

Arizonans assembled at the National Cemetery of Arizona on Memorial Day 2006 heard a great deal of patriotic cant and pap. Lofty words that spoke of honor and duty. They spoke of what Chris Hedges calls mythic war. War’s brutality went unmentioned in much of the ceremony. Only the toll of the dead, rifle volley and Taps truly acknowledged war for what it is. Nowhere did anyone speak of peace. Even when the ceremony ended with the release of white dove, no speaker mentioned their symbolism. Peace is the logical conclusion, the essential purpose of remembering our war dead. Instead the speakers hailed more, not less, war as the fitting memory of the dead.

Five Phoenix Veterans For Peace were a few tee shirts in a sea of uniformed veterans of all stripes. VFW, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans Association but also native American veterans, Buffalo Soldiers and civil war re-enactors. They all paraded by the speakers stand, which included the governor and Secretary of Veterans Affairs along with several odious politicians and a other officials After recognizing the various veterans, many of these same groups placed wreaths. Navajo Code Talkers received the greatest applause. Even the Woodmen of the World placed a wreath. Next year Veterans for Peace will be part of the ceremony, not just bystanders..

The ceremony is only the second I’ve attended. I marched with VFP on Veterans Day last year. Being an anti-war veteran among so many uniformed types left me feeling vulnerable, as if VFP was not welcome. For some there, maybe, but not all I’m pretty sure. Amidst the sea of uniforms, I thought my tee-shirt was pretty muted. Many wore full field fatigues or dress uniforms. Others wore vests or fatigue shirts. I saw a 1st Cavalry helicopter crewman in the crowd. His broad brimmed cavalry hat was pretty noticeable. When he turned I could see that big Cav patch. A sheriff’s posse attended wearing kilts.

The organizers were smart to schedule the ceremony for 8:00 am. No sane person wants to be standing on hot desert gravel mid day on Memorial Day in Phoenix. The morning was pleasant throughout the ceremony. The memorial area is grass with desert trees and decent shade. Two canopies shaded most of the seating on the open lawn. Chairs originally placed in the sun behind the canopies soon migrated to shade. JROTC cadets walked through the crowd earnestly distributing water. Their water cooler was just behind us. It was a large rectangular black tub, the cover strapped over caskets shipped back to the States, according to one of my colleagues.

Maggie said the cadets reminded her of Hitler Youth but I think that is mostly the combination of uniform and youth. None of the cadets looked like they had the programmed intensity of 1930's German youth. Still JROTC is a form of indoctrination that limits individual thinking and judgment. The Soviets had the Pioneers. At least JROTC is still voluntary. I thought the cadets looked out of place, especially the youngest. They were kids in uniform, more like boy scouts (which is also a form of indoctrination). Maggie thinks they should just be kids.

The core of the ceremony–the roll of the dead, rifle volley and Taps--was the most meaningful. I liked that part. The actual ceremony–the time honored military tradition–speaks of loss even as the politicians talk of America’s ongoing mission in Iraq and the need to sacrifice more for a dubious war that does nothing to make America safer. Using the dead to sell BushCheney’s war angered me. If anything, Memorial Day should make us stop and think about how little the deaths of these fine Americans has contributed to their nation. BushCheney and his apologists parrot the big lie about betraying the sacrifices of dead if we don’t send even more to die. The brutal reality is that the BushCheney is the traitor who sent them to die for no good purpose.

Fortunately, the traditions counterbalanced the hype. The roll of the dead recognized Arizonans who died in Iraq since last year’s Memorial Day. The toll of a bell followed each name. A rifle team fired a nine shot volley. A bugler played taps. The white doves were released after the last notes faded. A word of peace would have been appropriate but at least the ceremony made the gesture. Next year Veterans For Peace will make that gesture more explicit.