As a patriotic American I love the month of May. Several important dates are in this month. As I look at the calendar – a Reagan Ranch calendar – I see that National Day of Prayer was on Thursday, the 5th day. As they formed a new nation the Continental Congress in 1775 set a time for prayers. President Harry Truman on April 17, 1952, signed into law the National Day of Prayer.
As emphasis on mothers and their vital roles, Mother’s Day occurs on the second Sunday in May. Anna Jarvis proposed this holiday and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday. May 8 also commemorates V-E Day in Europe (1945), which recalls the end of the destructive WW II in Europe that wounded and killed millions of people.
As a career Air Force retiree, I like Armed Forces Day, which falls on Saturday, May 21. The theme for this event is “Teamed for Defense.” Our first president, George Washington urged that America keep a strong military force in order to deter war, not start wars. The recent increase in public support of military personnel, both active and discharged or retired, is a hopeful trend and comes as fighting or growing threats occur around the world.
Hand in hand with Armed Forces Day comes Memorial Day, on Monday, May 30. Following the Civil War, the great sacrifice of lives led to observances called “decoration days,” when localities decorated graves of those who died in battle. The first official observance occurred on May 30, 1868, but the term Memorial Day became official in 1967. When we visit national cemeteries containing the rows on rows of graves of military personnel the effect upon us is profound.
As I served in II Corps Army headquarters near Pleiku, Vietnam in 1965-66, the bloodiest battle of the war occurred about 22 miles away near the Cambodian border. I had gone from II Corps compound a few miles to set up a post office for the troops at Camp Holloway, a US Army helicopter and resupply base. As the guys were putting the post office in working order I walked down to the runway area.
It was a hot day and I paused in the shade of a building. Then I heard the growing sound of approaching helicopters. As some landed near me I felt an oppressive feeling grip my mind and soul as body bags with slain young men were laid out in rows on the tamarack. I stood almost in shock as more and more copters landed and unloaded bodies. I only heard later about the face to face battle amid trees and brush where the enemy force of North Vietnam combat troops pierced and divided the American force, requiring the encircled men to fight for their lives. A realistic movie was made of this battle but only the ones involved who managed to survive could really know the horror, fear and suffering in that battle.
Wars are horrible but still occur for there is evil as well as good on earth. Freedom requires belief in our cause, commitment, vigilance, and willingness to defend what we hold dear. Sometimes it is better to fight and defeat the enemy as far away from home as possible. Those now waging war against freedom state over and over that they will destroy us, our way of life and our country. We need to pray to God for wise leadership, vigilance and unity of purpose.
