In 2011, I was invited by event coordinator Marvin Shedd to deliver the keynote address at the Bernardston Memorial Day commemoration. Having taught in the town, I agreed. It remains one of the honors I am most proud of. Below is a condensed version of my speech.
“I’ve spent most of my life reading about warfare and in doing so discovered that the honoring of fallen warriors is as old as human civilization itself. It goes beyond politics and if you visit such diverse regions as Russia, Japan, Israel or Iraq, you will find some form of memorial paying tribute to those who gave their lives in the service to their people.
“A unique brother- and sisterhood exists among those who have sacrificed and it often unites former enemies. While visiting the Little Big Horn battlefield in Montana, I was surprised to see a new Native American Memorial that acknowledges the different Indian nations who fought on both sides of that legendary battle. The memorial itself is a circular mound; the circle being a sacred symbol in their culture. But there is a cut in it that faces Last Stand Hill and the stone marker venerating the American soldiers who fell on that fateful day. This ‘Spirit Gate’ was designed to symbolically welcome the spirits of the slain 7th Cavalry troopers to join their Native American adversaries in harmony and peace.
“Those who visit the shrine of the battleship USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor can’t fail to notice the busloads of elderly Japanese arriving with flowers and wreaths in order to pay their respects. And I have read about Vietnam veterans who returned to Southeast Asia to share food and fellowship with men who once fought with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese.
“Such actions require another form of bravery. And for some, the courage of forgiveness.
“I never fought in combat but I wonder if there comes a time for those who do, when the bullets are flying, the shells are exploding and all holy hell is breaking loose, that a soldier asks himself, ‘What am I doing here? Is this worth it?’ What is the answer that keeps him from throwing down his weapon and fleeing the field in terror, which is, quite frankly, a perfectly human response? ‘Am I fighting for King and Country, God or Flag. Am I fighting for my buddies who depend on me? Am I fighting for my loved ones back home?’
“Every answer is intimate, personal and beyond the opinions of others.
“Nowadays, war is a trillion-dollar industry where weapons are fashioned, not out of need, but to keep jobs in congressional districts. Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of the greatest generals in our history, warned us over 50 years ago about the power and influence of the military industrial complex. What he could not have foreseen is war now being fought by Predator drones piloted by kids sitting in cubicles. They don’t see the blood of the slain or the mother holding the shattered child. They can’t hear the screams of the wounded or the wailing of the bereaved. When the mission is accomplished, they merely turn off the screen. It’s also doubtful whether Ike could have envisioned war fought by armies of 12-year-old boys, high on drugs and hoisting AK-47s as they commit atrocities that defy belief.
“It may or may not come as a surprise to learn that some of the most impassioned peace activists I ever met were combat veterans; men and women who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East — those who saw the monster up close and vowed never again would others have to face that same horror. In doing so they echo the words of another combat veteran, namely Sgt. Bill Mauldin, the creator of the iconic characters, Willie and Joe, the ultimate dogfaces from World War II.
“Writing in the book ‘Up Front’ about his war experiences in Italy, Mauldin observes this about the average American fighting man, and I quote, ‘But you don’t become a killer. No normal man who has smelled and associated with death ever wants to see any more of it … The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry.’
“The quote of another veteran impressed me and maybe it is not surprising that it came from a woman who served with the American Red Cross in Vietnam, spending a fair amount of her time on field and firebase missions. What she remembered from her experience was the following.
“‘I brought home an evolving awareness of the futility and wrongness of war and the enduring love for the men and women I served with.’
“For me, these are simple but potent words. Perhaps someday, when the human race evolves beyond war as it has beyond slavery and human sacrifice, it, too, will remember with love and admiration those who served.”
Daniel A. Brown lived in Franklin County from 1970 to 2014 as a teacher, artist, writer and photographer before moving to Taos, N.M. He remains a contributor to The Recorder and welcomes feedback at: dbrown1793@gmail.com