Deflection

Today I had the privilege to preside over the Memorial Day Service here in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It was a little nerve racking presenting in my home town, but I got through it fine. I kept loosing my place on the agenda, after looking at the crowd and recipients of awards and scholarships. I guess that it is just typical. Being a little nervous kind of creates that problem.

Today was a nice sunny day. It felt like there was no need to feel sower for those that lost their lives protesting this country’s constitution. I went hiking for a while and then I wrote the following essay. I hope that you enjoy it.

Roger

Memorial Day is a somber, as we reflect on those that took the ultimate sacrifice to protect this country’s constitution.

Today the sun is shining, with only a few clouds in the sky. The temperature is a comfortable 68 degrees. It is as if Mother Nature is sending us a message that we will live forever.

Most of the people are enjoying the day with family and friends, as if there is no memorial services being held. It is a day that most people do not have to work.

As for those that have lost love one to one of the many conflicts to protect this country, there is no sun shining. There are dark skies with load thunder and bright lighting. There hurt is all so real. Do we stop and say high to the ones hurting? The answer can take many different directions to answer; however, the real answer is we should, if you know that someone is hurting.

The most heart wrenching event that took place that I know of is with Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone and his wife Sergeant Lena Mae Riggi. On October 24, 1942, John, with two machine gun units, held off the Japanese for three days on Guadalcanal. After the battle, he was credited with the lives of 38 Japanese soldiers, and he was awarded the United States Congressional Medal of Honor. The military did not want John back into the war, so they sent him out, with nationally recognized celebrities, to selling war bonds that bored the Gunnery Sergeant to death. After he convinced the military to send him back out in the field, he meet Lena in the mess hall as he was training the next set of Marines for the Pacific theater of war. They were married and spent 201 days together before they were ship into the theater war. Hours after John landed on Iwo Jima he was killed. She was at John’s funeral and she crimsoned the USS John Basilone (DD/DDE-824), a Gearing Class Destroyer, in 1949. After the war, she lived in Lakewood, California. She never remarried, since she stated at she married the best of the best. When she was asked if she wanted to be laid to rest next to John at Arlington National Cemetery, she stated that she did not want to cause a ceremony for her funeral. Her grave is in the Riverside National Cemetery in California and she died wearing John’s wedding ring at the age of 86.

Lena life was one of total sacrifice to the defending of the US Constitution, since she was so in love with her husband. She lived through days like today, but they were filled with dark cloud. Her life was filled with 54 of sorrow, after living together for only 201 days. The pain of her loss can only be classified as overbearing. But, as we have lived in this country, we have heard of many events similar to Lena’s loss of a love one.

As we look into the sky today, it is almost impossible to feel the discomfort of losing a love one. It just seems like another day for most of us, and it is so hard for us, on this sun filled day, to feel the pain that many people are going through today, since their love one’s life was cut short by protection this country’s Constitution.

We must go today with the thoughts that there have been great military personnel that have paid the ultimate price to protected our US Constitution. Our country is better for their service, since the roots of the Constitution go deep with their sacrifice.

We must always understand that freedom does not come free, and we have to be proud that our younger generation is ready to stand up and be counted to protect this country. Therefore, as this essay started, the skies are bright today, since we know that our country will be protected.