Thoughts on Memorial Day
The church in which I was baptized, confirmed and received my call into the ministry, built a new sanctuary in 1966. There is a plaque in the vestibule with my Dad’s name and all of the members of the building committee of the church.
When the new sanctuary was built the families of the church were given an opportunity to donate a pew. On the end of the pew a little marker was added to show the pew was given in honor or in memory of someone.
About a third of the way down on the left side of the church there was a pew that said “In Memory of John T. Brown.” John T. Brown was my grandfather. He died when I was two so I have no recollection of him. I do have a little wooden duck with wheels that he gave me. My parents sat in my grandfather’s memorial pew nearly every week until their death.
On the front row of the church the pew says, “In Memory of Carson Hardison.” I don’t have any memory of Carson Hardison either, but I do remember his mother and his brother. I often used to sit on the pew that was placed in Carson’s memory when I was a boy.
The front row pews were where the acolytes sat and on the Sundays I was assigned to acolyte I sat in the front row pew with Carson’s name affixed. Carson Hardison was killed in action during the conflict in Vietnam.
Carson like over 50,000 members of his generation went away to Vietnam and fought for our freedom and didn’t come home. He died a death on a battlefield in a foreign land fighting an enemy who had a nation but not a name. There are many like Carson who left behind a mom, a dad, a brother or a sister. Some left spouses and children.
Many have died defending our freedom. Some like Carson died in the jungles of Vietnam. Others died on the hills of Korea while some made the ultimate sacrifice in the desert of Iraq or the mountains of Afghanistan.
My parent’s generation saw many who gave all in the battlefields of Europe and islands of the Pacific.
We honor these fallen heroes and warriors this Monday. For many Memorial Day is the official start of summer. No doubt many will head to the mountains or a beach. Others will head to a nearby lake or golf course. Some might take in a ball game or other sporting event.
Yet, in the midst of all of these activities, it is important to take just a moment to pause and give thanks for those whose supreme sacrifice has made all these activities possible for us.
Let us also say this. As a nation, let us be worthy of their sacrifice. As we hear of the latest scandal emerging from our halls of government or the latest national debacle we have to ask ourselves a simple question, “Is this the best we can do?” Let us hope that we ourselves do not destroy what so many have died to defend.