Memorial Day has come and gone, and with it, it brought what most folks consider to be the first day of summer. Forget the meteorologists and calendar makers who have decreed that occurrence doesn’t happen until June 20; it’s Memorial Day that signals the beginning of summer fun!
Originally known as Decoration Day, the last Monday of May has been set aside to honor and mourn the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The first national observance occurred in 1868 to honor the Union soldiers who had died in the Civil War. Over the years, the remembrance grew to embrace all deceased U.S. military. In 1971, Congress standardized its name as “Memorial Day.”
Coming from four generations of a military family, our own observance included attendance at the various venues while also reflecting upon family members who have served and the loss of my father’s brother, who was killed during the World War II Battle of the Bulge.
Those who have proudly served are often reluctant to talk about battlefield experiences, and some who did not see combat shun the spotlight of recognition when it is presented.
During a recent high school musical presentation, veterans who had served were asked to stand. A respective round of applause followed, and the show continued. Later, one of the cast members asked a patron why he did not stand with the rest of the veterans.
“That recognition should be reserved for those that saw combat duty. I didn’t,” came the response.
Indeed, those who have served form a unique bond that is hard to understand by those who have not. Veterans come from all walks of life made up of rich, poor, creeds, and occupations, including athletes of various sectors. Records show 535 baseball players have lost their lives in military service dating back to the Civil War.
Twelve of those individuals were Major League players, the most recent being the Washington Senators Elmer Gedeon, whose plane was shot down by the Germans during World War II in 1944.
Since that time, Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Warren Spahn were among many MLB’ers who served their country during combat times. An enlightening chronicle of baseball players serving is included in the book No Greater Love, written by a California school teacher and military historian, Todd Anton.
I discovered Anton’s work while visiting the World War II Museum in New Orleans a decade ago. Jean found his book in the gift shop and gave it to me as a Father’s Day gift. Impressed by what I read, I contacted Anton to express my appreciation for his work. A friendship developed that included a visit to his California home and a subsequent most memorable trip to Normandy during the 75th commemoration of the WWII battle.
In his book, Anton related his own father’s reluctance to talk about his experiences in WWII.
“After watching the 1998 movie Saving Private Ryan, I called Dad and told him I never felt the emotion of what he went through in the war until watching the movie. I just kept repeating that I was sorry for what he had to go through and said several times, “I just didn’t know.”
“The next day, Dad called and suggested that he, my brother Brent, and I see the movie together. I remember everything about it. As soon as the movie started, he draped an arm around each of our shoulders – they stayed there during the entire movie. He held us tight and would not let go; he wasn’t crying but was holding us very tightly.
“Driving Dad home, I started talking about the movie, and he began to cry. With tears trickling down his face and his voice quivering, Dad suddenly said, “Son, do you want to know how the *#-^ it was? I pulled the car over, stopped, and listened.
“Dad was plagued by the same survivor’s guilt displayed by Private Ryan. He felt the weight of this burden to the day he died. He could not bring himself to watch that scene ever again. Watching it brought up those self-imposed inadequacies, those feelings that the life he had lived did not equal the price paid by those who had died.”
With both our fathers experiencing the horror of WWII and both being devoted baseball fans, the conversations Todd and I have shared have brought back father/son relationships of our dad’s war experiences not often talked about. But through it all, baseball was a topic constantly shared and cherished.
In a touching story, too detailed to fully describe here, baseball continued to be shared by Todd and his dad until the very end. As lifelong Dodger fans, his father’s ashes found a final resting place at his beloved Dodger Stadium.
War is hell, and Memorial Day is a deserved remembrance of the ultimate price paid by all too many so that this land can continue to be called “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
Memorial Day’s honorees can no longer hear words of thanks coming their way, but those veterans who have served certainly can – whether or not they served in a combat zone. Take the time to thank them when you have an opportunity.
