To the Editor:
I hope that Americans will take a moment from whatever they are doing this Memorial Day to remember our fallen troops. Whether their action is going silent for one minute at 12:01 p.m. as part of IAVA’s Go Silent campaign, or placing out flags, or attending an event in their community, or doing something simple to honor those who have died in service to country — it doesn’t have to be a lot — but it can be meaningful and it can help remind you of the true meaning of the holiday.
There are times that the many activities attached to Memorial Day — the emphasis on retail sales, the emphasis on the start of summer — are very far afield from the original intentions of Memorial Day.
The holiday originated as Decoration Day after the U.S. Civil War — a conflict where few families were left untouched by the specter of grief and 620,000 men died in the line of duty, or about 2 percent of the U.S. population at the time (in addition to civilian casualties).
Today, because medical care is so much better and there have been many changes in how warfare is conducted, the casualty rate is much smaller — 6,851 service men and women have perished in the line of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and affiliated operations over more than 10 years (http://www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf). The families of these 6,851 who have died in these wars are connected to a legacy which this country has always had of service and sacrifice — that runs like a thread through the fabric of our society. And while we remember our loved ones and remain proud of their service and what they have given this country, sometimes it does feel like the rest of society is marching past us without noticing them at all.
Loss is not experienced on as collective a scale with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and less than 1 percent of the U.S. population serves in the military. Even if you are not personally touched by war, you are still connected to it — because you live in this country — and it is protected and defended by people who swear an oath to protect and defend this country, even to the point of death. The least people could do is pause for a moment to acknowledge their service and sacrifice.
Ami Neiberger-Miller
Steppingstone LLC
Ami Neiberger-Miller’s brother, U.S. Army Spc. Christopher Neiberger, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in August 2007.