Popular Posts

Monday, May 28, 2012

Amid Beach Frenzy, Memorial Day Loses Its Meaning

In an era of beach trips and opening the summer house, some who take comfort in the true purpose of Memorial Day believe its meaning has lost its lustre.

It prompts the question on the hallowed weekend of remembrance: What does Memorial Day mean to you?

WTOP's David Burd, a Marine Corps drill instructor veteran, says the smells of his time in the armed forces come to mind first. He remembers Kiwi Shoe polish, moth balls, Mennen after shave (issued to every Marine recruit) and Duraglit metal polish, a chemically soaked cotton substance used to shine brass belt buckles.

"Most young men and women don't join the armed services these days and cannot relate to the sacrifices that are made when you join the service," Burd says. "Our wars are not a shared experience like they were before the draft was halted in 1972."

More

2 comments:

  1. I dunno about that. I kissed and hugged my father, husband and stepson and thanked them all for their service. Maybe our generation is the last to remember what was sacrificed. (I was born in '61).

    ReplyDelete
  2. I still have my can of DuraGlit - Can't stand Mennen after shave any more - But I do stop to remember my fallen brothers.

    RC - Master Gunnery Sergeant US Marine Corps - retired.....

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.