Letters to the President #497: "The Survivor's Pledge"

On this Memorial Day, fallen troops will be remembered in Iraq, Afghanistan, and places all over the globe where Americans have served. And they will be noted too, in my daily letter to the president.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

Some years ago I was honored to attend a reunion of the survivors of the USS Arizona; that great warship destroyed in the sneak attack by the Japanese which inexorably drew our country into World War II. They were an impressive group. Good humored, largely successful in their lives after their service, and bound to each other by stark memories of a calamity that no Hollywood movie can ever match.

I discovered among them a good measure of what some might call survivor’s guilt, but what these veterans might more likely refer to as simple respect for their fallen comrades. Many of them spoke with tender affection for all who were lost that day and how they have lived their lives since ever mindful of those missing souls; taking their challenges and rewards, victories and disappointments with a measure of wistfulness; knowing that, but for luck, fortitude, or providence, they too would have found a watery grave.

I think of them often when Memorial Day comes around, just as I think of all the veterans and their families I have met over the years whose lives have been marked by the loss of a loved one in war. It has made me mindful of my own responsibility to those lives, and I must say it consists of a great deal more than hanging the flag out front (which we do,) or thinking of them when I look at the date on the calendar (which I do,) or feeling sorry for their families and friends (which I do, too.)

I remind myself that they made a difficult choice to serve our nation, whatever their motivation at the time, and somehow it came down to a calamitous moment in which I am sure they might have preferred to be anywhere else; as the poet, Alan Seeger, an American who fought and died in World War I, noted in his famous poem, “God knows 'twere better to be deep pillowed in silk and scented down, where love throbs out in blissful sleep, pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath, where hushed awakenings are dear..” (I also, as an aside, read that poem “I Have a Rendezvous with Death,” virtually every Memorial Day.

I also remind myself that they fought for our common cause, whether they agreed with it or not. That is the soldier’s lot, and I think out of respect to them, it should be ours more often. What I mean is, perhaps nothing does more disservice to the people who fought and died for our security, our freedom, and our ideals than for us to cavalierly descend into bickering, sharp political divisions, and the petty selfishness of “what I want.” I am sure many who fell were Democrats, many were Republicans; many were Independents. Many were liberals, conservatives, and moderates. They were of different faiths, and many had no faith at all. They were of different races, and different cultures, and different views. But they stood together, united by a central belief that our core…the essence of who we are…was worth standing up and fighting for even unto the last.

With that in mind, I try to pledge myself every day to faith and respect for all who have fought for the greatness of ‘we.’ I remind myself that even those with whom I vehemently disagree share the life and liberty for which our fellow Americans fought and died; to stand opposed to one another in fair debate is honorable and right; to demean, demonize, and denigrate those with whom we have reasonable differences does a disservice to our fellow countrymen who passed in defense of our ways.

I suspect if we all remembered that a bit more often, we might find our politics more civil, our communities more caring, and our ability to progress more sure.

Just a few thoughts on this respectful day. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Regards,

Tom