# A Memorial Day Self Indulgence **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 29, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-memorial-day-self-indulgence/66846 "2001-05-29T04:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-memorial-day-self-indulgence/66846/1 "2001-05-29T04:00:35Z")
Several years ago I was in Washington and because I had some free time I went to see the Viet Nam Memorial. I wanted to see if it was as impressive and moving as I had heard. Since I had several friends, acquaintances and comrades whose names were there I thought I ought to at least go to pay such respects as I could. As I stood at the Wall, a movement off to the side caught my eye. A middle-aged man, balding, a little thick around the waist, was walking along the wall, apparently looking for a particular name. As he approached me he stopped faced toward the wall, came to attention and saluted. He said, just loud enough to be heard, “Good morning, Sir.” With that he dropped his salute, turned and walked off. I don’t know who the man was, or the name he found. I do know that for him, and for that moment, the monument was just about the most important thing there was. You can’t help but wonder what will happen to the monument when all of those names are the names of strangers, like the names on the great memorial gate at Ypres. In time those names on our monument, like those on the Menin Gate at Ypres, will cease to be friends and comrads. The little county I live in sent nearly one thousand men and boys off to the Civil War. About 350 of them did not return. While those veterans served the in a war that has shaped the course of the country’s history, their names are largely forgotten. In time the men who served in Viet Nam will likewise be forgotten. Those who died, however, will be remembered for as long as granite lasts. For those of us of a certain age the names are close to being the whole meaning of the monument. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-memorial-day-self-indulgence/66846/2 "2001-06-01T02:52:58Z")
That was awesome. Thank You. To: **Sgt. Ron Randazzo,** of Glen Burnie, MD. KIA 20 Feb, 91 **Pfc. Ardon Cooper,** of Seattle, WA. KIA 20 Feb, 91 **Pfc. Dave Wieczorek,** of Gentry, AR. KIA 24 Feb, 91 Rest ye in peace, my brothers, my fellow Knights. You are not forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![jason\_kahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@jason\_kahl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jason_kahl)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-memorial-day-self-indulgence/66846/3 "2012-05-28T18:55:04Z")
I see you memorialized 1-5… so long ago…and it append just yesterday. Were you there? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-memorial-day-self-indulgence/66846/4 "2012-05-29T00:22:07Z")
Happy Memorial Day, everyone. Here’s a speech I gave two years ago: [My Memorial Day speech this morning - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=565240) And here’s an earlier Memorial Day roll call: > **[Memorial Day Roll Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=422581)** > > Sergeant! Begin Roll Call, if you please. Jones, Harry Powel, Jr. (Father) United States Army Gunner, Howitzer Veteran: WWII Served: 1941 - 1943 b. Feb 1917 d. Aug 1978 Johnson, Sumner L. (BIL) United States Army Combat Infantry Veteran:... ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-memorial-day-self-indulgence/66846/5 "2012-05-29T04:23:09Z")
Yes. The boys who served in the Vietnam War came out of my high school. And yours. And yours. And all of ours. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-memorial-day-self-indulgence/66846/6 "2012-05-29T06:47:09Z")
There’s a poem by [Yehuda Amichai](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yehuda_Amichai)that’s often read on Memorial Day here. I think it’s appropriate to the thread. _We have no unknown soldiers We have no unknown soldier’s tomb, Anyone who wants to lay a wreath Must break his wreath apart Into flowers and divide them into Leaves and scatter them about. And all the dead come home And all of them have names._ (Translation mine)