Memorial Day Commentary: The Imaginary Line
PhotoİRachel Cooper,
licensed to About.com, Inc.
For those of you who haven't been there, the names of the Vietnam War dead are listed in order of their deaths. The first killed are in the center of the V and the rest radiate out in chronological order across the granite walls. When I look at those walls I believe somewhere there is an imaginary line marking the spot in time when the American government and people realized this war could not be won, and yet the war continued for political and dishonorable reasons.
Historians may argue about where that line lies - 1967? 1971? - but make no mistake, the line exists. And on the dark side of the line are the names of soldiers, sailors, and airmen who died for something quite different than that for which they pledged their lives.
Someday there will be a memorial to the Iraq War. It took 50 years to get a World War II memorial on the Mall. And it took almost 20 to get a memorial for Vietnam veterans. I don't know how long it will take to get an Iraq War Memorial, but it will happen nonetheless.
And the imaginary line will exist on that memorial as well. We will list the dead starting in 2003. Where will that imaginary line be? 2006? 2007? 2008? Some say we have already passed the point where a victory like the one once promised by the president is possible. Others say we are on the brink. Who knows what the president himself really thinks.
What can we do today to make sure there are as few names as possible on the dark side of the imaginary line which will one day run down the wall of the Iraq War Memorial? I don't have an answer. But regardless of the line, I hope all Americans respect and honor the bravery and sacrifice of our young men and women serving, fighting, and dying around the world today and every day.
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Sometimes the public can’t and shouldn’t wait for our government to do what is right… Please see the following:
In The Heartland Of America
A New Memorial Is Dedicated
On The Banks Of The Illinois River
Exit 97 off I80
On June 19th, 2004, with little fanfare from the public or press, but with great love and dedication from the participants and organizers, an amazing event took place. A granite memorial wall commemorating the soldiers who have died in Middle East conflicts was transported 65 miles from Summit to Marseilles, Illinois with an honor guard of over 12,000 motorcycles. This outpouring of respect and gratitude filled the highway, two motorcycles deep, from horizon to horizon for over 50 minutes. People waved, cried and waved flags from overpasses and bridges and the noise of the engines became a thunderous reminder of the soldiers who have served, fought and died in the Middle East.
This was the second Freedom Run. The wall is 50 feet long and 6 feet high and sadly, has inscribed the names of approximately 3,500 soldiers who have been killed in the line of duty. It stands at 200 Riverfront Drive, Marseilles, Illinois, honoring soldiers from all conflicts from 1980 forward, including: Operation Desert One, the Lebanon Barracks Bombing, Operation Desert Shield/Storm, the USS Cole, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since its dedication on June 19th, many more Soldiers have been added to the memorial. Sadly each week this number grows.
The wall was conceived by Illinois Motorcycle Freedom Run founders, Tony Cutrano and Jerry Cooch, and built by volunteers who generously donated their time, energy, and money to honor the fallen soldiers of the conflicts in the Middle East. The memorial is the only one of its kind in the United States and will provide a lasting place of honor for the soldiers remembered here and a source of comfort for the families of these brave men and women.
In the words of our Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn ” THIS IS HALLOWED GROUND”
Information on this memorial can be found at http://www.ilfreedomrun.org/
http://www.ilfreedomrun.org/casualties/index.html lists the names currently on and that will be added to the wall