31 May 2010 Memorial Day, reason forgotten

31 May 2010 Memorial Day, reason forgotten


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/30/AR2010053003298.html

This Memorial Day, honoring a military that's in isolation



By E.J. Dionne Jr.

Monday, May 31, 2010

“The largest contrast in the social impact of war is between our time and the World War II era. In his superb book about the home front, "Days of Sadness, Years of Triumph," historian Geoffrey Perrett argues that the Second World War produced "the closest thing to a real social revolution" that the country experienced in the 20th century.

That war sharply reduced "barriers to social and economic equality which had stood for decades." It was a time when "a genuine middle-class nation came into existence"; when "access to higher education became genuinely democratic for the first time"; when "the modern civil rights movement began"; and when "the only basic redistribution of national income in American history occurred."

World War II and those who fought it were widely remembered because the conflict itself as well as its vast side effects insinuated themselves into everyone's lives. The Civil War was etched in our memory for the same reason: It was the 19th century's great social revolution. “



Dionne’s column presents a view of the military not often recognized. It’s worth reading.

The loss of the shared experience of national service, particularly military service, makes it all too easy to forget the reason for the holiday. The middle class, boosted by WWII service, opted out of military service in VietNam, and in doing so lost contact with those who serve. I’ve heard, all too many times, that the armed forces are for the poor and illiterate. That the all volunteer army is made up of the lower economic strata of our nation is relatively true. That is made up of illiterates is no more true than any cross section of our populace in that age range. Literacy is declining independently of economic status.

I’ve made my comments about a holiday that ignores the reason for the holiday. It’s nice to see someone else take up the banner and wave it.

To my comrades –in-arms, from then to now, safe return.