I plan to participate in various ceremonies here in the DC area honoring veterans, one of which will be held at the Arlington National Cemetery in honor of our fallen heroes. Last year, while participating in this "mission," I discovered that there must be something in this area that I'm allergic to as my eyes seemed to water a lot and I kept getting choked up. But then the same thing happened all the way across the country too, so I don't know exactly what the allergy is.
Well, that's just my way of saying what an emotional trip this is and I can, in a very small way, relate to the Army nurse's question in WW2. There are many sad occasions during the ceremonies I attended last year and expect to attend this year, but one thing that also makes me sad is what this day has become for many people in this country. Ever since our good old Congress moved Memorial Day from the 30th of May to the last Monday in May, it's become just another 3-day weekend party occasion.
I'll give you one sample of one of the many occasions in which I suffered from my "allergy" last year. Some friends and I attended the Friday night ceremony at the Vietnam Wall and it in itself is very emotional. But after the ceremony ended and I was walking out I stopped for a moment and 4 little girls about 14-15 years old came up to me. They were all crying and one of them asked me if I was a veteran, to which I replied, "Yes." Each one of the then hugged me, said, "Thank you" and went on down the sidewalk, still crying. I cried with them.
One of the things that I fault most of our news media about is their propensity to report only the "bad" things that happen regarding our military men & women. I'm going take this opportunity to do what little I can to "report" something "good." Some of you may be aware of this ceremony, but I would guess that most of you are not as it doesn't seem to be worthy of most of our media's efforts. I'd just like you to know about it so I'm going to provide you with a description of this ceremony, written in the words of Lt. Col. Robert Bateman.
"It is 110 yards from the "E" ring to the "A" ring of the Pentagon. The hallway is wide, clean and brightly lit. The entire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all crammed three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands here.
This hallway is considered the 'Army' hallway as various Army departments line either side. Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz. Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air conditioning system was not designed for the press of bodies in this area. The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares.
At 10:26 hours the clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of the five rings of the Pentagon and is closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is low, sustained, hearty. It is applause with a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the hallway.
A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still suppurating. By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a private first class.
Captains, majors, lieutenant colones and colonels meet his gaze and nod as they applaud, soldier to soldier. Almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair, also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the sentiment. We've all been there. The soldier's chair is pushed by a full Colonel.
Behind him and stretching the length from Rings E to A, come more of his peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field grade officer. 11:00 hours: twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. My hands hurt. Please! Shut up and clap. For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down this hallway - 20, 25, 30.... Fifty-three legs come with them, and perhaps only 62 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts.
They pass down this corridor of officers and applause and then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the generals. Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their chairs to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway, through this most unique audience.
There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her 19 year old husband's wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by this. The boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given on their son's behalf.
No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in the past. These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers and we welcome them home. This parade has gone on every Friday, all year long, for more than four years."
In closing, I think that all of us agree that the sacrifices of our veterans are worthy of honor. However, there is One who is most worthy of all our praise and honor and that is Jesus Christ. We sometimes sing a song in worship having these words in it: "Worthy of praise is Christ our Redeemer. Worthy of wisdom, glory and power." Do you know that these words are being sung in heaven by the angels? Yes, they are....
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches,
and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory and blessing."
Rev. 5:12
Ron Covey
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