Memorial Day

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 48.15 – Garden of Broken Dreams
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a Civil War battlefield
Easy Bonus: Mention a tombstone

My great grandfather fought in the Civil War

Gettysburg, perhaps? I’m not really sure.

My grandfather fought in WWI

My father was a veteran of WWII and the Korean War

My brother was a Marine officer and saw action in Grenada

My family was lucky. No one died in the line of duty.

My father broke his leg in a parachute jump

Landed in a tree while being shot at

Carried shrapnel in his leg all through life

He didn’t really speak of his war experiences

My mom said he had nightmares for years

A garden of broken dreams

Today is Memorial Day

A day to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice

A tombstone for our freedom

Hollywood used to glamorize war

John Wayne!

Ernest Borgnine!

Robert Mitchum!

From Here To Eternity!

The Green Berets!

Steven Spielberg changed the narrative

Saving Private Ryan

Sickeningly real

I could understand why my dad had nightmares

War. Is. Hell.

Too many young men and women have been taken down in the prime of life

Sometimes for nothing more than the pride of arrogant, powerful men

May we always remember the sacrifices made to ensure our freedom

“Some prices are so high, they’re only paid in blood/An empty helmet in the snow or still boots in the mud/And to the ones who gave their lives, we’ll always be in debt/But people fail to remember/People tend to forget” –

Ron Salsbury, “People Tend To Forget”