Memorial Day Tribute

Whereas Veterans Day in November recognizes all who have served in the Armed Forces, this Memorial Day holiday honors those who have died serving in the military, giving the ultimate sacrifice for country. The very least I can do, as someone with a platform and voice on social media, is to use it to pay my tribute. 

 

Hailing from my home state of New Jersey, one of the most overlooked war heroes who died at the Battle of Iwo Jima is John Basilone, of the Marines. Basilone's story is unique in many respects, and I encourage everyone to watch HBO's The Pacific miniseries (the follow-up to their iconic, Band of Brothers).

 

The Pacific features John Seda (not to be confused with John Cena) giving a brilliant performance as Basilone. 

 

Before he perished on Iwo Jima, Basilone's performance earlier in the Pacific theatre on the night of October 24, 1942, in the jungles of Guadalcanal (one of the hundreds of islands that comprise the Solomon Islands) is arguably as heroic as any battlefield performance in the history of America--And that is not hyperbole. 

Another point worth mentioning on this Memorial Day is that the freedom of expression to disagree with some of the wars we have entered is one of the perks which many do not enjoy in other parts of the world, thereby reinforcing our republic. That may not always be the case, of course. But it remains so on this day, and we should be grateful for that. Mind you, the notion that every single war we fight is just and necessary actually stands at odds with George Washington's concept of no foreign entanglements. That was a long time ago and a different world, many would counter.

 

But whichever side of the debate you come out, we ought to be remembering those who gave up all of their tomorrows for us to have this day.