Memorial Day Thoughts

We honor our veterans because every day they put their lives on the line to protect our country; to preserve the freedom of this great land. Without question, without hesitation, these brave people come forth every day to help defend the 350 million people

Not many people would withstand having to go off to war knowing their life was on the line. There is much respect and gratitude inclined towards those who did and sacrificed everything they had. Our cordially veterans - the ones who fought and endured the bestial wars, the ones who knew they could fall at any moment, the ones who, despite the horror and fear

This emotionally-powerful idea snags the attention of the reader and reiterates the theme that soldiers confront several obstacles. Once more, Alexander communicates, “In practice, November 11 is clouded with ambiguous symbolism, and has become our most awkward holiday.” This quote exposes the uncomfortable situations that a plethora of veterans find themselves in. The very holidays meant to honor these soldiers has suffocated them with the question, “Why come back alive when you could have died a hero?” By explaining the social pressures soldiers face, the author restated her claims of the adversity soldiers find themselves in. While both of these articles use ample pathos, they also use logos to support their claim.

In If I die In a Combat Zone by Tim O’Brien, the author shows how the hatred of war can cause remorse and sadness through memories. He uses his experiences as a radio operator in Vietnam war to showcase the range of emotions he was feeling at the time. O’Brien shows this by using memories and his comrades to paint a picture on how the war in Vietnam affected him for the rest of his life. O’Brien shows how he felt about the war through memories. Even though he opposes the war he still finds himself unable to disconnect from it.

Preserving Memories Through Storytelling – “We kept the dead alive with stories. When Ted Lavender was shot in the head, the men talked about how they’d never seen him so mellow, how tranquil he was, how it wasn’t the bullet but the tranquilizers that blew his mind.”(226). The men in O’Brien’s platoon were young, innocent people. They had never dealt with such tragedy before, so when one of the members died

For the seventeen Soldiers portrayed in “The Things We Carried” by Tim O’Brien, the physical pain was very minimal weight to carry compared to the emotional scars that they will carry throughout their entire life. This story does an amazing job portraying full human emotion that anyone put into a situation would feel, such as heavy guilt, sadness, anger, lack of motivation, perseverance, horror, and false security. All of these are notorious feelings that every soldier back in history, and now still feel when they are on a mission. “The Things They carried” shows a deep vulnerability of everyday human’s thought process during times of great stress, that before, wasn’t considered by the general public and media when speaking about what it

Hundreds of bodies littered the ground. Sounds of explosions and endless gunfire filled the air. Soldiers, with their uniforms splashed in crimson, fought viciously and ruthlessly. Their main objective, which was to win the battle, took a backseat to their newfound desperation to stay alive. After all, war is not a game, especially one such as the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, and left its survivors haunted by a multitude of atrocious events. Terry Erickson’s father and George Robinson, who were two fictional characters from the short stories “Stop the Sun” and “Dear America”, respectively, were veterans of the Vietnam War. The differences and similarities between Terry’s father and George Robinson are striking, and they merit rigorous scrutiny.

June 8 of this summer in Normandy France, I had the privilege to pay my respects at the American Cemetery and memorial. It being two days since the memorial,the red poppies were still fresh adorned on the graves of men that marched on the beaches nearby 72 years ago. It was during this once in a lifetime opportunity that though I always believed myself to have a strong love for my country, for the first time I came to understand not only what it means to be American but my responsibility to America.

Christopher Kleinwachter, patriot and a devoted son, was on a military operation with the National Guard in the Afghan War when he was killed on November 29, 2006. His mother, Carmen, numb with grief over the death of her close son, began a journey that she never expected to have to make in life: a road that passed through anger, sadness, terrible depression and then forgiveness and peace. Her small volume of poetry, essays and prayers tell the story of Christopher, the military family who came to support her in her time of need, her forgiveness of a person contributory to the accident which killed her son, and the patriotism and service of her son and all who fight for our liberty in the armed forces. This volume is a praise of those who serve

Wars end, and soldiers return to their previous lives. There are some that never fully return home physically, but also mentally. Eager to leave the battlefields, they’ve left a piece of themselves during the process. As Boaz continually dreams about his 26 dogs, with General Dallaire’s sleepless nights, and the My Lai veterans returning to Vietnam, they suffer physiologically throughout the decade and try to find resolution by revisiting their past and confronting their demons.

The soldiers build, Hope for survival, They don't want to be killed, By their biggest rivals, Some will die, Others will live, Families will cry, Friends will give, Memorial Day, Celebrates those who left, They fought for our country, They tried their best, We will always look back, At what they have done, Their whole life they attacked,

Recently, a family in the area lost a son of theirs and the whole community came together and gave all the love and support they needed. This is a memory that I will always hold close to my heart; I’ll always remember him and how hard it must’ve been for the family. It made me step back and realize that I needed to prize the moments with my loved ones because they could be gone tomorrow. It is the devastating facts, it is the sad truth.

Robert R. , in his poem “The Following Are Some of the Feelings That Most Will Never Know”, explains his experience in the Iraq War and how he is affected by it emotionally and mentally. Robert mentions how the traumatizing events he went through in Iraq, are now many years later still causing him pain and suffering: “ The war is over for me/ I don't understand why I panic or break out into sweats/ or fits of anger” ( Robert 4-6). During day to day life , he is often reminded of the terrors he experienced in the Iraq War, and exemplifies symptoms such as fear and anxiety. These symptoms not only affect him, but also his how he acts towards his family. Robert describes it as “ dissociation”, due to the fact that he feels different and disconnected

Despite the various causes of emotional death, its impact is threatening to victims worldwide. Civil rights novels, mental health articles, domestic abuse memoirs, drug abuse photos, and suicide letters are variety of sources that further the understanding of mental conditions alongside emotional death. Furthermore, these genres allow an investigation of the minds of the internally dead, as well as the events surrounding their mental state. Since such an analysis steers away from traditional school-related notes and societal stereotypes, it proves that there are no restrictions on who emotional death can affect. It creates the concept of war in new dimensions and an entirely different perspective. Observing these conflicts allows society, especially those who have been shielded from war’s existence, a glimpse into the mind of a sufferer, while minimizing stereotypes of those who are killed emotionally in response to war situations.

Amen” It was on the 11th of June, on which the format of her prayer changed forever. She heard screaming and chaos, so normal she tuned it out. They carried him in and plopped down on the cold dry table, as she placed her gloves on, and walked into the room. She saw men she was familiar with, all with tears in their eyes. The one lesson she learned; you never become emotionally attached. However, it's very difficult to not become attached to your husband. He was well respected, honored, loved, everybody's best friend. The tears in his fellow soldier’s eyes were that of someone who just lost their everything. She looked up from her latex surrounded hands and laid her eyes on the man in front of her. She stood at the foot of his bed looking about his body, cold, lifeless. Walking closer to his head every step she took became heavier and slower. She looked up at him and came face-to-face with the love of her life; she went into action. She screamed at her nurses and push them with more force than she's ever used in her entire life, she is a very kind person, but seeing him lying there, her adrenaline took over and there was no stopping her. She placed her hands upon his strong chest and began pounding her palms into him. She counted with every pulse, and exhaled. The entire room was silent except for the sound of her breathing. She quickly stopped looked up to everyone in the room and said very calmly, “leave.” She commanded a room with just