Diner Wisdom: Soldier's Circle

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May 16, 2006

Soldier's Circle

Many thanks to John from www.OldChesterPa.com for the use of this Photo.

Soon it will be Memorial Day. I always become nostalgic at this time of year. As a child in the 1950's I recall that Memorial Day was the biggest holiday of the year. I lived in one of the row homes visible in the photo above. I could see Soldier's circle from my bedroom. On Memorial day there was a huge parade (High School bands, American Legion, VFW, Women's Auxillary, etc.) that culminated with a Military Gun Salute at the Soldier's Circle. Everyone attended and it was quite a spectacle for the youngsters in the neighborhood. Years later, my own father, and fathers of friends ...and then friends... were put to rest at this site. As the Vietnam War came along there was such devisiveness that the attendance dropped ... the honor changed .... the tradition subsided somewhat. This always troubled me.

I was very fortunate (and for years a little guilt-ridden) that I didn't end up in Nam as so many of my friends did. The devisiveness that existed then was often mis-directed at the soldiers as they returned to a completely different country than they had left. There doesn't seem to be the bitterness toward the soldiers from the protestors this time in an unpopular war ... but those of a certain age know well how easily that could happen. Hopefully it won't, and that is the point of this post. I hope that everyone can take the time this year on Memorial day to visit the local cemetery near them .. and thank a soldier .... they deserve it. And if by chance, you know a soldier... or run into a soldier .... look him or her in the eye ... and say thanks .... it really does mean something.

That said, here is a set of lyrics I wrote in 1987 as an attempt at reconciliation with my own feelings about wars that were accepted ... wars that were not ... but mostly about Soldiers published here for the first time. Thanks, guys and gals. Happy Memorial Day

Soldier’s Circle

I remember at ten years old

All the stories that the old men told

A celebration and a big parade

To honor men for a price they paid

And people would line up on the Avenue

As men from the VFW

Marched to Soldier’s Circle

Amidst the flowers and the tears

Not long after our time came

But it never really felt the same

The people never could agree

That the fight we had was for liberty

And when they sent the young men home

There was no parade they were left alone

To their own devices

They had no flowers, only tears

After eight long years gone by

And still no answer to the question … why?

These boys; they made their own parade

And built their own place in the shade

From everywhere the people came

And traced the wall for a lost friend’s name

No Soldier’s Circle

But they had the flowers and the tears

And now my father is resting there

Inside that circle where we learned to share

Mixed feelings that ripped us all apart

And damned near broke a country’s heart

And once a year I travel home

To that place and I stand, alone

In Soldier’s Circle

Amidst the flowers and the tears

08:57 PM in Honor the Soldiers | Permalink

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Would please provide a URL for this quote so I can send it to friends, or at least WSJ publication date, article title
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