A burden shared is a burden lightened.
2023-05-29
Dear friend,
A burden shared is a burden lightened.
When we share joy, we enlighten one another.
As we honor on this last Monday of May the brave who gave their lives for our nation, what comes to my mind is that every man and woman lost on the battlefield left behind friends.
That is hard for those left behind. When a friend is lost in a good cause, we can be proud of them. And yet, it is a grievous loss of a fellow traveler. Someone who gets you, because they were with you. Someone with whom you've shared ups, and you've shared downs.
A long time ago I adopted the belief that while there is such a thing as "travel hell," even in travel hell there are always angels -- if you look for them. Throughout life I have found it true. I also found that those angels who were there with me in a moment of survival are forever seared upon my memory. Some also become lifelong friends -- until the final parting.
As a person who knows wartime only through hearing stories and books and movies, I stand in awe of my fellow Americans who have gone forth as warriors and how you have fought for each other and for us back home. Today I stand in honor of those who have perished.
***
Governor Phil Scott issued this statement to commemorate Memorial Day:
“Today, we pay tribute to, honor and remember the brave men and woman who gave their lives defending our nation and the values it represents. The ultimate mark of a hero is one who is willing to put themselves on the line in service of others and a cause that is greater than themselves.
“Members of our Armed Forces who died in service of the United States, its people, and the values we share can never be forgotten. We, and hundreds of millions of people across the globe, live in freedom today thanks to their service and sacrifice. It’s important we don’t forget how they lived, as well as how they died. And while we honor them today on Memorial Day, we are grateful for them each and every day.”
What does the term "bathed in glory" mean? I think it is this kind of action. In honoring the sacrifice of the fallen, we pour love into the wound felt by the family. In bathing those who died in our love, we bath the families and the communities that support all our veterans and those serving today.
There are a number of things I disagree with Gov. Scott on, like his veto Saturday of the State budget.
However, as the Captain General and Commander in Chief of the Vermont National Guard and Vermont Military Department, I support Gov. Scott and relay his message.
Organizational chart of the Vermont National Guard & Vermont Military Department
As we honor and love those who died while serving, we also send an important message to all those past and currently deployed, and to future generations.
That message is -- we are grateful for you, and we will be there for you.
P.S. I received a email today from Rep. Seth Chase, with the subject line "a veterans thoughts on memorial day." I asked Rep. Chase if I could share it with you. He said I could:
memorial day is often a sensitive topic.
memorial day is a US federal day of mourning for U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States armed forces. I believe most of us could agree that this also includes personnel who have died as a result of PTSD and other injuries, even after they got home.
Veteran's Day honors all who served in the military, and Armed Forces Day honors all who currently serve, so many service members take it personally when someone thanks them on a day meant for the fallen.
so, my humble request and invitation to my fellow veterans: accept when someone says "Happy memorial day!" as an indication of our success and victory.
While WE view memorial day as a somber occasion, my brothers and sisters ... OUR brothers and sisters ... did not lay down their lives for people to sit and remember them with grief, for their friends and family to sit and be mopey, morose, sad sacks at their absence ... they did not wish to be any further burden on their loved ones; they gave their lives that others may not just survive, but live!
I would be willing to bet that, to a soldier or sailor or airman, they wrote the ultimate check so that those of us that remain can pursue the american dream ... the HUMAN dream ... and live on, on their behalf.
So, do not despair, and do not dismay when someone thanks a living veteran this memorial day; because every person that forgets the sacrifice, every person that remains blissfully unaware of the nuance and detail of the passing of our brethren, is an indication that we have done our jobs and allowed them to remain sheltered.
So have a bbq, have a long weekend, love those around you, and live a life that would make them proud! Raise a burger, raise a glass, and roar a toast, such that those in Valhalla may hear, "To those not present!" and work to make a better world, in spite of our grief, on their behalf.
-Rep. Seth Chase of Colchester