March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Remember the veterans

The remains — a few bone and tooth fragments mostly — of seven servicemen missing since the Vietnam War were packed aboard a transport plane last week and flown back to the United States.

The story about the somber ceremony at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport was buried deep inside newspapers, if it was there at all. The pictures of seven boxes draped in seven American flags did not make the nightly news. The sound of taps played by a U.S. Army bugler was not heard beyond the tarmac.

Seven unknown soldiers coming home, an anonymous vanguard for the 1,600 still missing in Southeast Asia.

And yet, on this most solemn of holidays, the seven are even more than that — they are a poignant reminder of the sacrifice our men and women in uniform have made for the cause of freedom and a sad example of the apathy we in our comfortable civilian clothes afford them after the shooting stops.

Maine has a long, illustrious record of making that sacrifice, from Chamberlain’s heroes at Gettysburg, through both world wars, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War to Somalia, where Master Sgt. Gary Gordon of Lincoln gave his life to save four comrades just a few years ago.

Today, members of the Maine National Guard are in Bosnia, helping to rebuild a country shattered by cruelty and stupidity.

No doubt, they would rather have the day off. They would rather be home, grilling burgers, playing softball, making that first trip of summer to the beach. Instead, they serve.

As you enjoy your holiday, spare a moment to honor the dead. Take some flowers to a nearby cemetery. If you watch a parade, salute the flag as it passes. When the national anthem plays, sing out.

Take a momemt too to honor the living. Our World War I veterans have all but faded away. Those from World War II are passing in sadly increasing numbers, those from later conflicts are too often ignored. If you know a veteran, thank him, thank her, listen to their stories, absorb the living history.

Even with the marvels of modern forensic science, we may never learn the identities of the seven in those small, flag-draped boxes. Seven families may never experience the bittersweet relief of knowing their sons, brothers, husbands are home. We may not know their names, but we need not forget them.


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