Opinions

Remember all, forget none this Memorial Day in Alaska

Memorial Day 2015 is a day for reflection and remembrance of the sacrifices given by our military service members and their families. Memorial Day was officially recognized in 1882 after being previously proclaimed Decoration Day by Gen. John Logan in 1868. In 2015, we continue to acknowledge the service of our military by reflecting on the same values that have been shared for the 150 years since the end of the Civil War: duty, honor, country.

The true meaning of Memorial Day becomes, at times, distant or vague and there is a failure to recognize the magnitude of the deeds and sacrifices of our servicemen and women. Memorial Day for me is a day for reconciliation, a day I gather with my fellow warriors to come together to honor those who have sacrificed in service of this great nation. It is our duty as veterans to honor the generations of service members who have paid the ultimate price of freedom.

This past Veterans Day I attended a dedication ceremony at Bellows Beach in Hawaii honoring the World War II combat swimmers of the Navy's Underwater Demolition Teams. This young group of "frogman" paved the way for what was to become today's Navy SEAL. They swam unarmed onto heavily defended enemy beaches with explosives to clear the way for amphibious landings. A generation to be honored for their sacrifice and dedication to duty.

I share a moment of reflection from 1970 referred to in our community as "The Last Man Standing." SEAL Team One, X-Ray Platoon suffered more casualties than any other single UDT/SEAL platoon operating during the Vietnam War. Within a few months of arriving in country, more than half of X-Ray's original members were killed in action, and the rest were wounded in action at least twice. Even their replacements, and their replacements' replacements, were wounded in action before the seemingly cursed six month tour reached its bloody end. Out of respect for the fallen (lore claims superstition), "X-Ray" was retired as a platoon designation much in the same way that a pro athlete's uniform number is retired and relegated to the history books or Hall of Fame. I honor the sacrifices of X-Ray Platoon this Memorial Day, along with the more than 58,000 valued souls of my generation who made the greatest of sacrifices for their country.

In the world of Special Operations, the norm for a successful operation is not public adulation or recognition. However, there is a price that Americans pay for successful Special Operation missions, a price that isn't advertised or highly publicized. In August 2011, the Naval Special Warfare community suffered its greatest combat loss when 22 men died while conducting critical Special Operations in Afghanistan. Fifty-seven Navy SEALs have been killed in action since 9/11. These extraordinary men dedicated themselves completely to the highest ideals of freedom and security. When we add these warriors to the nearly 7,000 lives lost fighting the War on Terror over the past 14 years, it becomes a soul-searing measure of the sacrifice given. It is our obligation as Americans to support and honor these brave service members who have given the ultimate call to duty.

A generation of warriors have stood proud since the early days of America's Revolution. Frank Buckles served his country during World War I and his generation lost more than 100,000. Frank Buckles died February 2011 at 110 years old and was buried with honors at Arlington. He was the last living veteran of his generation. A generation of soldiers is now gone. The "Greatest Generation," which lost more than 400,000 in World War II, are now dying at a rate of nearly 500 per day, and it is estimated that there will be no more living WWII veterans by 2036. A time line worthy of remembrance.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft bombed Pearl Harbor. They hit, among other targets, the USS Arizona, which exploded and sank. The attack killed 1,177 of the battleship's 1,511-member crew. The USS Arizona Memorial, part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, was dedicated in 1962 to those who died in the attack, including the more than 1,000 crew members whose remains were not recovered from the ship. The average age of the crew members on the USS Arizona at the time of the attack was 19 years old.

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A unique tradition ended this past Dec. 7, when the last official reunion was held for survivors of the 1941 attack on the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor. Seven of the nine remaining survivors returned to Hawaii for the last reunion ceremony at the USS Arizona Memorial. This reunion marked their final gathering because traveling to Hawaii and participating in the ceremony has become too difficult for the remaining survivors, who are all in their mid-90s. The ceremony at the memorial, built over the submerged wreckage of the USS Arizona, included a "final pour" of champagne for the survivors in glasses recovered from the ship. The survivors also poured champagne into the ocean in tribute to their shipmates who perished in the attack 73 years ago.

Noted in an article from The Greatest Generation Foundation, "Pearl Harbor Survivor Larry Perry made his first return to the USS Arizona for the first time in 73 years. In a moment of reflection with rose petals in hand and the recent loss of his wife weighing heavy in his heart, Larry was overcome with vivid memories of that December day in 1941 as though it was yesterday. With a salute and a prayer, the petals were swept away by the wind, leaving all in witness sobbing as a united unit." A powerful tribute never to be forgotten.

Let us not forget. Korea has become known as the "Forgotten War," though it lasted three years and cost more than 36,000 lives. We need to reflect on those 36,000 brave soldiers and let them not be forgotten.

Memorial Day needs to be valued as a reminder to pause for a moment of remembrance and respect, not so much for picnics and social gatherings, but rather a time to honor every patriot of every generation who has "given all" for the freedoms we so cherish.

Laddie Shaw is a veteran of the Vietnam War, a former member of Underwater Demolition Team 13/SEAL Team One and former Alaska director for Veterans' Affairs. He lives in Anchorage.

The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.

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