Monuments

Monuments erected by man

Ineptly depicting one moment in time

Giving historical facts and information

In concise prose.

Attempt to honor death by

Preserving blood stained ground.

Structures of metal, rock or stone

Brussels’ Lion standing watch over fields

Where Wellington gave Napoleon his waterloo

America’s Tomb for the Unknown’s

Rises from the mists of the Nation’s Cemetery

London’s Trafalgar’s Square

Encroached by daily traffic

Berlin’s Brandenburg Gates and Paris’ Arc of Triumph

To the City and Glories past

Belgium’s roll call of power etched in time

Guarded by rusting relics of mechanized war

Monuments are sculptured material of man’s making

To glorify death, blood and of his heart’s breaking.

SJ Riggle

February 23, 2002

I am at home this Memorial Day weekend where freedom is suppose to be honored by all who live in this land. As a Viet Nam veteran, I am the last of my family that served our country with honor; my father served in WWII with General Patton as he swept through Europe. My Grandfather served during WWI and my mother's Grandfather was a mule skinner. I have two sons who decided not to join the military and I have supported their choice.

I support what our brave men and women are doing around the world, but I cringe as every name of those who have fallen during the past week are read aloud and prayed for during our Sunday's worship services. They are doing what they do for God and Country because they have chosen to stand up for us; and bravely following the orders from higher command.

Let our memories of our brave veterans be of their lives lived and not of our hurt and tears of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us back home. Let the memories of those who served be visible in the next generation and not etched in metal or stone on some monument in the center of town.