Every year since 2008, the Rotary Club of Westerville, Ohio has held an event commemorating the heroes of the United States of America. It is called the Field of Heroes. Over 3,000 flags are planted in parallel lines of a city park opposite the Westerville Recreation Center. It is truly a sight to behold. Every person has the opportunity to buy a flag and dedicate it to their hero. Many dedicate it to past and present veterans, some dedicate it to firefighters and police officers, while others dedicate to a youth pastor, teacher, or a volunteer who has dedicated their lives to bettering the community in which they reside. People, young and old, stream in and out of the park observing the flags and taking in the sounds of a military brass band. A person cannot leave this park without the feeling of patriotism stirring inside of them. As I walked among the flags reading the papers fastened to them bearing the name to whom each flag my eyes began to swell up with tears. There was a flag dedicated to a Korean War Veteran who was killed in action, another was dedicated to a couple's son who had just joined the Navy, still another was dedicated to a World War II veteran buried at Arlington. A cold reminder of the price many people have paid so that I can worship how I want, live how I want, vote how I want, and say what I want.
In America, we are truly shielded from the sights of war. No tanks drive up and down our streets searching for enemies, no echoes of machine guns and bombs ring in our ears, no fear of stepping in a land mine or IED haunt our daily moves. We are truly blessed in fact we just might be too blessed. It seems the majority of the country has lost sight of just what is the cost of freedom. Sure I don't like war as much as the next person but in order for true freedom and independence to exist, we must take action against those who seek to destroy it, internal or otherwise. Memorial Day exists as an honor to our troops living and dead. The first half of the day is for the dead, the second half of the day is for those that are living. If you ask any American what they most look forward to on Memorial Day, it would be cook-outs and 3 day weekends. Patriotism is a dying art in America. Society tells us that being an American is intolerant and no longer something to be proud of. Instead of using our freedoms wisely, that so many men have died for, we use our freedom to destroy it. How would our Founding Fathers feel? The men who risked everything: lives, family, home, and money, for freedom and independence. Back then, they were proud to be Americans. Being American to them meant something then waving a flag and singing a half-hearted verse of the Star-Spangled Banner. It meant that they would give everything for the good of the country. Our Founding Fathers and the many veterans throughout the years gave their lives not just so their families and they themselves could be free but so that we all could be free. So that all Americans could walk up to the front steps of the White House and say whatever they wanted to, offensive or otherwise. So that any person could attend any church and be a part of any faith without fear of arrest or persecution. So that any parent could watch their children play in the backyard without the fear of the government coming and taking them away. So many times in our society, we are encouraged to do things for ourselves, to be what we want to be, to stand up for ourselves. These things in moderation are not bad yet we have become such a selfish society that we have forgotten the big picture. How can we ask a soldier to die for us and for our freedoms when we are not willing to do so ourselves? Being an American does not mean being stubborn and rebellious against the rest of the world. It means being free and independent to think as we should think and to act as we should act.
As a society, we have not forgotten our soldiers as much as we have ceased to remember them. We think we do our duty by putting our flags out in the yard and posting a patriotic picture on Facebook but that is not enough. That is not patriotism, it is laziness. You might be thinking I'm being too harsh but my great-uncles who were veterans of World War II did not fight the battles of war in vain. They need someone to stand beside them, all veterans do. We need to get back to the days after September 11th and the Boston Bombing in which for a brief moment it wasn't wrong to be an American. We were proud of our firefighters and police officers. We were proud of our soldiers going overseas to fight the enemy. Why can't this swelling of patriotism be normal? We must do something for our veterans. We must find a way to help them for they have given us a gift so great that no monetary value can be place upon it. We must be proud to be an American. We must remember them after Memorial Day. Patriotism is a lot more than just waving a flag, it's being proud of who you are and what your country has done for you.
Christa
