GUEST OPINION by Nicholas R. Loveless
On the shores of the Delaware River in Salem County rest the remains of over 2,500 Confederate prisoners of war. The Finn’s point National Cemetery was dedicated in 1875 in honor of Confederate dead buried in unmarked graves during the Civil War.
On the grounds of the cemetery are a number of plaques with words that pay silent tribute to those interred. We cannot be certain when they were placed nor by whom, but the words are taken from a poem by Theodore O’Hara, “The Bivouac of the Dead.” They well describe the final resting places of soldiers everywhere:
The muffled drum’s sad roll has beat
The soldier’s last tattoo;
No more on lifes parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few.
On fame’s eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And Glory guards, with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead.
As Memorial Day 2000 approaches and the bright red, white and blue flags sparkle in the breeze over the graves of veterans in cemeteries everywhere, let us take time out of the daily race and dwell on the real meaning of Memorial Day.
There are some that associate the day with guns, war, death and destruction. While it may be difficult to separate those feelings from the occasion, it is the memory of our fathers, sons, brothers, friends and neighbors that we honor for their service to the country.
There is no glory in war, it is too horrible, and veterans most of all hate war. Ask any combat veteran. The decision to use military force whether it be a declared war or a “police action” lies solely with the political leaders — those we elect to hold public office in these United States.
The role of veterans organization, and hopefully the general public, is not to glorify or encourage war, but to support the men and women that serve the country’s bidding, even if we disagree or oppose the philosophy of the nation’s leaders. The bitterness and hostility that our troops returning from Vietnam were subjected to may never be forgotten.
American servicemen and women have given up their lives in combat for over 200 years — 4,435 in the American Revolution, 140,415 Union troops alone in the Civil War, 53,513 in World War I, 292,131 in World War II, 33,667 in Korea, and 47,393 in Vietnam. At least twice that many died of other war-related causes. The saddest of all are the missing in action, who have been deprived of an identifiable grave.
On the long Memorial Day weekend, let us enjoy our parties, picnics and family get-togethers, but also let us display the American flag and take time out of our busy activities, and in our own way, honor and pay tribute not only those that were lost in the wars, but to all our veterans that have since answered the final call.
Nicholas R. Loveless is chairman of the Lawrence Township Veterans Memorial Committee.