Do you know why we observe Memorial Day? Maybe you are like little Alex at the church building. One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed Alex staring up at the large plaque that hung in the church’s foyer. It was a memorial: covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side.
The seven-year-old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor approached, stood beside the boy, and quietly said, “Good morning, Alex.”
“Good morning, Pastor,” replied the young man, still focused on the plaque.
“Pastor McGhee, what is this?” Alex asked.
“Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the men and women who have died in the service.”
Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque. Little Alex’s voice was barely audible when he asked, “Which one…the 9:00 AM or the l0:30 service?”
It is easy to miss the meaning of a Memorial.
We name buildings and structures “Memorial” in honor of the dead. Growing up in Winnsboro, Texas, I was like Alex. I attended Memorial Junior High School. I was an adult when I discovered that my junior high school received its name for a specific purpose. It was to commemorate the deaths of those young men from Winnsboro who died in “The Great War”—World War One. Many of the buildings you hear about with the name “Memorial” were named in memory of those who died in that great war.
World War One has become, for many, the forgotten war. This weekend, we commemorate Memorial Day to remember all those who died in defense of our country, including the Great War.
World War I was supposed to be the war to end all wars. It did not.
Europe and the U.S. were very optimistic about what humanity could achieve in the years preceding the war. The Great War destroyed this illusion.
World War I produced moving poetry. To me, the most haunting poem of that era was an anonymous one. Someone inscribed it on a modest headstone of the grave of one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, Hobey Baker.
Hobey Baker was a Princeton graduate. He is the only athlete ever elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame. His hockey records lasted for decades. Today, college hockey’s equal of the Heisman Trophy is called The Hobey Baker Award.
Baker volunteered to serve in World War I. He was one of the first to fly an airplane in war. Tragically, Hobey crashed to his death in Toul, France. He left behind many grieving family members, friends, and fans. We do not know who the author was, but this is the poem written on Hobey Baker’s tombstone:
YOU SEEMED WINGED, EVEN AS A LAD,
WITH THAT SWIFT LOOK OF THOSE WHO KNOW THE SKY,
IT WAS NO BLUNDERING FATE THAT STOOPED AND BADE
YOU BREAK YOUR WINGS, AND FALL TO EARTH AND DIE,
I THINK SOME DAY YOU MAY HAVE FLOWN TOO HIGH,
SO THAT IMMORTALS SAW YOU AND WERE GLAD,
WATCHING THE BEAUTY OF YOUR SPIRITS FLAME,
UNTIL THEY LOVED AND CALLED YOU, AND YOU CAME.
Extraordinary. Such is the power of poetry dedicated to helping humanity remember those lost in The Great War.
This Memorial Day, take time to remember those who lost their lives over the past 200 years for our freedom. They experienced death so that we could enjoy life.
You can purchase Mark’s new book Holy Chaos How To Walk with God in a Frenzied World here: