Is there anything more subdued than the atmosphere on Memorial Day weekend? Lots of the usual local faces are not to be seen. So many people get away, like to "the lake." Is having a lake place really such a desirable thing anymore? Isn't it enough to maintain one residence?
My old friend the late Donnie Eich said he just wasn't a lake person. I agreed. In Morris we have Crissy Lake (the Pomme de Terre reservior) but it's not suitable for water recreation. Quite a drawback, even though lots of folks like to camp out there.
We're getting into that time of year now. First we mark Memorial Day. It's Sunday as I write this so we're looking at tomorrow. Shortly I'll be placing some silk flowers out at the family plot at Summit Cemetery. It's a black bench in the new portion. Feel free to have a seat there anytime. Would warm my heart to know people were doing this.
We are separated in time ever more from the American triumph in World War II. Such sacrifice was called for, abroad and here at home. America did its part to help stop tyranny. We may not appreciate enough the role of Russia. Oliver Stone has been trying to emphasize this in recent years. Of course Russia became our adversary after WWII.
You can say "Russia" or "Soviet Union."
You can research WWII and be stunned at the intensity of the conflict in the eastern front. The D-Day invasion was drawn up partly to relieve pressure on the Russian forces. The new front would open up on the western side, thus diffusing German efforts. There's lots of credit to go around. Still it was profoundly sad that our sinful human nature dragged humanity down to where the violence and death were a price needing to be paid.
As the years pass now, we have emotional distance. The WWII dead are less likely to be people that we knew. We praise their bravery of course. However, don't you think the young men were just as scared as we would be? It's nice to talk about "the greatest generation." But don't you think they really had no choice? And I'm sure the efforts to avoid the draft and avoid combat were more than we'd likely suspect.
We laud those who "did their duty." And that's what we hear about every year on Memorial Day.
Are holidays like Memorial Day and Veterans Day going to have staying power? Or are they fading some? 
Not that any of us could "forget" what our young men did in the 1940s to resist tyranny. Some say we risk falling into tyranny right now in America with the rise of a certain political faction. I won't specify 'cause it would offend the usual crowd. Can't or shouldn't discuss politics with them. And that's part of the problem.
We had a U.S. Senate candidate in Minnesota, Royce White, who has said "the bad guys won World War II." Well, not good form. Maybe the day will come when people like him start winning elections. What can I do? "Mongo just pawn in game of life."
But I'll visit the family plot at Summit Cemetery and maybe enjoy the company of other Summit Cemetery visitors on this most active weekend of the year at the cemetery. Nice to go out of one's way and view the Sam Smith statue. That's a reminder of the U.S. Civil War, way back in time of course. Morris was not even founded as a community until 1871. I was a participant in the 1971 Centennial. I was a musician.
Serving Uncle Sam at sea
This morning I fetched an old yellowed press clipping that had Dad's name in the headline. The headline reads "Ralph Williams heads Naval gun crew." The dateline has "New Orleans."
Then we get into the article: "Ensign Ralph E. Williams, USNR, son of Mrs. Carrie Williams of Glenwood, has reported for duty at the New Orleans Armed Guard Center, according to word received from Eighth Naval District Headquarters, today. He awaits assignment as commanding officer of the naval gun crew on a merchant ship and will be charged with the defense of the vessel in case of attack."
So there Dad was on the brink. He left his music teaching job at Brainerd High School where he'd spent one academic year, 1941-42. Mom happened to be a native of Brainerd. "Happened" does not mean to suggest coincidence!
Dad visited the mainland of Japan soon after the end of hostilities. He always mentioned how humbled the Japanese people behaved. Tokyo was ravaged by fire-bombing. The atomic bomb took care of Japan resistance. It took two? Well the "Japs" were awfully resolved until they were bombed to oblivion.
Today we seek harmony with our Asian friends. That's why I'm troubled some by the Memorial Day and Veterans Day events. Yes, America did what it had to do, back in that distant time. But it gets more distant all the time. I get concerned that the tenor of speeches for these holidays can encourage jingoism. Maybe encourage more forward-thinking themes. World War II will always be well-preserved in historical annals. But it was truly hell on Earth, all of it. Only done by necessity.
When the Japanese pilots from Pearl Harbor finally got a chance to join anniversary events, a spokesman stated "we were just young men doing what our government asked us to do." A truism of wartime, right? The propaganda of war too.
There's a nice American flag next to the Williams monument this Memorial Day weekend. Maybe the simple flag is the best way to commemorate. That and silent reflection.
Dad was a survivor. Think of the rolls of servicemen who did not come home. Europe, the Pacific, such a vast tragedy. Dad was out there on the water. He was one of the lucky survivors. And he surely did his duty. RIP Ralph Williams. He was founder of the UMN-Morris music department.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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