The Things They Carried

Barnes & Noble Bookstores conveniently organize displays of ‘Summer Reading’ books for local high school students and I have made it a habit to browse those displays each year to see what books have been recommended to the young people as ‘must reads’ that I haven’t read as yet. That is how I found a novel entitled “The Things They Carried.”  Tim O’Brien authored this gripping story of a platoon of soldiers engaged in combat in Vietnam. The 58,272 names of men and women whose names are forever etched in the black marble of the Vietnam Wall represent a gaping hole in my own generation. The title of the book begins with a listing of the physical items that the soldiers carried in heavy packs on their backs as they foraged their way through jungle terrain, but later chronicles the emotional baggage that they carried long after the time they returned home. This baggage included all the horrific memories that visited their nightmares as well as the conflicted emotions of soldiers who returned home to a nation that hadn’t always honored their sacrifice. Some still carry the burden of addiction and PTSD that are the ongoing, invisible wounds of war. I cited a passage from this novel a year ago as I was privileged to offer the benediction at the dedication of a memorial to Robert William Topham, Jr. on Creek Street in Wrentham at the site of his boyhood home. Robert was the only son of Wrentham to sacrifice his life for his country in combat during the Vietnam War. He had served Mass as an altar boy at St. Mary Parish in his younger years.
 
My reflections returned to that book and to Bobby Topham as we commemorate Memorial Day 2018. We remember all who sacrificed their lives in the military service of our nation. We also need to remember, however, those who returned home as ‘wounded warriors’ bearing the physical, emotional and spiritual scars of war. They have sacrificed their lives as well. We will remember their devotion in civic celebrations that honor their lives, but maybe we need to personalize that remembrance by taking the time to pick up a book that invites us into a fuller appreciation of their sacrifice. I would like to propose two books for a ‘Memorial Day Reading List’ to help bring home the ultimate sacrifice of all American military men and women  right down to our own day in Afghanistan:
 
“Brothers Forever: The Enduring Bond between a Marine and a Navy Seal that Transcended Their Ultimate Sacrifice” chronicles the bond that was forged between two room-mates at Annapolis that held strong through their courageous service to their country and the tragic reunion of the mortal remains buried side-by-side at Arlington National Cemetery. The father of the fallen Marine, Tom Manion co-authored the book with Tom Sileo so that the book brings us right into the enduring sorrow of a family that lost their son and brother in the service of our country.  

The Unforgiving Moment: A Soldier’s Education” chronicles the journey of a West Point Cadet to his service as an officer entrusted with the command of a platoon in Afghanistan. Craig M. Mullaney narrates his own story and invites us into the commitment of a military officer to bring all his soldiers safely home and the enduring pain of an officer who is unable to do so despite his most courageous effort.

You might achieve a similar sense of the true meaning and import of Memorial Day by watching a movie such as Saving Private Ryan, but somehow reading a book invites us more fully into the experience of the narrative as it is filtered through our imaginations in a way that engages us more fully. Whatever you decide, please do something this Memorial Day that will deepen your awareness and appreciation of the supreme sacrifice that so many have offered for our nation over so many generations. Maybe a quiet visit to the monument to Robert Topham on Creek Street will provide a moment of authentic Memorial Day reflection and gratitude. May we live our lives in a manner that is worthy of their sacrifice. May we also remember in prayer those who stand ready to serve our country in places of peril this day.