We attended the Memorial Day ceremony at Bayboro this morning.
It is always a rewarding experience to talk to older veterans. But I have noticed some developments in recent years worth pondering.
The first thing that stands out is the age of attendees. They tend to be older and older each year. As if the whole enterprise of recognizing and remembering veterans has less and less connection to our youth.
In a way, that's not surprising. There was a time when we were all in this together. Seventy years ago, war and rumors of war affected the entire population.
Now fewer and fewer people are involved in the sacrifices and inconveniences of war.
On the one hand, that's a good thing. Fewer casualties.
On the other hand, military service has long since ceased to be a shared experience - a common effort for the good of the nation. There would be benefits in recapturing the idea of common effort for the common good.
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