Memorial Day at the Flightline

Kandahar, Afghanistan

This will likely be my most memorable Memorial Day.  There are no red and white checkered table cloths, no "it must be summer!" smell of charcoal burning, no bratwurst, hamburgers, or mom's German potato salad.  I am with my peers this morning, we are raising American flags one after the next.  Fifty today, many times more for July 4th.

Clip, clip, salute, hoist-hoist, lower, drop salute, repeat.

This tradition was started here last September 11th.  We take donations for American flags that are raised up the flag pole adjacent to the flightline.  It is more than a novelty to own an American flag that was flown in a war zone like Kandahar.  It reminds us of our brothers and sisters that have been here before us, and the ones who died here.  It is sobering.

We were pretty quiet as we raised and lowered the flags.  Every so often a jet would take off or fly by at low altitudes.  I could tell the jets were French Mirages.  I can tell now by their sound alone - I've been here long enough.  There was a huge New Jersey-like barrier between us and the flightline, but the flags were raised high enough to be seen by those on the other side.

I read today in our primary hard copy news source, the Stars and Stripes, that we have now had 1000 American deaths in Afghanistan.  While we folded the flags I pondered how many more would die here, how many more amputations, how many more broken and orphaned children.

I am unabashedly proud to be an American.  But I do look forward to a day when we can memorialize what happened many yesterdays ago.   I think it is only natural to question what exactly we are trying to accomplish out here.  And it is only natural to ponder whether the sacrifices being made here will be for a good and lasting cause.  We will remember, but what about the masses out there that seem to have less of an awareness of these sacrifices? Maybe I am too detached from 8000 miles away, but it seems that for some Memorial Day is not much more than the weekend you can get 4 tires for the price of 3, or half price shipping from Amazon.

We raise and lower the last flag, then put up the original flag that was flying this morning when we started.  We make sure to raise it all the way, then lower it to half mast.  Someone died yesterday.