Memorial Day in DC

At the Memorial Day Concert on the Capitol grounds Sunday night (we were sitting on the Capitol steps)

The Army band, getting ready:




View from the steps:






Colin Powell (you might just have to trust me on this one - he was a long ways away.)





Playing taps:





Beautiful.



At the ampitheater behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery:





Remember this guy? (Darn that Ross Perot!)

Laura Bush, far right (someday, I will blow up all these pictures really nice and big):

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:




Secretary of Defense Robert Gates:





The way the people were cheering, you'd never guess his approval rating was hovering around 35% (max):



Sidenote: He waved at me. And I waved back. And felt just a little stupid.


He wasn't alone, of course:



Our "legend'ry" British intern friend, Tom: "What do you suppose are in those packs? [Devilish belly laugh.]"

I'm not the type to get emotional over Memorial Day. But there's a big difference between seeing graves and memorials to long-dead presidents and soldiers, and walking past plot after plot of freshly-turned dirt at Arlington's Lot 60, where they're burying casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan. We saw people there mourning children who would still be alive today if they hadn't died in the war on terror.

I'm grateful to everyone who decides to join the military, especially in times like this, but the flowery language I heard today about "remembering" their sacrifice didn't quite cut it for me. It doesn't take away the death. The strongest emotion I felt was not gratitude or patriotism, but petulant impatience. I don't want to "remember." I want it to stop.

I had this song stuck in my head today:

and after the bombs subside

and this long, low campaign calls it good for the night

we meet in the streets

will we meet in a bar's cold light?

we grip at our hands

we hold just a little tight

after the bombs

after the bombs subside

and after the rockets calm

and the glimmer of fire

pretends an early dawn

we pinch at our skin

while we wonder how we escaped harm

we forget all our trials

while there in our baby's arms

after the rockets

after the rockets calm

then we'll go dancing

won't we go dancing

yes we'll go dancing

'till it all starts over again

then we'll go dancing

yes we'll go dancing

won't we go dancing

'till it all starts over again

- "After the Bombs," by the Decemberists

"He will proclaim peace to the nations.

His rule will extend from sea to sea

and from the River to the ends of the earth."

- Zechariah 9:10

"Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

- Revelation 22:20