Memorial Day: Remembering Their Service

May 26, 2012 By
Siege of Yorktown

One of the most controversial topics I write about is support for members of our military and patriotism. Regardless, as this Memorial Day approaches here in the US, I've been thinking about what it means to me personally. I do ancestor work. One of the most profound ways I honor my ancestors is by researching their history, discovering their names, dates and origins. When I began this work I expected to find a large influx of Irish immigrants about the time of the Civil War, but so far I … [Read more...]

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Memorial

May 31, 2010 By

This isn't going to be a very uplifting Memorial Day post. Nor is it very Pagan, except perhaps in the way that I view collective responsibility and the necessity to uphold it. This time last year, we had just found out that my brother, a Vietnam veteran, had liver cancer. He hadn't been getting regular screenings from the VA even though he had been exposed to Agent Orange and should have been considered high-risk. They didn't tell him that. It was just the last in a myriad of ways that the … [Read more...]

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Honoring Our Fallen

May 31, 2010 By

I walk the warrior’s path. I have in my time served a Goddess of war (Sekhmet) and I’m owned by a God of war and military leadership (Odin). I’ve studied martial arts, weapons, shooting, and but for an early back injury, would have gone into the military. I am fortunate that within Heathenry, the values taught along the warrior’s path are generally respected. Before I became Heathen, however, when I moved predominantly in eclectic Pagan circles, my respect for those who submit themselves … [Read more...]

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Wyrd Designs – Musings on Memorial Day

May 30, 2010 By

For those of us who are so lucky, we have a lovely three-day weekend before us. Memorial Day is far more than an occasion to exercise your checkbook (or should I say debit card swipe) in pursuit of retail bargains. Rather it is a holiday rooted in American history that has shifted overtime in the American consciousness, and yet it is also a holiday that many in the Northern Tradition have taken to claim as their own. Memorial Day is a U.S. national holiday. The official birthplace of Memorial … [Read more...]

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Remembering Veterans, Remembering My Father

May 29, 2010 By

Americans are preparing to celebrate Memorial Day, a day to remember those who have given their lives in the US armed forces. Though its origins date back to 1868, it wasn’t declared a National Holiday until Congress passed the National Holiday Act in 1971. If you’ve never seen a military cemetery around Memorial Day, it’s a very moving event. I had the opportunity to be in Luxembourg for Memorial Day weekend many years ago. I was able to visit the Luxembourg American Cemetery and … [Read more...]

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Addicted to Outrage

May 29, 2010 By

There are a lot of pundits who make a good living on outrage. It's their first refuge and resort. President Obama has decided to visit a different National Cemetary for Memorial Day because it seems a bit unfair that it's always Arlington that gets the attention. Surely the servicemembers in other National Cemetaries are just as noble, brave and deserving of a Presidential visit. It seems pretty reasonable for anyone willing to actually look at what is really happening. However, a person hooked … [Read more...]

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Sgt Stewart: Honoring Fallen Pagan Warriors

May 29, 2010 By

I look forward to the stories I will tell kids as I get older. When I was your age we didn't have the internet. When I was your age cell phones were HUGE and carried in small briefcases. When I was your age fallen Pagan military members didn't get their symbol of religion on their grave without a fight. Take some time to remember Sgt Patrick Stewart, and his widow Roberta this weekend. The VA decided to stonewall the request for a pentacle to be placed on his VA memorial plaque which launched … [Read more...]

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Religion in the US Military: Comforts and Controversies

May 28, 2010 By

by Erynn Rowan Laurie Bill of Rights Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Chaplains Under Fire (http://chaplainsunderfire.com/) is a documentary by Lee Lawrence and Terry Nickelson exploring the nature of the chaplaincy in the US military. Its … [Read more...]

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