Friday was the anniversary of "D-day" - it's hard not to know that on that day Americans stormed the beaches of Normandy in what was to be an Allied push towards Berlin.
Despite the patriotism and memories of "the war" most people here would be hard pressed to remember having (if ever they did) to learn of the Battle of Stalingrad. I'm not going to argue about the importance of various World War II battles having already done so* with "Brat Paul" - my Korean Russian friend from college. I'd like simply to point out that war, death, and the memories of it are universal.
So why is it that different countries celebrate their own Memorial Day and make it on different dates? I wish it were not so - I wish there could be a global day of memory for people who die in war. It should not be restricted to those in combat; there should be remembrance of the people who die for being in the way, at the wrong time in the wrong place.
I've been wanting to write short fiction about Ugandans involved in the Iraq war. Perhaps the story would be based on my cousin who is not from a "poor" family, but neither is he rich. He goes to Iraq to "fight for freedom" with the hopes of making some money and has a relationship with someone very American - how about a girl from South Dakota who enlisted after graduating from high school? Their turbulent relationship ends when she comes back but she thinks about him every Sunday that the church asks those who "fought for their country" to stand up. About a decade later he finds her "mommy blog" and writes to ask for help immigrating to the United States. He comes on a tourist visa but it expires and somehow he is deported.
Just some complicated thoughts from the memory of war around here.
*Conversation as follows:
Paul: Russia was win!
Me: What... ?
Paul: World War II, Russia was win!
Me: O.K.