Memorial Day reminds us of the immeasurable price others paid for our freedom

For centuries, western culture has gloried dying on the battlefield.

In 1854, Lord Alfred Tennyson published "The Charge of the Light Brigade," which lionized British cavalrymen galloping toward certain death during the Crimean War.

Prior to Vietnam, our own popular culture fed us far too many films in which the mission was always clear, and the good guys emerged unscathed and triumphant. Some notable exceptions include "Fort Apache," "The Paths of Glory," "From Here to Eternity" and "Home of the Brave."

People who know better, namely those who have been in combat, will tell you that war is anything but glamorous.

Around the world and across time, old men start the conflicts and young men wage them, sometimes for causes they don't always fully understand.

Those who survive it usually are loathe to talk about it. To a person, they reject being called "heroes," arguing that the ones who never return are the only ones worthy of such a description.

A soldier's story: Stark County flags flying at half-staff for WW II veteran Pete Shaw Jr.

Most won't ever share everything they saw. However, they will tell you that combat is fueled not by heroics but by a primordial will to live. They'll tell you that a battle can be swathed in confusion. They may share that they fought, not just because they swore to serve, but because they wanted to protect their friends.

Even those for whom equality was not a reality willingly served this country and all that entailed, including the possibility of sacrifice. They did so as a matter of manhood — because they wanted to dismantle the stereotype of incapability, and because they believed America to be an aspirational country. They had hope that their service might somehow place the promises within reach of their children.

During the Civil War, advances in photography shook many Americans out of their romanticism about war. The loss of 600,000 Americans prompted an official recognition of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, on May 30, 1868, to honor the Civil War dead, though it was resisted in the South until after World War I.

This year, marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the beginning of the end of World War II. Thousands of Americans sleep beneath the soil in Europe in defense of democracy and the nation which sent them. We can't begin to name them all, but we can and should never forget what they did.

One son's quest: Man fulfills quest for his father's World War II medals

Today, there are those who claim that the American military has grown weak. They hold up the Russian military as an example of ideal soldiers, all while ignoring that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a disaster.

The critics couldn't be more wrong. America maintains the most formidable military the world has ever seen; one which has always reflected the country itself. Their real beef is that their fantasy does not match the reality of military life and change, which is inevitable and life's only constant.

Though today's military is such that they have higher standards than in years past, the military created generations of adults, turning unfocused boys into disciplined men.

It's a wonder; a miracle, really, that we continue to be free, given that less than 2% of Americans serve in the military.

Because Memorial Day marks the first holiday of the impending summer season, a lot of people treat it as a day off, and nothing more.

But virtually every city, village and hamlet has Gold Star families for whom Memorial Day is every day.

At the very least, we should grant those who died in service to this country a thought and a moment of thanks.

Without them, there would be no us.

Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Charita Goshay writes about the lesson of Memorial Day: Sacrifice