Memorial Day... a little late

Kohima is a cemetery located in northeastern India bordering Burma and Nagaland. In the centre of the city there are graves of soldiers from India, British Africa and other commonwealth provinces who fought with the Indian Army in the Burma campaign. At the foot of the cemetery reads this inscription:


"When you go home, tell them of us and say, 'For your tomorrow we gave our today.'"


Typically, it would make sense to write primarily about America being that I'm an American. But this quote pricked my heart when I heard it a couple weeks ago. It did such to the extent that I looked up the history behind it and learned where it is written down. When I realized that it was in a cemetery that has nothing to do with an American war, it's impact did not lessen.


In fact, it made me begin to think about the fact that there is war all over the world. Wars and battles have been fought that I've never heard of, that have never affected me directly. People die every day to save the lives of others. I would like to say that I wish there was no war and that people didn't have to die for sometimes ridiculous reasons, but I know the world that we live in.

There is nothing good about uniformed men informing family members of lost children, siblings or spouses... which is why we respectfully attempt to remember those who have fallen for our sake.

No matter how many times I've seen this salute to the dead, I will continue to always be shaken by the sound. I try to brace myself for the shots, but I jump each and every time... and I always will... but I will never forget. Never.