Requiem Aeternam

I confess that I had almost forgotten. I only vaguely remembered we in Norwich honored the men and women who served in Vietnam on the last Saturday of April while on my way walking back from the Stop 'n' Shop as I passed by the Chelsea Parade. I hurried home, put away my purchase and returned to join a very small crowd.

The weather was less than kind to us who gathered which was somehow ironic when I recall how we as a nation once treated so many who traveled so far and sacrificed so much for so few of privilege and power. I have long since conceded those who served did so for one another as they saw next to nothing from anyone else.

It was nice to spend a few moments conversing beforehand with State Senator Cathy Osten, like me, a Vietnam-era veteran. I appreciate her sharing part of what we spoke about with those who came to the event but more especially how she chose to keep parts of our conversation private.

We are as a nation a half century separated from the start of our engagement in Vietnam and pardon my aged and ancient cynicism, but based on the hash we have all made of the Second Act in Afghanistan, we have learned nothing. I cannot tell if I am more saddened or angered at how we continue to fight and die for Standard Oil and Coca Cola while nitwits of all political stripes manipulate us into thinking we and they are a team working for the good of the world.

Standing in the drizzle yesterday, and I hate drizzle because the weather doesn't have the courage to be a full-blown storm, I thought about standing in pretty much the same space some years earlier after musing about what that day might have brought us. Turns out peace and acceptance weren't it.
-bill kenny