COMensarations

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

D-Day: Another Candidate for a National Holiday?

Musings on D-Day, which have become an annual tradition.

I think I’ve been making comments on D-Day for the past two or three years. This year I’ve noticed how I’m more aware of the D-Day anniversary than I am of the day it finally all ended, or V-E Day. (I think the end of WWII was about August 10, right?)

Most people celebrate the victories. We Americans seem to celebrate beginnings: July 4 is the day we began as a country, not the day we finally won the War for Independence. D-Day is the day the final assault began in Europe during WWII. The day the Allies made it clear we’d be kicking butt and taking names. It’s not the day the war was over.

In a similar way, we remember the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the day the U.S. was officially dragged into the war, more than we remember the day the treaties were signed.

I suppose the reason is simple: action is more interesting than people standing around a desk signing papers, or even people standing around exchanging swords. Nevertheless, I believe it might really be because it is these occassions where we answer the call, and start acting with purpose.

The attacks on 9-11 were another such event. However, it is hard to predict what the outcome will be at this point. During WWII it was possible to envision a defeated Axis and the dignataries signing the treaties. People knew what it would look like, and maybe that’s part of what makes it less than memorable. However, what does the end of the War on Terror look like? Who would be signing the papers? How do we know it’s really over? I think if people had a better vision of the outcome, then they would be more willing to fight it through and there would be less talk of “timed” withdrawals.