Veterans Day 2008

“Based on the Great Legacy that We Have Inherited…”

…So reads the first paragraph of the Mobilize.org Democracy 2.0 Declaration. And on this Veterans Day, an annual federal observance since 1954, when Armistice Day was broadened to include a commemoration of all US veterans who have served in military conflicts, there is no better way to talk about the high level of civic participation and engagement that have come to define the unique position that the Millennial Generation finds itself in, than to look to our forefathers and to their heroic offerings in advance of the essential causes which strengthen our inherited democracy.

In May 2005, the World War II Memorial was dedicated in Washington as a long overdue tribute to the men and women who served in the greatest mobilization of land and sea forces, as a domestic population and homeland economy, in history. At the ceremony, NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, whose national bestseller named this generation rightly, and simply, The Greatest, provided insight into the all-consuming national wartime effort.

“Men, women, young and old, everyone had a role. Farm boys who had never been in an airplane were soon flying new bombers with four engines. Surgical nurses were in mash units on front lines operating while they were being shelled. Teenagers were wearing sergeant stripes and fighting from North Africa to Rome. Guys from the city streets were in close quarter combat in dense jungles. Women were building ships and whatever were needed and driving trucks. Kids went without gum and new toys and in too many cases they went the rest of their lives without fathers they never knew,” he said.

Hearing again of the stories of the World War II Generation, reflective of themes which are deeply rooted in American ideals of neighbor-helping-neighbor, unity and selfless sacrifice and service to country and community over individual interests, we hear a calling as great as all others, we see what it is that we are striving again to achieve and we feel a purpose propelling us towards great action.

Our generation’s task is to preserve this inspiring microcosm of the American spirit.

Working with local organizations, schools, veterans groups and community leaders throughout the country, the Veterans History Project run through the Library of Congress, seeks to preserve the stories and thoughts of American veterans in a single national collection. The ongoing project, begun in 2000, currently has over 50,000 stories on a searchable online database, many in digitized multimedia form.

In Connecticut, an effort to document and write biographies on each veteran killed during the Vietnam War resulted in the publication of a book, “612,” representing one entry for each life lost. This research project was conducted through students inside a small town middle school, completely outside of their structured educational curriculum. Yet, through their work on the project, these students experienced firsthand the raw emotion of family members still grieving for their loved ones nearly thirty years after the conflict ended. They heard stories of bravery and sacrifice and gained a new appreciation and understanding for an era in American history in which this nation suffered through one of its most painful periods, marked by cultural division and strong sentiments regarding America’s military involvement in Vietnam. Eight years after the first idea for the project, the town dedicated a permanent memorial listing each name of the 612, the only place in the state where all of the fallen heroes are memorialized together. On Veterans Day and throughout the year, citizens throughout this country join together to remember and honor a sacrifice which extends beyond the confines of any history textbook.

As Millennials look to transition and transform demonstrated passionate concern for their country into action, through a new Administration that many believe will represent their voice over those of special interests, the 11th day of the 11th month provides appropriate moment to pause and reflect on a sacrifice that transcends personal beliefs and places America’s constitutional roots of justice, tranquility and general welfare above all others.

Through this recollection, we discover the American Democracy that Millennials have declared their commitment to act upon, for as each succeeding generation has taught us, Democracy is an unfinished project.