He Won’t Answer Anymore

I have to admit I've never given the meaning of Memorial Day a lot of thought. I guess I always saw it as the unofficial kickoff of summer. Ya know, burgers and dogs on the grill. What really got me thinking about the real meaning of Memorial Day was The Ballad of Ira Hayes,” a Johnny Cash tune I heard while driving back from Boston on the Pike the other day. 

Ira Hayes was a Pima Indian who enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Also known as Chief Falling Cloud, Ira was the first Pima Indian to receive the wings of the elite Paratrooper division. He’s best known as one of the six flag raisers at Iwo Jima immortalized in the most reproduced photo in history

Ira was only one of 5 out of his platoon of 45 who survived the war. The government paraded him around, using him as a prop for a while, but they weren’t there for him when he slipped into alcoholism to cope with his survivor’s guilt and PTSD. Sadly, that’s not an uncommon story for American vets. You fight for your country, but they ain’t gonna fight for you when they get home. That’s why organizations like Soldier On, a homeless veterans organization we’ve worked with for years, are so important. Their slogan line is, “The fight doesn’t end when they come home.”

On a frigid January morning, at the age of 32, Ira Hayes died drunk in a ditch. He now rests in Arlington National Cemetery with many of his fallen comrades in arms.

Ya gotta listen to Johnny Cash’s tune. And on this Memorial Day, let’s not forget Ira Hayes the way the U.S. government did. Keep your dukes up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvUi5yGjJbY

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