Memorial Day 2021

Marines never die. Well, according to mythology at least. If we’re to believe the Marine’s Hymn, basically all Marines are guaranteed a spot in heaven. However, the song also dictates that Marines will be forced to work…

If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven’s scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by the United States Marines

(What I like about this verse is that not only is it stating that Marines guard the streets of heaven, it’s a total dig at the Army and the Navy.)

I did my first comic about Memorial Day back in 2012, which was an observation about the dialog surrounding the veteran and military space around the time of Memorial Day. The point of the comic, and my blog post, was that it was more than okay to just enjoy Memorial Day and not to be dragged down by the self-righteous guilting of other veterans for not spending the day crying at graveyards or something. I’m happy to report that, nine years later, this toxic nonsense is alive and well, and in fact probably even worse.

What was once a solemn Monday holiday has now become a week-long competition leading up to it for every person even tangentially connected to the military to post a long-winded diatribe about the importance of the day and why you should feel bad.

Some people like to spend the day visiting national cemeteries, or just posting sad photos on social media. For me? Memorial Day is a day of silent reflection. I don’t feel the need or urge to make long-winded Facebook posts about it because my mind is filled with the lives and deaths of Marines I once knew. I sit and I play video games to try to quiet my brain. That’s basically all I do on Memorial Day.

However you decide to spend your Memorial Day, do it your own way, and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.