On Monday, remember those who took duty seriously

By JOHN McCALLUM

Managing Editor

Monday is Memorial Day.

By tradition, it’s the 152nd anniversary of the day set aside to remember those who lost their lives serving our country. I say by tradition because the first incarnation of this observance, Decoration Day, started on May 30, 1868. According to History.com, there were other, smaller observances prior, many marking the end of the Civil War.

There are three days we have set aside as official days to commemorate and recognize those who have served, and are now serving in our armed forces. Memorial Day, Veterans Day for those who served and still serve and Armed Forces Day for all those currently serving.

So there’s a bit of formal overlap, as you can see, but that’s OK. There’s also informal overlap as we often honor and remember on these days both those who served and lived to talk about it and those who did not.

That’s OK too. It’s the honor and remembrance that are important.

My father, J. Malcolm McCallum and my grandfather Hugh McCallum both served and made it home, and I intend to honor them this weekend. Both fought in World War II in the Pacific Theatre, something that must have been hard on Grandma McCallum as well as her three daughters, all of whom were younger than dad.

Dad was in the Navy aboard a destroyer escort, the U.S.S. Kenneth M. Willett (DE-354). Grandpa McCallum was already serving with the Army before Dad enlisted and went to midshipman’s school in late 1942.

Dad used to tell me of his experiences from that time. The Willett escorted convoys from New Guinea to the Philippines in support of the landings there in 1944, and convoys from the Philippines to Okinawa in support of that invasion in April 1945, along with other patrol duties.

But his dad seldom spoke about his experiences. All I knew came from Dad, who said Grandpa was with the Army in the Solomon Islands and Papua/New Guinea campaigns.

It wasn’t until long after they had both passed away that I got the opportunity to look into my grandfather’s wartime life. In April 2018, one of my cousin’s came to my Mom’s memorial service and brought with her a small package she wanted me to have.

I peeled off the brown paper wrapping to reveal a small, blue book with four numerals printed in gold on the front: 1943. It was Grandpa McCallum’s diary from that year, and I’ve been reading and re-reading it since.

He doesn’t reveal much, partly because he only has about 2.5 inches by 4 inches per day to write. Hugh McCallum was an Army chaplain — an occupation I’ve always been intrigued about especially during wartime because of its dedication to peace and love in a time of violence and hatred — and the diary begins virtually with him boarding a transport ship in New Caledonia bound for a destination code named “Cactus.”

I’ll leave it at that, partly because it gives you the opportunity to learn a little history if you wanted to look that up.

But Granddad’s diary is interesting in what he says in the limited space he has, a mixture of the mundane with the not-so-normal, but expected experiences of those serving close to the front lines.

I’m lucky to have this background for which to base my Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances around. I’m also lucky in that my wife is also ex-military, U.S. Air Force and Army National Guard, and I have that to be appreciative for, among many things.

Others do not have this relationship to the military, but I think if you or they were to look closer, you would see we all have ties to our men and women in uniform. It’s something we should be thankful for, their sacrifices and sense of doing their duty, even if they don’t agree with what they are asked to do.

The latter is in short supply these days among some in the civilian world.

Memorial Day is the day we honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to their country. It’s also celebrated as the start of summer, and given what we’ve been through the past couple of months, I wouldn’t be surprised if this year it’s extra busy from a recreational standpoint.

I wouldn’t want to throw water on that, but just for a moment on Monday, take time to appreciate those who served.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.