As we remember those who have died in service to our country this Memorial Day, let us also not forget the profound impact traumatic loss has on those who were on the field of battle with those who did not return from it. In 1918, Siegfried Sassoon, an English soldier and poet who served during World War I, wrote “Memory,” a poem about his friend who was killed in that war. The poem reflects the struggle of losing someone close, losing a portion of one’s former self, and carrying on following the loss:

Memory
When I was young my heart and head were light,
And I was gay and feckless as a colt
Out in the fields, with morning in the may,
Wind on the grass, wings in the orchard bloom.
O thrilling sweet, my joy, when life was free
And all the paths led on from hawthorn-time
Across the carolling meadows into June.

But now my heart is heavy-laden. I sit
Burning my dreams away beside the fire:
For death has made me wise and bitter and strong;
And I am rich in all that I have lost.
O starshine on the fields of long-ago,
Bring me the darkness and the nightingale;
Dim wealds of vanished summer, peace of home,
And silence; and the faces of my friends.

The power of resilience is deeply rooted within each of us, and the poem calls us to strive forward and persevere despite the hurt. I see this resilience every day in our work with veterans and their families. Sorrow may be part of the human condition, but we can empower each other to press on while honoring those we’ve lost.

Justice for Vets wishes you and yours a peaceful and meaningful Memorial Day.

Sincerely,

Scott Tirocchi, M.A., M.S.
Major, U.S. Army (retired)
Director, Justice for Vets