What Do War Memorials Truly Honor?

When I typed the word “patriotism” in the search box, one of the drop-downs “patriotism vs nationalism” immediately caught my eye. As someone who always thought of the two words as synonyms, I figured out that “nationalism” has a more negative connotation, suggesting a more blind belief in one’s country and thinking of it as more superior than other nations. Remembering the origins of the United States, I realized the contradictory nature of some Americans who would always criticize the extreme jingoism in other countries while blindly supporting America themselves.

Of course, these people should only make up a small part of America’s entire population; however, it is true that many people seem to forget that while America is a nation of its people, the country can still make mistakes, as all people have their own faults. A Partly Cloudy Patriot written by Sarah Vowell is an essay that addresses the misinterpretation of patriotism in our nation. When talking about the Civil War, most would agree that a part of our nation held beliefs that are not believed in nowadays. This interpretation of America seems to fade away, however, when considering a war between the United States and another country. This is probably why Vowell stated that she is “so much more comfortable when we’re bickering with each other than when we have to link arms and fight a common enemy”(Vowell 21). In foreign warfare, citizens mostly think of the United States positively, and many would honor soldiers by placing American flags on their graves during instances such as Memorial Day. These men are very honorable, but they should not be renowned for their “nationalism.”

Many Americans approach memorials or monuments to reflect on the brave soldiers who lost their lives for the cause of our nation. This way of thinking tends to lead to the belief that our country’s decision was right and the soldiers all fought for the ultimately “correct” purpose, therefore making themselves honorable. The judgment of the choice made by one’s nation should be made after more thoughtful evaluations. American war memorials are essentially honoring the men who died not just for battle or for their nation, but for the ideals that they believed in enough to fight for.

By recalling that the soldiers were fighting for their own views, citizens should be able to carry clearer minds when thinking about the battles of the past and considering the morals behind each death. The patriotism of the soldiers in their fighting for their beliefs ultimately parallels with the fundamental principles that make up our nation. The men can truly be honored when us citizens also try to form our own unique judgments that we strongly believe in. This kind of independent thought is what should rightly be called patriotism in the United States, a nation that is made up of people who are willing to stand up for their own truths.