If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In
-Maj. John McCrae, 1915
I wrote yesterday about the project to save the flame on top of Liberty Memorial in
I had an opportunity to talk to Denise Rendina from the National World War I Museum at the Liberty Memorial. As we spoke, one question kept going through my mind: why is it so difficult to get people interested in saving this important part of a national monument and historic landmark?
I think the answer is that people lack a connection. For Kansas Citians, it may seem like just another part of the landscape they drive by every day. Many have driven by, particularly at night, and never contemplated the reason for the memorial or for the flame at the top of the tower. There are so many new buildings going up in
Nationally, most people who know anything about the memorial largely know it for the World War I Museum. The tower, statues and memorial buildings on top seem simply art on an edifice, their symbolism lost to all but those who take a scheduled tour through the museum.
Once upon a time, those symbols meant more than art. Once upon a time, the ideas that it symbolized were more than words written in stone. And, once upon a time, we would never have allowed the flame of liberty to go dark.
It seems a sad exclamation point on a closing era in
Patriotism may encompass many of these things, but there is one group of people who, for over two centuries, have provided the ultimate example of patriotism: the United States Armed Forces. Patriotism means to love and honor your country. There can be no greater expression of love, of patriotism, than to lay down your life in the service of your nation.
For over two centuries, men and women of the United States Armed Forces have sacrificed everything for our nation. Whatever the individual reasons for joining the military, collectively they have only ever had one purpose: to defend the
From that day forward, whether to fend off invading forces, decide the existence of the Union, or rid the world of murderous tyrants and evil ideologies that threatened freedom and democracy around the world, men and women of the United States Armed Forces have donned the uniform of their nation, carried the banner of liberty before them and stood as a shield against all enemies.
There are but a few things that they have ever asked of those who have stayed behind or the generations that came after each great struggle. That they should be remembered. That we continue to live in freedom and not forsake our liberty so that their sacrifice would not be in vain. That each generation know the value of freedom and, when called, unhesitantly take up the torch of liberty.
That is the meaning of these lines from Maj McCrae, "take up our quarrel with the foe, to you from failing hands we throw, The Torch; be yours to hold it high."
The Liberty Memorial and its flame atop the "torch" are the signal embodiment of these ideas. It is at once a memorial to those who came before and sacrificed for our nation, a reminder to value liberty and, literally and figuratively, the torch that has been passed to each succeeding generation of citizens; in Kansas City, around the United States and to all nations where liberty exists.
As important as the reminder of martial defense of liberty and the sacrifice of its defenders is the repeated invocation of "peace"'; something few monuments of war had done before or since. This sentiment is expressed in letters 14" high, in bas relief, running the entire 400 ft of the Great Frieze on the north wall depicting progress from war to peace.
THESE HAVE DARED BEAR THE TORCHES OF SACRIFICE AND SERVICE-THEIR BODIES RETURN TO DUST BUT THEIR WORK LIVETH FOR EVERMORE. LET US STRIVE ON TO DO ALL WHICH MAY ACHIEVE AND CHERISH A JUST AND LASTING PEACE AMONG OURSELVES AND WITH ALL NATIONS.
And, again, the great doors to the Memorial Hall that contains the names of 441 men and women from Kansas City who died in "the Great War" demand each generation learn the lessons embodied in the memorial:
ONLY TAKE HEED TO THYSELF AND KEEP THY SOUL DILIGENTLY LEST THOU FORGET THE THINGS WHICH THINE EYES HAVE SEEN AND LEST THEY DEPART FROM THY HEART ALL THE DAYS OF THY LIFE: BUT TEACH THEN THY SONS AND THY SON'S SONS: HOW BEAUTIFUL UPON THE MOUNTAINS ARE THE FEET OF HIM THAT PUBLISHETH PEACE:
The Liberty Memorial is not simply a landmark of carved stone in the middle of Kansas City, though it draws the eye. It is not just an historical site, though history it has seen and made. It is not just a museum with historical artifacts to be examined, though the collection teaches well. It is not just a site for entertainment, though many have enjoyed the music, fireworks and great views from its tower, walks and hills.
The Liberty Memorial, and its eternal flame upon the torch of liberty, is a pledge without end, not just by the citizens of
It would be a great shame if this was the generation that allowed that pledge to be broken.
If you would like to help save the flame, please visit SavetheFlame.org or visit the National World War I Museum website to find out the many great ways that you can contribute to honor the pledge to hold the torch of liberty high.
I have information from Denise about what the memorial plans to do to help become energy efficient, but, again, takes an initial outlay of money. I'm not sure how that is going to happen.
I hope people will feel that it is important to keep it burning and not consider it one more energy sucking nothing.
It certainly wasn't my intent to suggest otherwise - I was just nodding my head in agreement as to how the flame could knock a *huge* hole in a budget with a price rise like we've seen this last year.
I'm going to get a video interview tomorrow at the museum.
You know, she also told me that they do special school programs and tours, but less than 1% of the schools in Kansas City send the kids there for field trips. That is a significant tell about the state of teaching history in this country.
Here is this great museum, a piece of local and national history, and the local school district doesn't send kids there. I'm sure it has something to do with budgets, but I know that these schools do other programs and projects and that the memorial and museum is not that far away. Yet, they will raise money to go to Disney World or to Worlds of Fun.
Americans are losing the connections to our past. June 6, November 11 and other red-letter days in history have become just another day, or at most a holiday. I don't know what to do about it, but I do know that we are all becoming poorer for it.