Veterans Memorial: With Your Shield, Or On It

Penn State is a very military-friendly school; and in fact, at the World Campus, where I work, military and veteran students make up more than 10% of our total student population. While I am personally a pacifist, and do not support war, I do support and respect our military and veterans and the sacrifices they have made.

I've never talked much here about what I actually do for a living (I have said I work at Penn State), but my formal job responsibilities include advocating for and supporting students who face access challenges related to disability; that population includes many military and veteran students.

In 2012, Penn State dedicated a Veterans Plaza that sits along the road right behind Old Main. A Penn State news story indicates that the memorial's purpose is "to honor all Penn State veterans, including the late Lt. Michael P. Murphy, the only Penn State alumnus to be awarded the Medal of Honor."

The memorial consists of a curved white wall lined with flags, and in front of that wall is a round shield. The words that appear on the wall above the shield are in Greek, a phrase believed to have been spoken by Spartan mothers to their sons before battle. The translation is roughly this: "With your shield, or on it."

Per the Penn State news story, "according to ancient Spartan tradition, a warrior was never without his shield -- he either returned home from battle alive, carrying his shield, or dead, carried upon it by his comrades."

Medal of Honor recipient and Navy Seal Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy is also honored in this memorial. He was killed in action in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan, in Kumar Province, on June 28, 2005. Here is his story:

"By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death, Lt. Murphy was able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell [a fellow soldier] and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle."

A bouquet of flowers had recently been placed on top of the shield, probably on Monday. Another small bouquet lay near the flags. As I rounded the side of the memorial, I spotted a piece of ragged, folded-up notebook paper that someone had scribbled some words on. In a jar beside the note was a beautiful pink peony, in fresh water. The note read:

"Dear Murph,
Your life touched many. Your ultimate sacrifice will not be forgotten as long as this heart beats.
Coach"

Dear grieving unknown friend who wrote the note, I hope you do not mind my sharing your words here. Those we love who have moved on to the Next Place are never forgotten, and they do not leave us, for we carry them with us always. We carry them in our minds, and in our memories. We carry them in our hearts.

Monday was Memorial Day, in which we celebrate our honored dead and decorate their graves. This photo and posting (though a day late) seemed a fitting tribute.

The soundtrack: Billy Ray Cyrus, with Some Gave All.

Possibly related: 
Reflections of Valor
Their Names Are Written on the Wall