In Honor to the Brave

Today is Memorial Day in the United States. Memorial Day is a U.S. holiday that is officially about mourning the nation’s fallen service members. It is always celebrated on the last Monday of May. The holiday is observed in part by the National Moment of Remembrance, which encourages all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. for a moment of silence. The first national observance of what was then called Decoration Day occurred May 30, 1868, after an organization of Union veterans called for decorating war graves with flowers that were in bloom.

Wars are fought not just by the soldiers on the fronts, but by everyone at home too. Everyone plays a role. In World War 1 and World War 2, the general population did their parts in the war effort but having their foods rationed (not by choice, but by government mandate). Civilians were issued ration books with stamps or points. Once the points were spent for the month, those items were off-limits. The most heavily rationed foods were meat, sugar, butter, coffee, canned goods, and cooking oil. But people are resilient and they learn to improvise, and they learn new ways. We will survive. When there is a will, there is a way. Because sugar was limited, carrots were used to sweeten cakes, and beet juice provided color. Powdered eggs (shipped from the US) became a staple for baking and breakfast. Canned meats like SPAM became global phenomena because fresh meat was scarce. Cooks also created “mock” dishes, such as lentil-based “mock goose”. Shortages in Pacific trade routes forced the creation and scaling of soybean-based oils and margarine. And meatless meals were common.

Many people planted “victory gardens” or “war gardens”, growing vegetables instead of plants and flowers. Victory gardens were everywhere. They were planted in parks, city spaces, people’s front and backyards, and even on the lawns of the White house. These were seen as acts of patriotism. School kids did their part by growing victory gardens at school too. They were known as “soldiers of the soil”. Planting and tending to War Gardens gave children a way to contribute, affording children a sense of purpose and sometimes helping combat anxiety if their fathers fought in the war. Not to mention, learning gardening as a valuable skill. People also raised chickens for eggs and ducks and rabbits for meat. By 1944, it was estimated that there were 20+ million victory gardens in the U.S. alone and about 15+ million in the U.K. They produced millions and millions of pounds of food.

When there is a will there is a way. Maybe we should bring back these old beliefs and ways. We can all learn from history, and these are good lessons to learn.

Thank you to all the men and women who served and paid the ultimate price for freedom. But thank you also to the home front “warriors” as well. Thank you for your ingenuity and sacrifices you made at home.