I always have difficulty with Memorial Day because it is meant to honor our war veterans, those who died serving our country, and those who survived the great horror of war but were forever changed by their experiences. My father served in WW2 as a Navy lieutenant who commanded

2]landing crafts in 3 different invasions of Japanese islands. He was shot in his last invasion but his mental wounds were far more serious and haunted him all his life. He used alcohol to self medicate and eventually became an alcoholic. He became a shell of the young man who

3] served his country. Living with a family member who was slowly killing himself persuaded me to never take up arms against another human being. I applied to my draft board for C.O status but my application was rejected because my pacifism was not based on any religious beliefs.

4] I was lucky because an underlying serious medical condition persuaded my board that I wasn't healthy enough to serve so I avoided that terrible waste of lives. My best friend from college was not so fortunate. He too despised the war but unlike me, he felt a moral obligation

5]to serve his country if drafted. We spent months arguing with each other as I tried to persuade him to use some fabricated medical excuse like so many middle class white kids of my generation used to avoid service. I failed to change his mind and he eventually became an officer

6] leading his men in several "unauthorized" incursions into Laos to attack VietCong supply lines. He died one year after he started his assignment after stepping on a land mine. I still miss him and think of him frequently but especially on Memorial Day. It is his sacrifice that

7]triggers my anger/disgust/and shame as I watch millions of Americans refuse to comply with CDC guidelines to protect others by wearing a mask because such safeguards would impair their "liberty". Prof Peter Arenella UCLA Law