Subsunk over at Blackfive has a question he asks soldiers returning from Iraq. It’s a great question, one that should be asked of every returning soldier.
This is a reminder that history is not just what the academic historians say it is. History is the story of the people who were there, recorded by anyone. You can do your bit for history, too. Go read Blackfive’s post, and think seriously about asking others a similar question. Then record and publish the answer.
We know a lot more about Thomas Jefferson’s views on matters than George Washington, but not because reporters and historians covered Jefferson better. Jefferson wrote it all down, and preserved it, for future generations. Even much of the embarrassing stuff. Washington was much more reserved, often recording in his diary only the weather for the day.
Such recording is, ultimately, the beginning of real civilization. We have a duty to make records to preserve our own memories, and to provide lights for those who follow us — either lights on the path, or lighthouses warning of the rocks.
Blackfive’s question: “What did you do over there that you are proudest of?”
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
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