In early 1862, Napoleon III, Le Petit, sent troops in to take over Mexico while up north, at Shiloh and on the Virginia Peninsula, Union and Confederate armies hammered away at each other.
May 5, 1862. The Battle of Puebla was an early victory for Mexico, but it took another four years to end that particular war. Strangely, celebrating Cinco de Mayo is akin to celebrating any other single battle in any single other war. In short, it's just an excuse to drink and carouse and sell cards and other miscellany. But what the hell, who are we kidding? Bottom's up!
Another war, another celebration. Enjoying life in New York City during the Second World War, 1943 (Photo by Weegee). How about that Battle of Midway? How 'bout that Stalingrad?
Today's Rune: Signals.
Today, how about that Baghdad? How about that Khyber Pass? Let's face it: We love war and war loves us -- war, sports, guns, thunder.
5 comments:
War, sports, guns, thunder. There's a poem in your labels.
It is better to be a poet and a writer than a soldier. More can be accomplished with the pen than the sword. Too many of the male species love war, especially the old men who send the young men and women into harm's way. Even worse are those who love the idea of war but never participate in the actual fighting.
All war is compromised of a series of battles that only the participants are able to fathom the depth of. Aye it is not a shameful thing to celebrate a victory, masked with a battles name, that's the way non participants justify what they have sent the children out to do.
Peace
mark
I would laugh if Cinco de Mayo was celebrated on may sixth.
When I taught in Cicero, a mostly-latino, mostly Mexican immigrant population, my joke every year was to ask what date Cinco de Mayo was on. They always politely informed me that it was on May 5.
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