The Power of Remembrance: Honouring the Victims of War and Pandemic
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s conclusion in 2025, we are reminded of the enduring questions that follow in the conflict’s wake. How do societies move forward while honouring the truth of what occurred? The answer lies not in convenient forgetting but in the difficult practice of remembrance. This is a view echoed by James Lomastro, a resident of Conway and member of the Coordinating Committee of Dignity Alliance of Massachusetts, who recently wrote an article for the Recorder.
In his article, Lomastro highlights the fundamental distinction between forgiveness and amnesty and an even sharper distinction between amnesty and amnesia. “While societies may grant legal pardons or establish reconciliation processes, these mechanisms cannot and should not erase the collective memory of suffering,” he notes. This challenge of comprehensive remembrance extends beyond traditional warfare. As we still grapple with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must ask ourselves how long it will take for our society to memorialize its millions of victims properly.
Lomastro argues that like war, political narratives and statistical abstractions obscure the pandemic’s toll. “When will we create physical or cultural spaces that honour the individual suffering behind the numbers?” he asks. “How many years or decades might pass before we fully acknowledge this collective trauma?” The difficulty we face in remembering pandemic victims reveals our broader societal discomfort with mass casualty events that don’t fit neatly into heroic narratives. As Lomastro so eloquently puts it, “Memory serves as both a memorial and a safeguard. By remembering the full spectrum of war’s devastation, we create a psychological barrier against future aggression.”
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is cited by Lomastro as an exemplary approach to remembrance. Unlike traditional war monuments celebrating victory or glorifying combat, the memorial’s black granite wall lists names — a somber acknowledgment of lives interrupted. Visitors don’t come to celebrate conquest but to mourn the loss and contemplate the consequences. In its design and purpose, the memorial shifts focus from abstract geopolitical narratives to concrete human suffering.
Lomastro emphasizes that this reframing is essential. “Wars are too often remembered through the lens of strategy, politics, or national mythology rather than through their human cost,” he notes. “When we remember Vietnam, we should remember not just American casualties but Vietnamese civilians, soldiers on both sides, and entire communities irreparably damaged by the conflict.” He also highlights that many who participated in war often did so under various illusions — that they were liberators rather than occupiers, defending freedom rather than geopolitical interests, and that their sacrifice would lead to meaningful change rather than strategic stalemate.
By remembering all victims, including those once designated as enemies, we perform an act of moral restoration. We acknowledge the shared humanity that conflict obscures and recover the ethical perspective that war inevitably distorts. Comprehensive remembrance of the war or pandemic is not merely retrospective justice for past victims but prospective protection for potential future ones. As Lomastro notes, “The pandemic offers a parallel lesson in remembrance. Unlike war, where we have established rituals and monuments, our collective memory of COVID victims remains fragmented and incomplete.”
In Massachusetts, there is an effort to remember the victims of the pandemic, spearheaded by the Dignity Alliance of Massachusetts, a state alliance of advocates for older and disabled persons, many of whom were victims of the pandemic. The alliance has sponsored legislation for a day of remembrance and developed a work group to create a memorial web page on which families and friends can post a remembrance and keep their memory alive.
Lomastro concludes that the painful act of remembering transforms from burden to gift — something we owe not just to those who suffered in past conflicts but to generations yet unborn who deserve to inherit a world where such suffering has become increasingly rare. As he so eloquently puts it, “True remembrance honours all victims by working toward a future without more.” This article is a call to action, a reminder that we must strive to create a world where the lessons of the past are not forgotten, but used to build a better future.
The views expressed by Lomastro in the Recorder are a timely reminder of the importance of remembrance. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s conclusion, it is essential that we take the time to reflect on the lessons of the past and work towards creating a world where such suffering is not repeated. By remembering the victims of war and pandemic, we can build a better future for all.
According to Lomastro, “There is a popular saying that we die twice: once when our body dies and once when our name is spoken for the last time. In this way, the painful act of remembering transforms from burden to gift — something we owe not just to those who suffered in past conflicts but to generations yet unborn who deserve to inherit a world where such suffering has become increasingly rare.”
James Lomastro’s article in the Recorder provides a thought-provoking reflection on the importance of remembrance. His views are a timely reminder of the need to honour the victims of war and pandemic, and to work towards creating a better future for all.
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