With Memorial Day having just passed, it may not be the best time to write about Dead Soldiers. Rest in Peace and Thank You for your Sacrifice and Service! It was, however, my first thought this morning after looking at the number of corks popped and wine bottles consumed during this current pandemic stretch. This despite going on the wagon the first 60 days! I even consumed the wine in my sports collection, leaving only the empty bottles as souvenirs. As I was doing my sit-ups, they were staring me in the face with every up. Why were they called “Dead Soldiers,” I wondered? Google, of course, had the answer:

“An empty beer bottle has been called ‘a dead soldier’ or ‘dead Marine’ since about World War I…” From “I Hear America Talking” by Stuart Berg Flexner. An unknown source also reported that a ‘dead soldier’ may have been a little black humor – the ‘spirits’ had left the bottle.”

The spirits had definitely left the bottles on my shelf. Two were from the Andretti Winery in Napa, and the other with the Cubs logo, a gift from another fan after the 2016 World Series victory. Sadly, their consumption was to commiserate over these two seemly “dead” events for 2020, MLB and the Indy 500. (See Post #1334) and (Post #1333). Both been hot topics for me of late. Memorial Day was not the same without these two great sports. The virus has also now taken this year’s Boston Marathon that has never been canceled before in its 124-year history. For music lovers, Coachella has now joined the long list of dead events for this year. 2020 will forever be known as the year of the virtual event, as most of these popular get-togethers have now become. 

We’re headed out to Oregon wine country this weekend to replenish our stock, since it appears that it’s going to take a lot more “Dead Soldiers” to get through this ordeal. There’s no need to panic yet! The 100+ bottle wine cooler is still fully stocked and cases stored in closets and the trunks of our cars, not to mention the refrigerator. Yes, there are ample potential “Dead Soldiers” to win this battle. To paraphrase the words of William Prescott at Bunker Hill, “Don’t fire until you see their bloodshot eyes.” After all, he’s now just another “Dead Soldier.”