I couldn't resist asking my Dad if I could share his weekly letter to me on my blog today. He is such a phenomenal writer in general, but this latest letter really touched me and I felt that the message was so well represented in his words, I wanted to share them with others.
In doesn't matter your political affiliation or belief, I believe we should all support each other as Americans - as people - no matter how we feel about certain situations. Example - when 9/11 happened almost 9 years ago, we all came together, flags flying from our front awnings, ready to find and condemn the man and group that dared attacking us on our own soil. Granted, my pride in our country faultered when our "leader" decided not to go after the group that ACTUALLY attacked us and instead went after old agendas. But that wasn't (and isn't) a good reason to stop backing our soldiers. The men and women who do what they are asked to do by their leader (their's isn't to question the direction of that leader, their's is to serve the country they protect). Although I do not believe in the war we are currently "fighting" (when are we going to go after those that ACTUALLY deserve it) and I do not believe in attacking countries in order to make them more like us (unrealistic), I do believe in supporting those who are risking their lives everyday in environments I can not even imagine living in. I may not believe in the cause, but I believe in the humanity.
My Step-Mom's brother, a Vietnam Veteran, died last week at a Veterans Hospital. He had been hospitalized for most of his adult life after returning from Vietnam with severe mental challenges - as many soldiers did. He suffered for many years but had made a turn around over the last couple to where he was feeling better and enjoyed life a bit more than before. My Dad, a Vietnam Veteran himself, reflected on her brother's life in the weekly letter he sends me. I am starting in mid-letter (leaving out any personal information/names). "D" represents my SMom's brother.
At the end of any given war, they hand out the citations and medals and the front pages pursue other stories, but the common soldier marches on carrying the weight of war with him. D is a casualty of Vietnam. The burden of that war took his youth and dreams and his future. We all owe so much to D and all those other old soldiers in his war and all other wars before and since...they sacrificed in our name, whether we believed in the war or not - they served in what they believed was their duty in order to preserve peace and freedom for us all.
We have no freedom or rights in this country - not a one, that thousands didn't give their lives for. American's blood was mixed in the mud of most every country of the world in the dirty work of "freedom." With that in mind, "Veteran's Day" is hardly noted in this country other than a title for some furniture store sale. Most soldiers don't expect a "thanks" but the certainly don't deserve such disrespect.
I don't know where I am going with this other than broken soldiers break my heart. I'm not one of them; I'm a lucky sucker myself. But there are places like where D lived most of his life all over this country, full of broken soldiers who lost their youth and their futures for us to go on to whatever we wanted in life. These guys are hid away from us...I don't know, maybe so society doesn't have to face the ones who paid for their happiness with their lives.
Anyway...that's where I am tonight. Saturday we are taking D to his Mom and Dad on top of a hillside cemetary...and his age won't matter, his innocence will be restored and, hopefully in his afterlife, his youth restored with the threat of war forever left behind in this world.
1 comment:
That brought tears to my eyes. Your dad is right: our soldiers don't get paid enough respect. I may not personally agree with the wars we're fighting right now, but I support those men and women. God Bless every single one of them.
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