It is Veterans' Day, the day that used to be set aside to commemorate the guns falling silent at the end of the First World War. In 2009, of course, we don't set anything aside-commerce and Mammon rules all. I made some really acerbic comments about the Department of Defense a few days ago in this space, which probably got me onto some kind of list. That was partially to be funny, and partially out of a personal grudge towards how they treated a friend of mine, which I won't get into because it's complicated and very, very boring to anyone but me. And that person.
But I don't hold any animus towards veterans. From Valley Forge to Kandahar, they have stood their ground, and put their body between the danger and me. "Thank you" is woefully inadequate.
Let's just say I wish there were no need to have veterans, and let's leave it at that.
George Carlin on war. Needless to say, like any Carlin routine, NSFW.
My dad served for 28 yrs, enlisted during Vietnam and was "in country" for a tour or two. He doesn't talk about it much. I do know he worked in communications in DeNang and part of his job was to shoot his coworkers should the enemy get too close. Apparently, it was not okay for them to be captured.
ReplyDeleteWith my dad serving for 28 years, it meant that I grew up in the military and 'served' nearly 19 years... or it could be counted as more as he retired and I was left in HI because his orders no longer included me.
I don't like the wars that we are currently involved in. I don't think we should have been in Iraq a second time. I think both wars have been grieviously mishandled. I think that once we commit to a war, we commit to it and let the trained warriors do what needs to be done. There is no place for politics once the war has started. And we do nothing but play politics with wars now.
But none of this is the fault of our warriors.
I know that because we have a volunteer military that I am safe. Because we have a strong DOD that spends billions of dollars a year, I am safe. Because we have a strong government, I am safe.
I do not have to serve. I do not have to worry every day about bombs in the market place or on the bus or at the school.
I know that I owe my life and my freedom to the brave men and women that put their lives on the line for us. Even if they never are deployed, the day they sign on that dotted line, they have offered to give their life for me.
And you are right, thank you seems so insignificant. But I am grateful and I know their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their families.
Thank you.
I agree with you two... thank you is not enough, but I fall short of knowing what more to say.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of war. Three of my ex-students are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I must say, George gave me some interesting mental images there!