Remembering Those Who Died Serving The Armed Forces
Everyone has been affected by the actions of war. While I was not in the military…that would have been horrible for me and for the military (I was very much like the main character in the movie Private Benjamin)…I have experienced some of the trickle down affect of it.
Many years ago I was very close with my younger cousin, 10 years my junior. He lived in Texas and from the time he was a small child his father, my uncle, sent him and his sister from Texas to Illinois to stay with us for a portion of the summer. My cousin David (name changed) decided I was his person and we formed this incredible bond from the time he was three-years-old.
Fast forward to David as a teen. He was having problems at home so he came to stay with me for a while. Totally without direction, he was contemplating going into the army the following year when he turned 18. We encouraged him to do so. When he was 18 he enlisted.
David served at least three tours in Afghanistan during the war. I always regretted my involvement in encouraging him to join the military knowing how hard things were for him. I am so grateful he survived but the horrors he must have saw…well…
Now David is going to be retiring from the military. From my point of view the military changed him…and not necessarily in a very good way. His once soft and loving heart hardened and he became a very intense, angry and opinionated man.
In addition to my cousin, my birth father served in the Korean war when he was 18. He was a prisoner of war and was tortured. He lost hearing in one ear from a gun being shot over and over beside his ear. He was permanently mentally and emotionally affected by his experience in the Korean war. He told me once, “the Korean war was the forgotten war. Americans acted as if it didn’t even happen. I came home and not only did no one acknowledge what I did for the country but I became invisible, even shunned.” I know his life was profoundly changed by it and therefor so was everyone else’s around him, including me.
Now let’s shift to military dogs, since it seems appropriate because I love dogs. According to Wikipedia: “”War dogs” Dogs in warfare have a long history starting in ancient times. From war dogs trained in combat to their use as scouts, sentries and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.”
Personally, I am not a fan of dogs being used for dangerous work. A dog’s mentality is that of a three-year-old child. I don’t think it’s right to put them in harms way. Please don’t be offended by my personal opinion, it’s how I feel. But they are used in the military so I honor them today and every day.
Okay, I am sorry if this post comes across as anti-war. I guess it is and I guess I am. No, I don’t have any other solutions to conflict. Yes, I am intensely grateful to all those that protected and protect us and deeply sad for those who lost their lives…for them and most especially for their loved ones who have to live without them.
Grabbing a mug from my collection, I felt this one was appropriate for today. It’s message is for those families who have lost a loved one in war or military service. I can’t even imagine how hard it must be for you.
For all of you enjoying a day off of work it gives us an opportunity to get together with family and friends on this beautiful spring day. Take a moment and be silent and send out your love to all those people who served and lost their lives and to their families who grieve.