I am retired from the U.S. Army.
I am a recipient of the Purple Heart.
When I wear my "Army Veteran" cap folks around me frequently say, "Thank you for your service".
And that is somewhat awkward.
My response is always, "I was honored".
And I am.
To the extent it is possible I still attend reunions-
Officer Candidate School.
Viet Nam Helicopter Pilot's Association.
And the unit I served in while in Viet Nam.
Those reunions are therapy for me.
More importantly, they are therapy for my fellow warriors.
For some of them, those years were the MOST important time of their life.
More than fifty years have passed since our time "at risk" there.
What have we all done in the ensuing 50 years?
Those years were NOT the most important of my life.
I spend these reunion times LISTENING, knowing I can honestly say "I would not trade my Viet Nam memories for anything", but many others carry deep wounds from those experiences.
I still have PTSD.
But I truly feel my problem is pretty minor.
Before we commit our human treasure to war in the future, we MUST consider the long-term effects of our decisions.
And this doesn't take into consideration the material expenditures, which are considerable.
31 August 2024
Living In The Past
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3 comments:
Along those lines, when I hear somebody criticize Tim Walz stolen valor and then say they honor his 25 years of service, I ask: "Why would you honor what he dishonored with his oath breaking?"
Excellent point, but those that 'commit' us to those actions will NOT care about PTSD or anything else, since it will have no direct impact on THEM.
I've been late in catching up on my readings of the blogs I enjoy. And yes, I will say, Thank you for your service, as I have not served. Much respect to you.
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