I just wanted to take a brief moment to honor the 2002 fallen men & women in Iraq who made the ultimate sacrifice. Their death in a foreign country may go largely unnoticed by most people here in America (even those that talked so loudly about nuking the Arabs after 9-11); I hope every day that I am not one of those people. I deeply respect the courage it takes to go out on the front lines in the first place, and I am very troubled by the loss of even one of our fighters. When I see their faces on the news each night, or hear their names, or read or see about their losses, a sense of grief washes over me. I know that with each name and face a family is destroyed emotionally by the initial loss, and then later by the economic loss and finally by the missing loved one who should have been there, robbed by some politician’s plans (enemy or allied).
I would also like to honor the 15,000 + wounded casualties, a large portion of whom would normally be deaths. The miracles of modern science have given many a second chance at life. Others, however, barely make it back at all. Many of these soldiers come back with their lives in tatters. A few take their own lives; a few are alive in name only. These soldiers do not receive the hero’s burial at Arlington National Cemetery. They do not have their names listed on the nightly news (In fact, a list of the wounded, and the precise numbers are kept a secret). Yet it is not all completely grim, many come back with missing limbs or bad head problems. For many, they will get to see their sons grow up to play ball; they just won’t be able to play catch with him. For many others they will never have sons or daughters at all.
I would also like to honor the future veterans of this war. As far as I’m concerned they’re fighting for this country, and in turn for me. I am deeply ashamed of the actions of some of my fellow countrymen and women, they seem to forget we are fighting a war at all! They would rather lose themselves in the latest TV show or some debauchery than care for your well-being or give the slightest care to the battles and on goings, and that goes for folks on both sides and the middle of the political spectrum. Well, as long as anyone is willing to listen to my writings, I will always speak highly of good clean VA hospitals and a decent pension. Once you’ve laid your life on the line, you’ve earned it! This war is no exception.
In this somber week as we recognize the grim milestone of 2000 fallen, a milestone which will hopefully be the last, it is important to sit still for a moment and seriously reflect on what 2000 lost lives, and 15,000 wounded actually means.. As many will now use this figure as the justification to “stay the courseâ€, many will also say it’s time to come home. It really is sad that before the grieving stopped on soldier #2000, the pieces on the board were already in motion. I can see now that we as a country are in for a long divisive struggle.
Such things can really detract from the real message sadly. No matter what politics you are, what you think of the war and whether or not you want to “stay the course†or not, these are our soldiers dying out there in a protracted guerilla war. We must always remember the hardship they are going through, and not let the extremists lay claim to the ability to support our troops. Like the flag, our troops are apolitical. When bullets and explosives fly overhead, all of the rhetoric: red states, blue states, judicial appointments, white house scandals, geo-political shifts and gossip within the Beltway all goes flying out the window. 20 years from now however, the damage done in an instantaneous moment, will stay with our soldiers. They can’t turn the channel or find a new hobby.
We must always remember!