Not Much Has Changed

Posted August 22nd, 2007 at 3:37 pm in Scuttlebutt & Poop

I really hate to see things like this. It makes me feel like nothing has changed. This little ditty was purportedly written on a Marine barracks door near Iraq but it could have been discovered, inscribed with a bayonet on a bullet-scarred wall in Vietnam some 40 years ago. It is a not-so-subtle message that speaks to the gut of the frustration that troops on the line feel when they are away from home and under the stress of combat. (I know, I felt plenty of it myself) It's only natural for troops in that situation to want the world to stop and pay attention because "I could lose my life here sports fans, and many of us already have." So how can the folks back in the "world" carry on like there is nothing to worry about? It may seem that way sometimes but I don't think it's as bad as that statement suggests. Let me try to explain:

The show must go on, especially in America, but that does not mean that our hearts and minds automatically degenerate into apathy for our troops or for our cause. The majority of real Americans care very much. Our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are supported by everyone in my community and as far as I can tell, it's a full-blown, national support, real yellow ribbon stuff. As a Vietnam veteran I find comfort in that.

Our President takes a lot of flak for this mess as Commander In Chief every day but when it comes down to it, none of those people really matter. It's literally "our boys" again who are at risk for this particular political hot potato. Yes, everyone is concerned about terrorism but is Iraq the place to deal with it? Can the next president end the war by withdrawing our troops, will he (or she) actually do it or will they spend their entire administration on gradual withdrawal and troop reduction? Does the American public as a whole want those wars to end? But let us not forget, Al Quida is still out there plotting every day how to do harm to Americans.

I don't know the answer to those questions but I think I am like most productive people who try to go on about their lives while getting their war news from the media. I don't much care for the politics of using American lives as an election platform but it sure seems to happen. What I do think about while sitting in a soft leather recliner, in my air-conditioned home, on my quiet street is "what it must be like for these men and women in combat operations, far from their homes and families, It is my honor to support them must support them.

This thinking that no one cares may be explained by looking at it from this angle: It's a defense mechanism that people employ sub-consciously because, unless they know a Marine, they just have no conception of what it is that they go through - day after day - for us. They prefer to not think about it unless they have a direct connection to the Corps via son, daughter, husband, wife, etc. Another wild theory of mine suggests that it's a way of showing our troops that, thanks to you, we are free to go to mall without fear. And maybe while we are there we might just buy a little something for the guys who go "in harms way." We think about you and pray for your safe return every single day.

When I was in Vietnam over 37 years ago (ouch!) we knew we weren't being appreciated by some of the folks back home. But we thought it was only the protesters who hated us because they kept blaming us for the "War" when it was the politicians who were running the show (just like they are now). Our families and friends still loved us of course but others branded us as "baby killers" and we were spit on while traveling in uniform, something that would make my dear father (deceased) roll over in his grave! Not only did we not have any choice in the matter (Canada was not an option), back then it was an honor and privilege to serve our country (Watergate was a few years down the road) and, oh yeah, there was a draft! The only problem with my generation was, we picked the wrong war, one that tore this country apart and killed 58,000 of our young people. If these poor guys in Iraq think that all of America is out to lunch, not just a bunch of students on the rampage, they must really be having a hard time of it. They even go so far as to pick on the mallers among us! Well lads, I am here to tell you that maybe a few Americans at the mall may not seem to care but I guarantee you that you have a billion times more support than us Vietnam vets.

My advice is to suck it up, keep your head down and enjoy being a hero when you get home!