Memorial Day

I was in the Navy during the Vietnam War era. I was fortunate, perhaps, that I was not ordered to Vietnam, and was not "at risk" during my time served. My Father, however,was part of the Greatest Generation and was in the front lines during many of the great battles of WWII. He was wounded twice and was a decorated infantry G.I in the 7th Armored Division. And, that is about the extent of what I know about his experience in the great war! He was no different than most of the veterans of that war who found that the experience could only be discussed with others who were there and shared it! No one else could understand. Veterans of that war, on both sides of the battle, could sit and talk to each other many years later about their similar feelings and shared experiences. Yet during the war, they would have shot each other on sight.

I happen to think that is true of most verterans who were in the front lines of any war, whose lives were in danger on a daily basis, and whose goal it was to kill another human being. They saw the inhumanity of war and the degradation of the human race which was necessary to hate and kill without hesitation. The enemy had to become something other than a human being, a heine, a kraut, a Tojo or Jap, a slant or gook. And when they got back to the real world they had to live in, they found that it was a false reality and no one who had not been on the battleground could understand how they felt when they were there.

Some were not able to adjust back to what others would consider a normal life. And to all who were not where they had been, there was still no understanding, and not enough support to make them well.

There are alot of young men and women, who like me, served their country in the military, but were fortunate to never be at war and in the line of fire. On Veteran's day they may honored because they were willing to step forward, to be availiable just in case. But Memorial Day is the most important day to honor those who put their lives on the line and lost them for a cause which was thought to be honorable and worthy of that risk, and to the benefit of our nation and humanity.

Someday we can all hope that all humanity will find that violence usually solves no problems, and there will be no living veterans of wars left to remember what war was like. If that comes to pass, perhaps it will be because of those who were there, making those who were not fully understand the reality of war. And we can honor them for that as well!