For over 200 years, Americans from all walks of life have answered their country’s call to arms during times of war. They have sacrificed their security, their future, and their lives to defend this country and our way of life. They march, sail, and fly into battle at the behest of our leaders with a single thought: protect American freedom and lives. They endure hardships and experience horrors most of us can never really comprehend, and they do it without thinking twice. America has been engaged in many wars over the course of our history, some of them righteous, others less so. But no matter the reason for conflict, when the military is ordered into action they go. It is this unwavering devotion to duty that makes our military among the finest in the world.
As we remember those who have fallen and those who are still fighting on this Veteran’s Day, we must try to separate the conflict from the men and women who go off to fight it. We must remember that these people did not create the wars they are sent to fight. They do not decide what weapons to use, what enemy to target, what building to destroy. They operate on orders from our civilian leaders, funneled through the military command. They just do what they are told to the best of their ability. They do it because they have to. They do it out of honor. They do it for us.
We must always remember that regardless of how we may feel about a particular conflict, we can never allow our feelings about war to denigrate those who would stand and fight for us. In the 1960’s and 70’s, American soldiers were demonized by average citizens because of widespread discontent with the war in Vietnam. No matter how wrong American policy may have been at that time, it was not the soldiers who deserved condemnation.
The war in Iraq has been drawing comparisons to the Vietnam conflict almost since it began two years ago. Some of those comparisons may be dead on, others a bit off the mark. But if average Americans learned anything in the years following Vietnam it was that our soldiers are not our enemy. There will always be atrocities in war and there will always be people in and out of uniform who betray the cause by acting in ways that bring shame to themselves and to our military. Prime examples of this include the horror of My Lai and the despicable actions at Abu Ghraib. But we must strive to remember that as a whole, our men and women in uniform work hard to live up to the high expectations we have of them. Americans no longer blame the military en masse for the acts of a few bad apples. We know that those who would fight for us deserve better than to be painted with such a wide brush.
On this Veteran’s Day, I hope that you will take a moment to honor those who have fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan. Honor those who have fallen in the wars of yesterday. If you have a veteran in your family, offer them thanks. If you see a veteran on the street, shake their hand, buy them a cup of coffee, throw a few dollars in their tin cup. Take time today to remember the service they have given in your name and the sacrifice they have made for all of us.
Fighting the battles of war is the job of the military. Fighting the politics of war is our duty. Tomorrow will bring another day of fighting and death abroad. Tomorrow will give another chance to confront the political machinations that have brought this war upon us. But for just one day, today, let’s forget about the politics of war and remember the warriors.
This entry was posted on Friday, November 11th, 2005 at 6:04 pm and is filed under Common Sense, Military, Veterans, War.
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November 11th, 2005 at 7:05 pm
Thank you for remembering Veterans Day; many have served and lost their lives (literally or through loss accrued while on Active Duty). It is important to stop and reflect upon this day, regardless of political affiliation or personal belief!
Check out today’s entry (if you’d like), as it pertains to veterans:
http://exploringconsciousness.blogspot.com
Thanks
November 11th, 2005 at 8:39 pm
Great post. Eloquent and appropriate and certainly necessary. I’ll be happy to direct folks your way. I’m at http://www.sustenancescout.blogspot.com.
November 11th, 2005 at 8:55 pm
Semper Fi – I’m glad they are on our side.
I’m linking again, ken. Blog on brother.
November 12th, 2005 at 12:07 am
as a soldier, I couldnt have said it any better. thank you.
November 12th, 2005 at 12:19 am
Oh! Is it veteran’s day already? I’ve been overseas too long.
Yay vets!
November 12th, 2005 at 1:21 am
As a Veteran of the US Navy who served during the first Gulf War I thank you for this well written post. My hats off to all of our Veterans and to those currently in harms way fighting for our freedom.
November 13th, 2005 at 5:44 pm
You’ll find good and bad any where you look, but I think you will find some of the finest people on the face of the earth are serving in the United States military.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic
November 13th, 2005 at 7:27 pm
Okay, I am about to become really unpopular as I offer my really unpopular opinion about supporting the troops (excuse me while I step behind the safety glass).
I don’t “support the troops” absolutely. I support them conditionally, but not across the board. Why?
First, it’s blind loyalty to support an army “right or wrong”. I support those soldier who defend my country and, to a certain degree, its interests and allies. I do not support those who lend their services to actions which are expressions of outward aggression to seize resources, power, or influence. In fact, the unconditional support of the troops must logically extend to suppport for troops in general, and therefore support for our enemies’ troops, too – I mean, do we support Nazi soldiers who fought to serve their country, and answered its call? Or the brave kamikazes?
Second, I have known my share of soldiers, veterans, and wannabes. Many of them a great, wonderful people. But, others are vicious, violent sadists who want to hurt and kill people. Sorry, but it is true, based upon personal experience.
And since someone might ask: No, I did not serve in the military. I was born in 1960 and there has not been a war in my lifetime (that America was in) which involved national defense, so I never joined.
Okay, fire away…
November 14th, 2005 at 1:12 pm
To SheanC, whatever… At least you have the right to voice your viewpoint thanks to those that fought for your rights to do so.
With regards to the article, thank you for your words. Very well written and much appreciated.
Semper Fi!
November 14th, 2005 at 8:47 pm
(responses)
Radical Woman, Sustenance Scout, Windspike, Gigotti, Jon, David, & Shoelace-
You’re welcome for the post. but the real thanks should go to those who serve.
Alex- Time for a new calendar?
Shea-No need for safety glass here, you know that.
My take is a bit different. For many enlisted personnel, the military offers a chance out of poverty because of the promise of education. Most do not enlist to kill, or even to fight, even though they know that those are possibilities. They join for a better future for themselves, and try to turn the things they learn into productive aspects of their civilian lives in the future.
Yes, there are rotten people in uniform, but so too are there many, many good folks.
But your question about unconditional support is pertinent, especially with the examples you’ve given. The difference to me, and maybe this is just semantics, is that in this country, service is voluntary (or at least mostly always voluntary) where in the dictatorial regimes you posed, service was mandatory. Our soldiers can choose not to fight, but to support if they are bona fide conscientious objectors. I don’t blindly support those who revel in killing for killings sake, but I can make a distinction between the acts of war, those who are charged with following orders, and those who give the commands.
Anyhow, thanks for another perspective on this.
November 15th, 2005 at 9:17 am
I am more on Sheanc here. You certainly wrote an eloquent post and are entitled to your opinion, as much as I would like to agree with you regarding the respect to pay to Veterans, in your own writing lies the thorn.
We cannot thank people unconditionally, on the premises that they do not take the decisions but simply follow the orders. As Sheanc pointed out, this blind commitment is the cornerstone of despotic societies, whatever the disguised label they abide to.
You state that fighting the battles of war is the job of the military. Fighting the politics of war is our duty. However, military are citizens too. So, before putting on the uniform, they have as much right and obligation to fight the politics of war.
In fact, I believe your counter example hurt more than proving your point. When military service is mandatory, one could excuse the people under said regime and claim it was not their fault, they had no other choice, besides, they served their country. What about the voluntary service you talk about? If soldiers volunteer, they share as much the responsibility of the order they are about to carry! Which brings us back to my point: before volunteering, information is necessary.
The aura of serving your country and your flag is a tad too dazzling to allow these informed decisions. Point and case: uninformed citizens are responsible for their government, whether they turn into soldiers later or not is irrelevant.
December 1st, 2005 at 6:45 pm
In the 1960’s and 70’s, American soldiers were demonized by average citizens because of widespread discontent with the war in Vietnam.
Thank you for thanking the vets, including those who are serving overseas right now (unlike others here who are just itching to spit on them).
However, college-educated student leftists are not “average citizens”. It wasn’t the guys at the Union Hall that spit on our servicemen. It wasn’t small-town shop keepers that threw blood on them when they came home. It wasn’t the PTA that stood outside the airports shrieking “baby killers”.
And if there’s one thing I think we’ve learned, it’s that a good part of that segment that did such things haven’t learned a thing from it. They just use larger words to try to justify themselves.
December 28th, 2005 at 4:32 pm
Ken, I must disagree in part with your comment earlier about why Americans serve in the military. While there are some who join for college money, or for a job I will let you know that I was not alone when I joined the Marines because I wanted to serve my country. I come from an upper middle class family and college would have been paid for so college money wasn’t it. I joined because of my feelings about my country and a need to be part of something larger and more important than myself. I wanted something to motivate me to be the absolute best I could be. So I joined The Marines. All they promised me was a chance that I might be good enough to someday call myself a Marine. Today I protect that title vigorously (I’ve been off of active duty for 10 years now).
Believe it or not, some of those I served with did join to fight. Others like me fought whenever our country asked us to in order to preserve our rights and way of life.
I rarely agree with what you write here, but I’m very proud to have had a small part in protecting our right to say what we believe and still disagree.
Semper Fi Ken
Hurricane Bob