The National WWII Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Vietnam War Memorial
Faces of the Fallen - Iraq and Afghanistan theatres.
As recent as Pfc. Scott G. Dimond on October 13th or Spec. Geoffrey Johnson
4780 American men and women have died in the last two, still ongoing unnecessary wars. Well, that is if you buy the official line as to why we're there. I'm not going into a diatribe of 'why we're really there'. Those of you who've done your research already know. Those of you who don't.. well, I'll save that for tomorrow for a more appropriate time.
For now, ponder and wonder why, besides the OBVIOUS World War 2, Americans have been sent OFF to war, "fighting" for their "freedoms". (here is a hint, no one was invading)
As someone who was born and raised after WW2 in the Netherlands, but hearing plenty of stories of courage, resistance people and family members and Allied forces alike, I am disgusted at the immorality of sending all these people off to war as if their lives don't count. Well..they do. And that's all I have to say about that.
Go check out the link and for today, if you cannot go to a cemetary to honor the fallen, go to the site to at least make this more real. You can click on the faces and find out when and where they were from and how they died.
Update: This picture is in response to Border Explorer's comment, see comment section.
I agree with you. There have to be better ways to resolve issues than war.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful post, Ingrid. We need to see the people who are being destroyed. The hurt inflicted. The families devastated. We need to feel the pain we are causing so that we will insist that it stop immediately.
ReplyDeleteOn this day, a lot of platitude comments fly around the MSM and ordinary people copy them for lack of knowledge of what really to say. What is the appropriate thing to say? "Your son/daughter sacrificed him/herself for 'naught'?" "What was he/she/you thinking when you joined the military?" "Do you really believe that fighting abroad is preserving 'our' freedom?"
ReplyDelete"THIS" is bigger than we are. The issue is not as simplistically explained in a sound bite or less. If anything, it also requires a willingness to seek the truth and to be able and willing to relinquish one's self image of what it means to be 'American'.
Ingrid
I am waiting for my sons to touch base so I can wish them a Happy Veterans Day! Everyone in the service should be honored for serving their country.
ReplyDeleteHowever because of this war mongering mis Administration I have done a few posts questioning the real reason for the numerous wars we have been in. Most clandestinely started by us!
Thanks for this, Ingrid. It did get me thinking. We sure do glorify war. It does redraw world maps. Sometimes those redrawn borders stick, mostly they don't. When they do stick, it is usually after unbelieveable violence & death. We try to categorize the results, but we can never categorize the dead.
ReplyDeleteps, I didn't even know there was a Korean War memorial. I don't recall ever seeing a photo.
Ruth, thanks for visiting. I guess people's 'expectation' of the 'why's' of war is different then the reality of why we do. Especially in the US, sorry to say.
ReplyDeleteBE..while we were in Washington DC in July, the Washington Post ( I believe or was it USA today??) ran an article how this lady who had gotten in charge of Arlington cemetary, had started giving permission for burials to be photographed. In no time did she get fired. It's shameful indeed.
James, I know you're my 'brother in arms, blog-style'. I do hope you've heard from your sons in the meantime. Perhaps after they return, you'll have different conversations with them and they can understand your p.o.v. better.
DK..if you stand in front of the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean memorial is to your left, and the Vietnam memorial is to your right. It was a lot of walking that morning and the kids were hot and tired so we did not make it to the Korean one. I do hope one day to see it for myself..
Ingrid
it's sad to see all the coffins...
ReplyDeletei think they should show this stuff on TV more... might make more ppl change their minds about whether this war is a good or a bad thing!
Yes we are Ingrid! My sons do understand my point of view! One in the military even agrees with it but he has a job to do and shuts up until we get together.
ReplyDeleteIt really is funny! One placates me and the one just back from Iraq listens and says he understands. Of course he gets me going and I say off color things to him and he just laughs and says Dad if my troops ever heard you talk to me like that they would all run or dig a hole.
I have to laugh! I am their father not their keeper. We have always been best friends but I can advise them not tell them what to do. I raised men!
One of the things I'd like to do is find a way to communicate with a veteran. I think a lot of them are going to come back lost and alone in very hard times.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful piece. And your perspective is a unique one for most of us, since you were much closer and better informed than most of us about the experience of the invaded. Our big war was the Civil War.
I came of age during the Vietnam era. So many young men came home with PTSD and drug addicted. The VA hospitals were worse then than they are now. At least now we're talking about PTSD.
There are a lot of heroes we should be proud of. I did a post today - using my Quote of the Day - to focus on the heroics of Hugh Thompson. A lot of people have never heard of the man, but to me, he is the biggest hero to come out of the Vietnam war. He is the man who landed his helicopter during the massacre at My Lai and told his crew to point their weapons at the Americans who were killing innocent civilians indiscriminately. If it wasn't foe Thompson and his crew, the entire village would have been killed. That's three men taking the side of a Vietnamese village against an entire company of revenge addled American soldiers. That, to me, is true heroism.
ReplyDeleteHi Utah!
ReplyDeleteSaw your comment about returning Veterans and thought you might appreciate this exchange today regarding one of my sons!
They claim Obama wants a Gestapo. I can't believe it, Bush already has one!This is going to be bad!
It is not funny but it is funny you mentioned PTSD! I just had a 2 hour conversation with the son I am flying to Florida to drive back to Massachusetts with!
one of my sons that just got back from Iraq has been in and out of combat for many years. Anyway I suspected he had PTSD before this tour in Iraq but he laughs it off.
Anyway he told Bill he has it but he will not tell them and if Obama tries to take his guns he will kill someone. He was a major trigger before all these tours.
He's EOD and one of the guys doing body parts and told another son some wild stories but he has not opened up to me yet.
His wife finds him under the bed a lot at night covering from mortar attacks. Oh man!
2:16 PM
One Fly said...
Sorry to hear that Jim. Another of the tens of thousands of reasons why these people need to be held accountable.
2:41 PM
an average patriot said...
Hi one fly
He was talking to me when he was in Afghanistan and I knew he had it then. He lied to the Doctor so he could go to Iraq! He is hard core and take charge. Always ends up taking control! He just got okayed for a Bronze star but he says he doesn't deserve it. I know he does!