Today is Veteran's Day here in the USA, and for those of you who have served, or who have family members who have served, may you think of them with pride. It's not easy to serve in the military of any nation at any time, although some times and nations are easier than others. Although I'm totally supporting Ukraine in the conflict with Russia, I do feel for the troops that Russia has sent out there. They are considered nothing more than cannon fodder, and when they lose big numbers, it barely makes a ripple in the news. Still, the losses for Russia have been serious too. It's not just Ukraine that's hurting in this conflict, it's the world which is affected.
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In my immediate family, only my father-in-law, my brother-in-law and one nephew served in active duty. I honor them today, as well as veterans throughout the world who have helped to protect the weak. |
My parents managed to escape Nazi Germany and the Nazification of Europe, but my father did lose at least one brother who died as a Resistance Fighter in the Czechoslovakian region. My father-in-law served in WWII, but he was stationed in Alaska, guarding our far Northwestern region from possible infiltration and attack by the Soviet Union. He never talked about it much, but did come back from deployment with some excellent cold weather gear that he used for hunting expeditions for many years.
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Although there can be a lot of benefits to service in the military, when it gets down to it, you're also putting your lives on the line for your country. That's a harsh reality for those who have paid the price. |
The majority of veterans I've met aren't very forthcoming about their service. It's memories they don't want to dredge up - some really bad times in some cases, better left unsaid. My own generation served in the Vietnam War, and the generation of my nieces and nephews served in some of the never-ending conflicts the USA has been involved in since those times. Now their own children are approaching the age where military service might be an option or career path in their future. It can be a good career, but as a life-long worker for peace, I'm not sure I support that career path.
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There's something real to think about in this quote. Our Veterans hospitals have been a disaster that periodically gets revised, then reverts back to a problem once again. Our general attitudes to those who serve aren't as vitriolic as during Vietnam, but veterans are still met with derision and hatred at times, simply because they did what they had to do. That's not honor that is being given to those who served. |
Still, please honor those veterans you may know or have in your own families today. What they did, and what those who are currently serving are doing, is a hard job - filled with danger and conflicting feelings. Yes, it's a job, and for many it's one of the only jobs they can easily get and succeed in. That's a hard choice. I send my thoughts out to all who serve today and to those who served in the past. May you live out the remainder of your lives without conflict and may you live in peace. Slava Ukraini.
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