"Old soldiers .....just fade away," is a phrase made famous in Gen. Douglas MacArthur's farewell address to Congress. There is a kernel of truth in this old aphorism. They "fade away" from our collective consciousness, except every November 11th. Once a year they don their uniforms, at least the parts that still fit, and remind us of who they are and what they did. The other days of the year they blend in with everyone else, "fading away" in plain sight.
As mentioned in an earlier entry, I never had the opportunity to serve in the military. This was not due to a lack of desire or ability. A minor, but chronic, medical condition precluded any chance of that happening. Had that not been the case, I most probably would have served during the tail end of the Viet Nam War, and may or may not have been sent there. No matter, it didn't happen, so what is my point?
My point is that while I did not serve, many others did, and still do. They made it possible for me to live my life of relative ease by their service. For this I am both thankful and envious. There was always something in the military life that appealed to me, even as a boy. I'm sure that in my early years it was mostly visions of honor and glory, waving flags and blaring bugles. Those juvenile fantasies were later supplanted with those ideals best expressed by the famous motto of West Point: Duty, Honor, Country. But those fantasies and dreams did not come to pass.
As a result, the best that I can do is to express my gratitude to those who lived my dream which, for some, was more akin to a nightmare. Whether it was upon the frozen fields of Bastogne or the Chosin Resevoir, the steaming jungles of Guadalcanal or the A Shau Valley, the burning sands of Iraq or Tunisia, or the desolate isolation of Greenland or the DEW line, in both peace and war they made sacrifices that I can not even begin to comprehend. I give to them, no matter how or where they served, a heartfelt thank you as I raise my hand to salute and wish them Godspeed in their journey through life.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThinking of my father today. He was given a Bronze Star in North Africa for taking out a machine gun nest before his entire platoon was wiped out. He never told my Mom but he proudly showed me it jsut before he died
ReplyDeleteI never had an urge or felt a lure to participate in the military. I do not question supporting them with tax dollars, and I do feel a shiver when they march by in parades and virtually everyone stands in respect and gratitude. I respect those who did serve, whether in peacetime or war, and feel we owe more to them than we can repay.
ReplyDelete