I only came close to the armed services during the hey days of the Viet Nam war when for three months I had to declare myself eligible for the draft due to a high lottery number. And for those three months I and my family had a whole lot of soul searching going on as to my options of enlisting or moving to Canada. It became a moot point for me as my number was never called and I was never eligible for draft again.
The only person I knew well who served in Viet Nam is my brother-in-law and to this day he never has and I suppose never will speak more than a few words on his experience there.
When I was very young living in Pittsburgh PA, Veterans Day was not only a day off of school but a day with a parade that included members of VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), the JWV (Jewish War Vets) of which my future father-in-law was a major mucher (big shot), and fire and police men marching in uniform and with their patrol cars and fire engines. My father was a Sargent in the Pittsburgh Police Force and since the parade was in our neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, he too was a big mucher in organizing the parade. (My Dad had enlisted at a very young age in both the navy and the army).
We waved flags, sang God Bless America and pledged allegiance to the flag, never once missing a beat nor once questioning our actions and reactions. We were proud of the Vets most of whom back then had served in WWI, WWII, and the never declared war, but police action of the Korean War. As we knew about all the wars, enlisting in the armed services was a thing all Americans did and the armed services was a melting pot and equalizer of sorts for rich/poor, white/ black, and the perceived heterosexuals. (In the 50's heterosexuals were men and homosexuals considered pansy's and certainly would never enlist unless all they enlisted for was to whack off in the shower staring at all the hot heterosexuals---something John McCain and his homophobes fear actually happens).
In the 60's protest took precedent and the returning Vets did not march in parades nor did many of them garner and get the respect I believe they so much deserved. Instead they were blamed as agents of Capitalism and masters of slaughter and were judged by many as the villains in an unpopular war. Too few of them could find the holiday of Veterans Day meaningful or memorable, as their memories of the war were seldom shared or considered relevant or important. Again, I believe that was a shameful reaction by and of this nation.
And now we are celebrating Veterans Day 2010 as we are still fighting two wars where 18, 19, 20 year old's are asked to perform tasks that most and many can't even fathom. They are in far away places whose names are hard to pronounce and whose locals aren't sure who the hero or the villain really are. Many are there because for them it is vengeance for the terrible attacks on this country, an American responsibility, a means to earn a living, or a right of passage. For most, God willing, they can return home of sound mind and sound body and march in next years Veteran's Day parade.
But I wonder how those who established the ground works for these wars are honoring this solemn day. I wonder if George W. Bush has taken any time from his hectic schedule of book signing and book promotion to consider how his lies regarding weapons of mass destruction have changed the course of so many young men and women? I wonder if Mr. Bush when not chatting with Oprah, Matt Lauer, the comedians of Fox Pac TV, has even taken a moment of silence to pray for the lives lost and the lives ruined while he changed his definition of the reason for invading Iraq, from WMD's to helping Iraqi women gain freedom from their Muslim restrictive culture, to bringing democracy to the first Islamic nation. I wonder if Mr. Bush's conscience which was so offended when he was called a racist because of his poor handling of hurricane Katrina found enough of that conscience to say I am so sorry for misleading, misrepresenting, mistaking my intentions to go to war as anything real?
And what is Donald Rumsfeld doing this Veteran's Day 2010? The then Secretary of Defense who cowardly took no responsibility for the handling of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and blamed it on the discontent and immature behaviors of army grunts. I wonder how he honors this Veteran's Day? Does he go out and water board a few neighbors, does he burn a Koran or two, does he remember saying that safety vests, safety armor were really not that important and that soldiers had to adapt to the war, the war does not adapt to the special needs of the troops?
And Dickie Cheney with his 5 count 'em 5 deferrals from serving in any military uniform, wonder if on his thousand acre ranch in Wyoming or some secret mountain cave he even knows what day this is. I wonder if he has invited Scooter Libby over sharing some inside jokes about CIA agents, rewriting documents, sharing old lies they told to the press and public about the US intentions in Iraq. Wonder if they both lament the fact that they had to attack Afghanistan finally (even though the cowards who attacked this nation had fled to Afghanistan) due to stupid pressure from the citizens of this country. Wonder if they still complain that they had to make some feeble attempt to try and find Bin Laden. They both knew the money was to be made on the oil in Iraq, not the poppy's in Afghanistan.
And what about President Obama. He spoke while in Korea for the G20, and said all the right words about the kind of courage demonstrated by ALL of our troops. He admired their valor and vigilance and reminded all of us as Americans how so many have given their lives for our freedom. He still hasn't spoken about when these wars will end, how they will end and what will happen to the many troops, whose lives and lives of their families has turned topsy turvey. And when the President thanks ALL of the troops does he also mean those members of the armed services who can't be asked and can't tell that they, aside from being brave, are Gay and Lesbians? Are the troops more of a hero if they remain silent and act as second class citizens?
Oh yeah, it may be Veteran's day 2010, but presidential hopeful Sister Sarah, is already talking about the Vets who will be around when, if she is elected will be fighting a third war in Iran.
I know the meaning and purpose of Veteran's Day came from the heart of a nation grateful for the sacrifices too few made for so many. It was originally some small way to say thank you for some awfully big gestures of life and limb made by our troops. I know no matter my own thoughts about war I do appreciate the men and women who stand in the trenches, ride the roads filled IED's, and walk through the beaches, villages, cities of people who would kill them on the spot if they could. This is not another Hallmark card holiday and never should be. But I have to wonder what goes through the heads of a President who created a war invented by his Vice President and implemented by his Secretary of Defense and never really questioned by a majority of elected politicians?
I can sit here and blog and bitch and moan and feel safe because of the men and women Gay and Straight who have put and currently place their lives on the line for me. Thank You, ALL. thank you!
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