War Sucks.

In case you have never sat down with a veteran and talked about what happens on the battlefield, I want to tell you a secret: War sucks.

Over there…

No one can refute fox holes are nasty business. Yes, they protect from some projectiles and shrapnel, but they are also deadly, nearly inescapable targets.

No one denies the hours stink, the conditions are rotten and the pay non-existent. The training is grueling, the hours bite and a social life is lacking.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch…

The conditions are only better in terms of shelter and creature comforts. In the empty bed where your soldier should lie, fear, longing and loneliness are huddled stealing the blankets.

The masses who would not volunteer for such patriotic jobs toss unappreciative japes, snide remarks and pejorative epithets.

Western Union Telegram - 1880s

Image by Kordite via Flickr

Until one day…

A yellowed envelope in my hand
from another time, a total other life,
but it seems like only yesterday.

His brown hair was short.
His shirt had a patch: Western Union.
Mother knew why he had come that Thursday.

I held her skirt hem between my fingers,
as her trembling hands fumbled
with her change purse to tip the young man.

Her mouth moved, but no words came out.
He said, “You’re welcome, and ma’am,
I’m sorry.” Mother took my hand.

She slumped against the door. A
tear slid down her cheek and splashed
on the front of her blouse. I did not understand.

Mother stood up tall and tried to smile at me.
She asked me to go to the kitchen
to get her a glass of water to drink.

I stopped, turned and watched
as Mother touched Father’s picture in a silver frame
beside the sofa. He smiled at her, I think.

She stared at the envelope she held at her knees,
so I went to the fridge to pour some water.
I sat beside her and took her hand.

Western Union Office between 1913 and 1917

Image via Wikipedia

“Sweetheart, I know how much you love your father,
but I have to tell you something.
Do you know President Truman?”

“Yes, Mother, the President of the United States.”
I could not understand what he had to do
with Father or the young man.

“President Truman sent Father to Korea to be a soldier,
so that we can be free. He sent me this telegram today,
with bad news, I’m afraid.

“Father is not coming home. He was in a battle over there,
and he was killed. That is what
the President’s telegram said.”

Caselli_telegraph

Image via Wikipedia

“But Mother, you haven’t opened it.
How do you know?” She tried again to smile and
took me in her arms. “I don’t understand.”

Today my daughter called, “Can I come over, Mom?”
The silence of her tears was loud in her voice;
its timbre very plain.

I put on the coffee and pulled out my treasure chest,
filled with memories, some very sweet,
yet others filled with pain.

Her keys clattered on the kitchen counter
by the back door. The flash of paper in her hand
brought back my image of Mother.

She saw what I had in my hand, too.
“Mom, I can’t open it. I know what it says.”
One tear slid down her cheek, onto her collar.

Mother never opened hers.
I took my daughter’s.
Telegrams never change.

020520071816


If this touched you, please tell me how.

Show gratitude to members of the armed forces. 

© Red Dwyer 2007-2011
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73 Comments

  1. awarewriter

     /  November 22, 2011

    No. We didn’t make so many enemies, the whores in power did by sending our young to die in the name of the state and the geopolitical designs of the whores in charge. George Orwell’s Newspeak is rampant in our version of Oceania. Sending troops to the far corners of the world to wage wars is the polar opposite of the principles our Republic (not democracy please).

    Sorry Red. I get upset when the foxes are in the majority and vote to have chicken for dinner. I prefer the rule of law over mob rule any day.

    John

    Reply
    • Level-headed as always, McD. It is a republic, not a democracy, despite what is on MSNBC and CNN. Hence the post I put up while you were typing.

      Reply
  2. They have already attack us. We have to much pride as Americans to let other countries beat us down. We will stand for what we believe in, no matter what it takes.

    Reply
    • Even if that means taking what we believe in to a country which does not believe the same, merely because we have an army and they do not?

      Reply
  3. The war wasn’t all bad though. I heard plenty of stories from my folks (my dad was decorated veteran) and even though war as such was a hard and difficult experience, they had some good times too and the people make friends (even German friends) that lasted a lifetime. They were all just people doing what they were told to do.
    When the Americans arrived, things got even better. So don’t call yourself a hated nation Grantahelms, The Americans came bearing gifts for the ladies (and the men) and that made them very popular. In some places Americans are revered. Why else do you think so many people like to be Americans?
    Where it comes to fashion, forget Paris and Milan, New York is the city European women look at.

    Reply
    • Thank you, Connie, for bringing some European perspective to the table. Glad you could join us.

      My grandfather had German friends for the rest of his life after the war. Some Indians, Brits and French. It is a different plane, but they were, as you say, following orders. Thank you for chiming in! Red.

      Reply
  4. James Parsons

     /  November 22, 2011

    Where would we be right now if we let Hitler do what he wanted to do? And what about Pearl Harbor, speaking Japanese, no thank you ! We fight because we want to stay free. By the way didn’t we fight a war to gain our freedom from Britain over 200 years ago. We fight because of something we believe in. America is tired of war, but we are also tired of other countries pushing other little countries around. So yes we jump in with both feet and get wet. They have not only out right attacked us and killed over 5000 people, they tried to do it more than once. And the little people always get shoved around, so yes they would bulldoze them over as fast as you blink your eye.We have proved that we are a nation that stands for what we believe, so if they want to mess let them pay like the rest.

    Reply
    • I think there is a communication breakdown, as it seems you were answering a question I asked of Sue, which was far different. What I wanted to know was: “Or did we volunteer to do the dirty work because war is big business on our on soil (economy)? And does that make us all one country? Where does sovereignty end?”

      I uphold fighting in our own defense, as in the examples you gave of the Revolution and WWII. To the same extent, one could rationalize the Civil War. (PLEASE Let’s leave that war for another discussion.)

      You say, “And the little people always get shoved around, so yes they would bulldoze them over as fast as you blink your eye.We have proved that we are a nation that stands for what we believe, so if they want to mess let them pay like the rest.” My question still remains, what is the motivation for the bulldozing and are we just beating our war drums and pounding our chests at an onlooking field mouse?

      Reply
  5. awarewriter

     /  November 22, 2011

    “I do not believe war the most certain means of enforcing principles. Those peaceable coercions which are in the power of every nation, if undertaken in concert and in time of peace, are more likely to produce the desired effect.” –Thomas Jefferson to Robert Livingston, 1801.

    Reply
    • Bravo! A voice from a founding father who did not believe we had to bulldoze anyone to accomplish resolution. The date of that one is particularly important, McD. Thank you!

      Reply
  6. I am saying that these so-called surgical strikes that miss the mark and cause collateral are the biggest reason for the issues that we face. If you aim for one man, miss him and kill his son( Khadafi),is this going to make him give up or get worse? How is giving weapons to rebels a good thing? If Saddam Hussein didn’t have American backing to overthrow the Iraqi government, would we have had to take him out 40 years later? Who’s perverted brains came up with the idea that war causes peace? However, the original subject remains the same. We who have not experienced war, have no idea what our Vets have been through or what nightmares will haunt them the rest of their lives. For that I’m thankful and respectful to them. Thanks for the can of worms Red.

    Reply
  7. Ted Atwell

     /  November 22, 2011

    Will we ever be out of the war business? History tells us no. When we weaken our military we get attacked. Japan did at pearl harbor and North Korea did it when they invaded South Korea and almost ran us off the Peninsula. I am proud to say that I am a veteran of ten years. I was in Dessert Storm and yes war does indeed suck. It sucks for many reasons some of which have been mentioned in previous posts.

    Our leaders need to think long and hard before sending our brave men and women into battle. Once they make the decision to commit troops they need to give them the objective and get out of the way. That was the problem with Vietnam there was no clear objective and both Presidents Johnson and Nixon tried to micromanage the war from the oval office. In Desert Storm President Bush told the Military to push the Iraqi’s out of Kuwait. He then let the professionals take care of the job they were trained to do. There were many (including me) that wanted us to continue on to Baghdad then but that was not the objective and if we had many parts of the coalition would have broke off.

    The other thing that should not happen is politicians using a conflict for personal gain. How many members of congress voted to go into Iraq and Afghanistan after 9-11, only later to use the conflict for some political gain. The senators and congressman that did these things should be ashamed and there constituents should remove them from office.

    Yes WAR SUCKS, but no we will never be able to get away from it totally.

    Reply
    • Thank you, Ted, first and foremost for your service and then for stopping by to enlighten us. You are so correct the politicians should stay home with the nursemaids, as they have no concept of war. Unfortunately, most in office have no concept of war and the host of issues it causes on reentry. As Linda and I discussed earlier, every single American should be grateful and humbled by the sacrifices of complete strangers (yet still countrymen) who have laid down their lives in defense of our freedom, Constitution and in defense of those countries where our government sent them.

      Again, Ted, thank you, Red.

      Reply
  8. James Parsons

     /  November 22, 2011

    I do not believe that war is a big business on our own soil because it seems that every time there is a war our economy drops. The war we are in right now has put corporations out of business for good. And very many people out of work and home. Does this make us one country ? No I don’t believe so, it divides us, those for and those against. Always has always will. Sovereignty, will probably never end as long as we put these wanna be’s in office, making decisions that can and will eventually ruin our country as we see it today.

    Reply
    • The war is big business. Billions are spent on aircraft, training, supplies, MREs, fuel, equipment, the list goes on. How many items was the supply sargeant in charge of at any given non-combat point? It nearly triples during combat…ammunition, specialized weapons, night equipment, and the list goes on and on. Our depressed economy cannot be wholly attributed to the wars (there are more than one). I realize I am exhausted, but I cannot think of a company who went out of business because we were at war, lest it be the SBO who is serving and his business is closed in his absence.

      Americans are always going to squabble. How long did it take the founding fathers to pound out a declaration? We bicker. The question was about the little guys we race out to defend, like Uganda, Bosnia, Kroatia,…I could go all the way back to Korea, but let’s stay in the here and now.

      Ted spoke of the goal of Desert Storm. Do we have those definitive goals now? Are we just flexing our muscles in someone else’s sandbox because they do not have an army to defend against invaders. Empires were made and lost on this theory since the first caveman smacked another over the head with a club to impress a woman.

      If we are inflicting our beliefs and culture onto the people we “rescue” (read like shelter animals), what makes us fundamentally different? Or are we employing Jefferson’s call for peaceable coercion to obtain more military, logistic or economic advantage:? When we impose our value system under the flag of reconstruction, we inevitably impede or abolish the wounded state sovereignty.

      Until *we* deem it worthy to stand alone (let go of the seat of the bike) while we stand further down the side walk (training wheels in hand), the freedoms men and women die to protect (for non-Americans) are being faceless-(insert name of politician)-ly erased.

      Reply
  9. awarewriter

     /  November 22, 2011

    The only way to avoid war is to ignore the rhetoric of us vs. them. We must revel in our common humanity instead. We all share red blood and salty tears. We all share laughter, especially the laughter of children at play. If not for us then for the children. We’ve screwed up our world enough. We haven’t the right to screw up the world(s) of our children.

    Reply
  10. Red, I didn’t intend to come back to this tonight, but I think McD has something with his Thomas Jefferson quote. Sixty five(?) years ago we stomped Germany, Italy and Japan into submission. We were the victors. We won! However, now, with our global trading and deregulating how much of this country do they own today? Looks like somebody read Thomas Jefferson. And I think, the Indians ( the over-seas kind) like Jefferson also. Wake up America!

    Reply
    • And I circle back. The WWII was a show of force. (note the punctuation) Now, we are not fighting for OUR freedoms, but the freedoms of others. We are scattered the world over stomping out the military equivalent of brush fires which diplomacy could have handled, provided any one of the bobbleheads took the time to have a staff writer pen them something to read from the teleprompter.

      Who is driving this flying circus? (That question is not about assigning blame as to whether we rode in a limo or a clown car to get here, but seeking who is doing something about it now.)

      Reply

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