Veterans and Their Families

This is really an old story of mine
posted in a previous Blog.
The chaos created to the Families
of caught up National Guardsmen
and Army ,Navy and Marine
Service men by the nature of the Iraqi
War was devastating and swift.
Combined with the threatening
economic turn down and the
deplorable Housing situation
for them is despicable.
Now ,they are being asked to
pay taxes on the pensions they receive

There are as many as 20 wounded
for every man or woman lost
in action or Illness.
They say we have 35 to 40 thousand
wounded and over 5 thousand mortally
wounded and dead.
I am inclined to say,it is more like
100,000.
What about the many thousands
who are denied treatment
and consideration for
open wounds that don't bleed.
Think of the returning Viet Nam
Veterans inflicted with Agent
Orange who were not recognized
with a service connected disability
until almost 10 years later.
Those wounded will never be
included in the final count taken
after 1978.
They will be added with an Asterisk

Our National Guardsmen are
Volunteers who enlisted to protect
The United States and its shores
from Terrorists.
What about the state of mind
of these wonderful men and women
who find themselves, thrust into war
to find non-existing weapons in
a country, Thousands of Miles
From Their Families, for a "tour
of duty" of 1 to 3 years.
Think of the anguish of this personnel
and their Wives,Children,Mothers,
Fathers, Siblings, (yes the caps are mine
because that's how important
THEY are to me) extended family
members and neighbors and friends
relating to this occurrence
The Guardsmen,with desire,
to defend America from Terrorists,
are shocked when
they are sent on what
turns out to be an exercise in frustration.
Don't you think that will affect the
Services with supreme stress and traumatic
conditions, in addition, to Worry
of a roadside explosion that kills
without selectivity ?
I do!
You have to think that , after a while, we
should abhor the horror of armed conflict
because there really is no winner.
At the conclusion of a battle, we are
supposed to be elated when the enemy
has a huge body count compared to
a smaller loss on our side.
Factually, the lesser loss, is magnified
by the Multitude that Mourn The Loss..
That is what war is!
I have earned the Right to Say So !

Will They Never Learn!

Let not them, without child to serve in war,
Beckon, our Sons to go.

Let them commit, their Sons,
Then, our children will follow.




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