We are in another war and again our military is being ordered to fight and die for a future that may not include some in the ranks. It is the old story of investing heavily in our armed forces and then our civilian leadership wanting to find some political justification for our expenditures.
Perhaps it is not up to the members of our military to take issue with this as they are professionals who volunteered for service knowing that part of the job was to put their lives on the line at any given moment. But that covenant also includes the notion that if a warrior is afflicted in the process of combat, full responsibility rests on the institutions of government to do what is possible to ameliorate the consequences beginning with solemn respect for our dead heroes.
Significant elements of that side of responsibility on the part of our institutions have never been fulfilled as only the most visibly hurt seem to get the attention. Those soldiers hurt in other ways, especially those that obey the code of not showing weakness, become walking cases of PTSD, drug addicts, wandering pilgrims of the dark, homeless and death by suicide.
Because of insufficiency of public institutions like the United States Veterans Administration, it has been a tradition for families and communities to organize themselves to help. Every day we see public service announcements on television, radio and social media advertising non-profits and asking for donations to fill in for the public agencies that have forgotten their priorities and gone on to other things.
The past weekend I attended a meeting that mostly dealt with establishing partnerships to help homeless veterans achieve some sort of stability by finding a place to live. It is a noble cause that deserves a lot of attention, action and support. Toward the end of the meeting however, someone asked about what happens to those service men and women who return home and are not quite right. To me, this mental condition is a glaring issue that requires attention and not abandonment.
When my son was selected to attend the United States Air Force Academy and construct a military career, I thought that it was a great time to do military service as peace was at hand and the prospects for war in the future did not seem to be in the offing. Then came 9/11 and his multiple deployments to the wars in the first quarter of the 21st Century that tested my notion of trust in his training and in our military leadership to bring our men and women home safely again and again.
My notion of trust also included the deployment of my beloved nephew Joey, a standing proud Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps, who served in the invasion of Iraq and came home scarred by the experience. I saw him frequently and sensed the hollowness in his soul that one night led him to his final moment on North I-25.
We are in another war and the pictures and videos of our 6 dead fighters coming home in caskets are already showing less than a respectful welcome. If that is how our dead are treated, what can we expect with regards to the reception of the coming maimed, wounded? Today’s veterans include those that were drafted and served their time, those that volunteered for the length of an enlistment and those that chose serving as a career. All of them and their service deserve respect.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
