Once A Soldier

I was in the US Army during the 1980's which was peace time. I served four years and I never saw combat. I came close a couple of times but nothing ever happened. I am grateful for that. Unlike war time vets, I never had to see my friends get blown up nor did I have to witness bodies on the battlefield. That said I still served with pride. The peacetime status of my service does not take away from the fact that I served.

I still look at the flag and feel the duty of service. When I hear the national anthem I listen to it carefully and remember the words and contemplate their meaning.

After all these years I have dreams about being in the army. I know I am lucky. I know that because I did not see combat I do not suffer from combat related PTSD. Nor do I have battlefield nightmares. Still I realize that there are many combat era vets who do. They do not have pleasant dreams of army life. I understand what their loss means and I am grateful for their service and sacrifice and the sacrifice of their families. So when I'm feeling all patriotic I remember that I sacrificed little in comparison to them. When I think of our men and women who have served and are serving overseas I think of how losing them is losing the fabric that makes the country great.

These are people who deserve the utmost respect. No one who served in peace time can fully grasp the horrors of war, but we respect those who experienced it. Those who never served in the military at all cannot understand the mental attitude and stability it takes to be a good soldier. Being a soldier is in small part following orders. In the larger scheme of things it is putting yourself second and your fellow soldier and country first. How much the more so for war vets? How much do they and their families sacrifice? How about the children who lose moms and dads? We remember them only when it is convenient. We remember them only at certain times of the year. Very seldom do we speak of the horrors they faced or the torment they bear. When our troops come home we expect them to get on with their lives as though they never left.

The last time we had a draft was during Vietnam. Those soldiers were plucked out of society and placed on the battlefield. This is a lost and forgotten citizenry. Who knows what they could have contributed if not for the war?

Today we have all volunteer military. It is to the government's advantage to keep it voluntary. When you volunteer they can hold that over your head for as long as your service lasts. Complaints from soldiers today are much different in some ways than in conscripted armies of the past. This is reflected in our attitudes toward veteran affairs today. We almost never hear anything on the news about veteran rights anymore. We barely ever talk about MIA's or KIA's. We almost never hear of battles fought. We see only happy pictures of returning troops. I suppose it's better that way. We are more docile because of that. But I remind you to ask yourself what you don't know.

It's not a matter of information, it's a matter of contemplation. Are our people being given all the credit they deserve? Are they being treated fairly? What is fair, and to whom? I hope they are. I know when I was in the military, there was no GI bill. It had expired about two years before. There was no one to complain to we volunteered. There really were no benefits to speak of. I am entitled to medical services, for which I am grateful. I and all my fellow vets who served with me got precious little for education. We had the VEA (veteran educational assistance) program which matched dollars put away for college to certain limits. Unfortunately, I had to send money home to my mom, so I had little to put away. My point is I hope the GI bill our troops have now is adequate for education and I hope it can't be cashed out. I hope we are giving our men and women more than just money. They certainly get little in accolades.