US Army/Cpl Brian M. Henner/Handout
|
PROUD OF THIS SOLDIER
Recently, I had dinner with an old buddy who is now a Colonel stationed at the Pentagon. I was eager to talk with him about Iraq. It was tough drawing anything out of him.
In some ways, he seemed very naive about the war on the one hand; and yet, on the other, very knowledgeable. What stuck me was the fact that he sang a little of the same song about Iraq: We're all looking at a distorted picture created by the news media, we are doing alot of good by setting up orphanages and schools; most people want us there; etc.
Some of this may be true, but these items are not newsworthy as the media goes for the sensation and the NOW: suicide bombings, roadside bombings, torture killings, and kidnappings with sectarian violence running rampant-there's enough of this sort of stuff that there's no dearth of bad news. Still, I did come away from the conversation with a smidgen of hope.
AFP/Pool/File/Eugene Hoshiko
| Although hope is not a strategy, the flip side of his comments seemed to be much on top of the geopolitical framework of Iraq and beyond the hopelessness of it(somewhat of a democracy in Iraq may put pressure on the regimens in Iran and Syria for the better).
The idea that we can last long enough to get enough Iraqis trained and get the special operations in Iraq in numbers enough to simply keep training and fighting was encouraging.
If we can only turn it over to the Iraqis in two or three years, we will be lucky and then get the hell out; and then if it goes to hell, so be it. (But 2000 years hasn't brought peace-the Mideast is more violent today than ever, but remember "hope" right?).
Despite the current situation in Iraq, I was hopeful and full of pride to see this soldier, whom I saw come through the ranks, have such passion and enthusiasm for the military and its missions.
I brought the now Colonel into the Army as a green Lieutenant and started him off toward a great career. He was fresh from ROTC and naive to the max and somewhat reticent about even being in the military.
I remember saying to him: "Lt., What did you think this is? Summer camp!" He was within a hair of getting swallowed up in the bureaucracy of the Army at Bragg. We stole him away and got him entrenched in the 82nd Airborne Division before anybody knew it. Then, we sent him to jump school and made him into a paratrooper and suddenly this non-macho shy Lieutenant is gung ho, "Kill, Kill, Kill!"
Today he's a Colonel and doing a good job and encouraging me to keep the faith. Not a bad thing. JHL
| |
U.S. Department of Defense/Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon/Handout
|
Have We Forgotten To Say Thanks?
Recently on a Delta flight, I saw a 1st Sergeant on the plane. He was dressed in his BDUs (battle dress uniform), obviously just back from Iraq.
I always hesitate to talk to soldiers because I don't want to give them the third degree. He looked very tired and I wondered what he might be doing. I discovered, he was on the way home for emergency leave; his wife suffered complications during pregnancy. He didn't go into it too much and I didn't press.
I watched for sometime; and, in the course of a couple of hours, I was the only one who spoke to him. I briefly said how much I appreciate his service and commitment. He said thanks and that was it.
I wondered where are all those feel good stories that I had seen on the internet: the soldier gets on the plane, the passengers give him a spontaneous round of applause and then proceed to ply him with drinks and food, in other words, folks doing anything to reward soldiers for their great service.
AP Photo/Todd Pitman
| What I'm beginning to think is that the stories are all made up; they really didn't happen or folks are not where they were three years ago. They aren't.
In the beginning of the Iraq war, most folks were supportive; and surely, always supported the troops, whatever that might mean. But, Americans appear to be almost ADD in a sense. Something is on their radar screen and they respond, then it passes and on to the next case.
I fear folks are not focused on the war anymore. Young Americans are dying daily and somehow we are not distressed about it. It is business as usual. I don't want it to be that way. I want all of us suffering somewhat. But, without a draft and almost the entire population not having had any military experience; and even worse, not even knowing anyone who has had experience in the military, we are not collectively grieving. We are not hurting. I do hope I'm wrong, but fear that I am not.
It was good to see the young troop in his uniform, a desert uniform, at least maybe it caught the eye of someone. I'm glad to see soldiers traveling in their work uniforms. They are fighting a war for God's sake. And, it does remind me of a war story...
AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd
| I was a a young troop back during the sixties in Washington DC for the March on the Pentagon or maybe the assassination of Martin Luther King. Anyway, it was Easter and I went with a group of soldiers to this fancy Masonic outdoor amphitheater for the Easter sunrise service. There were about a couple of dozen of us.
Suddenly, this well dressed gentleman arrived on the scene and said that we would have to leave. What! Well, the man said we weren't properly dressed. We were only soldiers in our work clothes protecting these people. What the hell! When I voiced my objections not to calmly, he said we could stay if we moved to another location. We did and I've never forgotten it. At least, now, it is not as bad as then.
Maybe we have made progress. One of the legacies of the Vietnam veteran is that he was so shabbily treated after the war and the country over thirty plus years has had a collective, shame, shame. But, now, most people realize the soldier is just doing his job. So, at least for that, we should be grateful. KT
Back To The Top Hooahpubs.com
| |
| ABOUT THE TV SHOW THE SHIELD BY KT
|
I resisted watching this show for a long time. Why? Well, I'm not big into cop shows. I never got into Hill Street Blues, was somewhat into NYPD Blue, but not overwhelmingly.
I watched Life On The Streets some. My favorite became Third Watch; but it, like most of them, moved into soap operaville. But, I decided to give the first season of the Shield a shot, no pun intended. I'm hooked.
It is one terrific show. At first you think it is about a rogue cop and his rogue underlings. It starts out this way, but then it morphs into a well-rounded, character-driven show.
It is the cop show's answer to 24. Just when you think how can they get out of this, they either do or they don't. My point is, there is not always a neat resolution to every problem; the show is realistic.
The show is about the good guys getting a leg up most of the time on the bad guys. And, not always very subtle.
Watching The Shield is a way to learn about the streets which few of us have a chance to know. Wired( was on HBO) if you ever saw it, was even more ground breaking for realism. Shield is on FX, a basic cable channel, so check it out if you can or get the dvds like I did.
The main character, Vic Mackey, a cop, operates by his own code of ethics. Just when you think that he's over the top, a soft side emerges; he becomes the champion for the underdog, the Dad with an autistic kid. He's trying.
What amazes me is how he keeps it all together and separated. Bill Clinton must have taught him the "box" theory or something.
But, Mackey is not alone, the show has an entire cast of appealing complex characters. And, this show is not bereft of social issues: religion, haves and have-nots, race, and homosexuality - one of my favorite characters is the struggling gay cop. The Shield is an incredible, believable cop show with continual twists. Excuse me, I have to go and see another segment.
|
| THINKING ABOUT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT BY KT
|
North Carolina Department of Correction/Handout
|
In one of the local elections, (I'm not telling you where) I got a call asking for support for one candidate; and, after listening, said I would have to think about it. I've always felt that there are some crimes so egregious that death is the only possible way and that is often not enough.
Here's an example of what makes me feel so strongly. Over 32 years ago, this guy rapes this nurse and strangles and stabs her repeatedly. New DNA implicates him. He is now 80ish and sickly.
Remember, this happened 32 years ago. During that time, the culprit had a long history of rape and actually served 15 years in prison. He's been raping since 1954. He was convicted three times for sex crimes: kidnap-rape and kidnap-sexual assault in two different locations.
What is punishment enough for such a predator? One victim's sister had this to say which kind of says it all: "Nothing will make up for my sister's loss. Believe me, this world lost a lot more with my sister's loss than it gained with this man's living."
|
|
|
Now Available: Newly revised paperback General Lee:Father of the Airborne.