I Have Something to Say

For the person who just messaged me. I will not call you put publicly, so I'm leaving this here..

Soldiers do not make policy, politicians do. I swore an oath to defend and protect the Constitution. I had no choice where I was sent and who the enemy was. You think you know my "type". Here's what you may not know.

Did you know that I went away and cried, every time I had to send one of my guys home in a box? Did you know that I had to face their Mothers, Fathers, Wives and Children knowing that my decisions may have cost them their loved ones life.

Did you know that I spent countless hours and lots of my own money hanging with the local kids to give them some normalcy.

Did you know that I held back fire, when I could have and probably should have shot, to let non combatants clear the area.

Do you know that I went back to the same village where I was injured and took no revenge.

Was I walking instrument of death and destruction, yes. But not because I wanted to be.

I wish you the peace, that I'm still trying to find.

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SW-User

First Gulf War myself. And ive known ww2, Korean and Vietnam vets.
People love to sit safe and snug in a moral fantasy. Decry the warrior as no better than the barbarian. Its a tough mindset to crack and unfortunately it often takes seeing the things you saw to change them.

I just listened to stories of local veterans the other night. They dont talk of John wayne heroics...

The stories were similar to this one. An iraqi boy befriended some of the soldiers..he often brought his friend to hang out and they talked in broken english and gestures. The soldiers shared candy and food. One day the boy came alone. His friend and father had been caught in a suicide bombers explosion. His friend needed a hospital. The GIs gathered whatever money they had for him. He left but came back a couple days later. They asked him whats wrong and he just dug a hole in the ground, placed a rock in it and covered it over. All he could say was his friends name.
The soldiers cried for this boys loss and the pointlessness of it.

Thats not the face of ruthless killers some like to imagine.