"Years ago, my lady and I were having dinner at a Marina del Rey restaurant," said a 60 ish man with a thick graying beard and with graying black hair under a baseball cap. "There were a dozen big beefy guys there, they were bikers, and it turned out they were all Vietnam veterans," this 5 foot 6 inch man continued.
"I asked the waitress to serve them a round of drinks on me. And when the drinks were served, I raised my drink to them and said, 'thank you for your military service.' About five of those huge guys got up and came over to me. Each one gave me a big bear hug.
"They were all crying. And one guy said, 'I've waited 30 years for someone to say, thank you.' (It told me) a little appreciation goes a long way. The guys and ladies who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan today, whether you agree with the wars or not deserve some appreciation.
"(If they are not killed or injured), they are going to come back fucked up with (post traumatic stress disorder) and that's not for two years, that's for a lifetime." This man had already high fived John Fortier and me when he read the sign, but upon learning John is a Korean War veteran, he walked over and hugged him. "I always honk when I see you guys," he added as he slowly turned and walked away.
But about 15 minutes later he returned. "I was thinking about your question, what do the wars mean to me," he said. After an instant of silence, he looked at us, raised his hands high in the air at shoulder width and said, "People Die," as he stepped back and walked away. However, from the quizzical look on his face, it appeared he was still wrestling with that troubling question.
Among the horn honks and waves of support came the voice of a 25 ish women from a white SUV. "Thank you for doing that," she said. "I have a friend who is serving in Afghanistan. He is a helicopter pilot and so far he is doing great. But I don't want to jinx that by talking about it.
"He graduated from West Point," she continued. " He is 24 and now he's a Captain in the Army. He's coming home in August, 2011. He's been in Afghanistan since August, 2010. Thank you for being out here."
This Army Captain aside, for the U.S. military and its allies and the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. wars and occupation are going badly. After nearly 10 years of war; men, women and children continue to be killed or maimed, children are being orphaned and those countries are in disarray, ruled by governments kept in power by the U.S. military. In addition, the cost in dollars is horrific, draining the U.S. treasury while America is going broke.
As this vigil remembers the millions of people who have been killed or injured and the severe price their families pay, it is with the hope the U.S. which launched these wars, will end them. For trying to beat people into submission doesn't work, it only leads to more bloodshed, as events have shown. And it raises the possibility they will seek revenge.
As with the Vietnam War, which Americans in large numbers brought to an end, today's wars will end when Americans care enough to unite and demand an end to the fighting and a withdrawal of U.S. forces. Or these wars may end when the U.S. is morally and financially bankrupt, left with no choice but to bring its troops home to maintain order. As a matter of conscience, if you are not yet doing so, please raise your voice for peace and for compassion for our brethren caught in the horrors of these wars.
Dick
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