Veteran's Day
Nov. 11th, 2012 09:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydionHere we are remembering the service of our veterans, while our troops still fight in Afghanistan.
To me supporting the troops means only putting them in harms way when the cause is worthy and the mission clear. It means giving them body armour, and well armored transports, and sufficient supplies. It means a good support system, access to quality medical care when they come home, and real help adjusting and dealing with all the crap they have suffered in our name. It means psychiatric help where needed. It means prosecuting the people who rape our female troops instead of punishing the rape survivors as is the current policy. It means the GI Bill. It means excellent health benefits, job placement help, and COL increases for disabled vets and the families of our dead. It means considering every drop of blood valuable.
I think about WWI a lot on Veteran's Day. It's the war most people forget. It's the war that took my mother's Uncle Billy's leg and ruined his lungs. Such horrific carnage and sacrifice to no good purpose really. Rich old men of power sat far back from the lines and ordered wave after wave of young men to die horribly, and those men went. A generation of young men were ground to hamburger because the men making the decisions were using a hundred year old+ tactics in an era of machine guns, poison gas, and flame throwers.
People liken Iraq and Afghanistan to Vietnam, and I think of that too, but I also think of WWI. It seems like we've learned nothing from either one and I suspect we're going to learn nothing from these either. We send young women and men off to horror, and we still really can't say what it's for and the rich men in power begrudge the survivers every penny.
I honor those who've sacrificed, and at the same time I wish we'd stop demanding it frivolously and honor our debt to those who've served.
As always, on these occasions, I give you And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPFjToKuZQM
* My Grandfather's Service: http://gwyd.livejournal.com/903361.html
* Honoring Trans Vets: http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/11/happy-veterans-day-2012-trans-vets.html
To me supporting the troops means only putting them in harms way when the cause is worthy and the mission clear. It means giving them body armour, and well armored transports, and sufficient supplies. It means a good support system, access to quality medical care when they come home, and real help adjusting and dealing with all the crap they have suffered in our name. It means psychiatric help where needed. It means prosecuting the people who rape our female troops instead of punishing the rape survivors as is the current policy. It means the GI Bill. It means excellent health benefits, job placement help, and COL increases for disabled vets and the families of our dead. It means considering every drop of blood valuable.
I think about WWI a lot on Veteran's Day. It's the war most people forget. It's the war that took my mother's Uncle Billy's leg and ruined his lungs. Such horrific carnage and sacrifice to no good purpose really. Rich old men of power sat far back from the lines and ordered wave after wave of young men to die horribly, and those men went. A generation of young men were ground to hamburger because the men making the decisions were using a hundred year old+ tactics in an era of machine guns, poison gas, and flame throwers.
People liken Iraq and Afghanistan to Vietnam, and I think of that too, but I also think of WWI. It seems like we've learned nothing from either one and I suspect we're going to learn nothing from these either. We send young women and men off to horror, and we still really can't say what it's for and the rich men in power begrudge the survivers every penny.
I honor those who've sacrificed, and at the same time I wish we'd stop demanding it frivolously and honor our debt to those who've served.
As always, on these occasions, I give you And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPFjToKuZQM
* My Grandfather's Service: http://gwyd.livejournal.com/903361.html
* Honoring Trans Vets: http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/11/happy-veterans-day-2012-trans-vets.html