As a I thought about veterans day today, it was impossible not to think of my Dad. I truly appreciate the service of our military men and women, and I learned that early from my dad. He served his country proudly and with everything he had to give.
I thought I would share a letter I wrote to him while he was still alive on Veterans day 2005. Please remember our veterans and those currently serving today and say a prayer for them..
Dad,
It's Veterans day, and I thank you for your service to our great country. It's interesting though how sometimes we can allow ourselves to make war a distant, vague, and almost unreal concept. I mean sometimes we fail to acknowledge in our minds the reality of what has really gone on in the wars of our country's past. I've heard all of your stories, and from time to time I've paused to think how terrible and intense some of those moments must have been. But I still think I have fallen into a mode where war is just one of those things that happened. We allow ourselves to talk about war just like we talk about any other historical event. The reality is that the soldiers, sailors, airmen, etc. are real. They faced real pain, they saw horrifying things, they lost real friends, they spent unreal amounts of time away from home and loved ones.
So this morning, on my way to work in the silence of my little mini-van, I tried something different. I began to visualize some of the events of your war experience. I tried my best to put myself in your shoes. Now, I have never been in any situations even close to war, so it was not the easiest thing nor the most realistic I'm sure. However, as I began to think through and actually picture some of the things you have told me about, it began to actually seem real. I saw the massive convoys of ships. I saw the explosions, and gun fire. I saw sailors faces, and their pain. I was able to put myself on that deck when those Kamikaze planes were coming off of that little island. I tried to feel the intensity and the fear that must have been thick enough to cut with a knife. I was pulling for the gunners shooting at the planes, and praying with you for the planes to be downed. I felt the horror of the plane diving right towards your ship. I was able to picture the faces of the men that you pulled away from the fires. I felt the intensity of the flames and the seriousness of the mission to extinguish them.
As men you and your fellow crew-men were no different than me, but you chose to put yourself into a situation where your life was on the line. But there was no second guessing or no thoughts of turning back. I could, for once, see why you and many other veterans don't see yourselves as heroes. You were just doing your job, for YOUR country. It was do or certain death for your way of life and the country you loved. Two countries were threatening our people and our land, and this was not going to stand. The threat was real to everyone in the country. I think this is what our country is missing right now. The images on the TV of war are so frequent, but so watered down. People begin to think that it is "no big deal". It becomes as commonplace and as normal as a football game. It's sad really that several generations are missing the reality and the dedication of the men of World War II. If we could find a way to rekindle that fire in the hearts of the young men and the leaders of this country, there would be no stopping us. Even during the cold war, our country was united against the USSR. Now, we are threatened by one of the most venomous enemies possible in radical Islam. Thousands of men and women have died. Some died in New York, DC, and Pennsylvania in a horrid attack. Some died on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. For some reason, the threat and the loss of life is still not real to some. The soldiers now are the last of a dying breed. They understand your dedication. They get the real meaning of your sacrifice. They know what real fear, real danger is. The American people do not know. I pray that this changes, and we see a REAL resurgence of American Pride and a Resolve that does not depend on the opinions of the "global community".
In the mean time, I choose to make these men and women, these soldiers, real in my mind. I choose to teach my kids the reality of their grandfather's sacrifice. I choose to teach them how great our country really is. I will not be swayed from the reality that is war. It is a necessary evil. It is the reason we are still America. I thank you and every other American Serviceman for your service for me, my family, and the future of our great land.
Thank you!
Your son,
K.C.
