THE AMERICAN SOLDIER

I engaged in yet another debate over the war in Iraq yesterday and if anyone knows me then they know the hatred I have for this conflict. I believe that this has been one of the worst wars that we have engaged in because it’s a war that was so unnecessary. It surprises me today that more than five years after the war started that so many people still believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and they had something to do with the attacks on our country on September 11th 2001. I also believe that the war in Iraq is the reason why the war in Afghanistan has continued to crumble through our fingers and those that are responsible for the Sept. 11th attacks are still hiding in the shadows due to the administration of both Bush and Obama. The debate that I had with this certain individual became very heated and almost nasty. I usually don’t allow my emotions to get the best of me but it disturbs me to see so many people that didn’t have to die in this war. The individual said I really had no right to judge anything that has been happening in Iraq because I have never served in the military. He is correct on this, I have never served in the military and I have never had the desire to serve in the military. I am a true diplomat and I believe that most everything can be solved through diplomacy and communication. I do believe that there are times when war is necessary but it should only be used as the last resort or in case of the Holocaust, to save lives. I also know, that if my country asked me to serve and they needed me then I would do it because I love this country and I would never flee my civic duty. I’m also am going to say that I SUPPORT 110% our men and women that are serving all over this globe including Iraq. They are always in my thoughts and I know they are doing their very best for what our country as asked of them. I don’t support this war but I do support THEM! I will NEVER be accused of not backing our men and women because each and every one of them are heroes and I will not tolerate critics that say otherwise.
The individual also said that I didn’t have a right to “attack” the conflict in Iraq because I don’t know what it’s like to live with the consequences of war. I can’t possibly understand what war does to a population and the consequences it has on all individuals that were involved including our troops. I thought about his words for a few hours last night and I even woke up this morning thinking about them and I began reflecting on Jim Morgan.
It was the day before my 14th birthday when Morgan married my mother. Looking back on it, it seems like he just showed up one day and he became a major part of my teenage life. I had a very complicated relationship with my father and was grateful that my parents divorced but then Morgan entered the picture and I didn’t know what to expect or how to approach him because I always had a father that was ill from alcoholism. I was wary of Morgan and I resisted him often when he was trying to connect with my brothers and I. He won Craig over easily, he was just three when he and Mom got together and Cory usually just went with the flow of all things. I, on the other hand was very guarded which I guess, typically comes with being a teenager but also with past experiences dealing with my own dad. In my mind there was no possible way that Morgan could understand the type of person I was as a teenager. He would walk into my room which was covered with posters of “New Kids on the Block” and talk about cars when I didn’t even know that a oil change was at the time. We would fight over the most stupid things and I always accused him of being unfair which I now know is a word that every parent has to deal and tolerate with. I think I was around nineteen years old when Mom and Morgan divorced and he moved to New York. The strain that is put on any relationship can be a heavy burden and they had a few. I do remember that they talked about getting back together but they had been through a lot as a couple, stuff that no couple should have to go through but that’s my mother’s story… not mine. At any rate, Morgan passed away soon after from a heart attack. I wasn’t able to attend his funeral but I did miss him. He was the father figured that guided me through my entire teenage life and he had somehow manage to find a spot in my heart throughout our ups and downs.
I was so preoccupied that Morgan didn’t understand me that I didn’t realize that I didn’t understand where he came from and how he became the person he was. As a teenager, all we worry about is everything that goes on within the walls of high school and we pretty much ignore what is going on in the world beyond that. I think Morgan pushed open my world view a bit during this time. Over the years, I have come to realize that Morgan came from a generation that is so separated from my own. His youth was robbed from him with a devastating war in Vietnam and he didn’t come home to a Heroes welcome which he deserved. Our government abandoned these men and it was disgusting how they were treated when they returned home. Morgan once told me to prepare for the burdens of serving your country means that you must prepare for the burdens of standing alone. Looking back on him now, he was always trying to make me self efficient by teaching me to fix my own car, by instilling faith in me by attending mass, which I would need in hard times, and by saying it was okay to say a big “FUCK YOU” to a world that might forget or take advantage of me. I think he was worried that the political tide could easily shift in this country and we could be thrust back into a time similar to Vietnam. He was preparing me to manage and deal with this situation if and when it occurred. He showed us that we had to take care of ourselves because there would be times when the world would turn it’s back on us. I now see clearly how war affected Morgan. He wasn’t able to dwell in youthful things the way my own generation was able to do because that time was taken. He was sent to the jungles of a far away country and he paid a heavy price for the burdens of our government’s political propaganda. His health took a massive beating along with psychological side affects that would plague him for decades. He was truly a wounded being trying to find his way back home.
So I say this to the individual that attacks my stance and opinion on the war in Iraq. I learned first hand from an American Soldier what war does in it’s aftermath. I learned first hand that my opinion is my right and my choices are built on the history of this nation both good and bad. I also know all about the consequences of war because I saw it in a father that had to cope with it as he continued to live his life. He made sure that I knew it was my choice to serve in the military or not to serve and that there was no right or wrong when making that decision as long as I was committed to serving my country if called upon. He also made clear that there were other ways to serve this country that didn’t include enlisting in the arm services. He taught me that I should put value in everything that I experience because everything we have today was paid for in blood by countless men and women throughout the history of our nation. He is the reason why I have an undying love for our troops over seas, he is the reason why I know how to change a tire, and he is one of the reasons why I hold tight to my faith because his life was a consequence of war. As an adult, I always try to see every issue from a different perspective and I can honestly say I understand and respect Morgan so much more than I did as a self focused teenager. I am privileged to have known his experiences and adapt those experiences into my own character. He is, and always will be, my American Soldier.