Well said, really important to reflect that sacrifice should be taken seriously and not be a prop for politicians - thank you and keep up the great work.
What an excellent message, particularly now. I appreciate your words and sentiment. It's funny, as I was just speaking to a friend about this, having servicemen in my family. In my opinion, this is the unseen and uncared-for cost of war.
Beyond the moral weight, there are just so many day-to-day worries for our men and women who choose the path of military service. We often forget the sheer fear they must feel for their own safety, coupled with the anxiety for the well-being of their families back home should anything happen to them. They carry the burden of wondering who will protect their loved ones if they don't make it back.
Take the person who erroneously launched that missiles on that school for girls in Iran. First of all, any loss of life is tragic, but innocent children? That is something those individuals will have to live with forever. The taking of life is devastating—or should be—regardless of the circumstances, but it is a very heavy, real burden for the men or women in combat. If they are given bad orders and forced to carry that responsibility, I don't even want to imagine the toll it takes.
For a pilot dropping a bomb, the weight of knowing that innocent people might die is incredibly real. To people in other countries, it feels no different than someone coming into our schools and killing our children. I feel that we Americans often forget this. This is the weight that so many veterans live with, and that many more will carry if this war continues.
Sofia ~ Thank you for this powerful piece of writing. Personally, I think it should be printed on the editorial page of every newspaper in this country.
Thanks for this post, it is something I have often thought about but have been unable to communicate. You are an excellent writer and both you and your husband Adam are communicating some very important messages that people need to be reading and hopefully people will change their minds.
Thank you for reminding us all what service is, what war means. Uncle Joe survived the Battle of the Bulge. He came home and worked hard and hardly ever went on vacation. He didn't like open spaces. He worked as a boiler man because he felt safe in the boiler room. 😭
War cannot and should not be treated as a game subject to the whims and fancies of politicians. It is a life stealing exercise promoted by those who do not themselves go to war. They do not suffer the lifelong horrors of PTSD. They do not die because someone else decided that seizing, destroying and then perhaps reshaping another country was a good idea. Particularly when there was actually no reason for that war. When will they and we the people ever learn?
Women who served have born this too, especially those who have served as nurses and other "non-combat" positions in our military or as volunteers. Please do not forget them in this wonderful piece.
Thank you for your heartfelt words. It reminds me what it mean to love our country the USA! The sense most feel when diaster strike the feel of community to help one another. That empathy for the care and love needs to be shown in all our elected officials. Being proud to be an American regardless of color of your skin, your age, your gender, economic status.
Beautifully expressed, Sofia. My father fought in WWII and served through the Korean conflict and then the competition for space flight with the Soviet Union. His love for his country was handed on to his three children, and then a grandchild who was not yet 13 when my dad died decided to name his first son after that ever-devoted-to-country Air Force Sergeant. I would have done the same if I had had a son.
Thank you for this assessment of war-love of country, not self-aggrandizement, not any of so many other things, but love of country. From the European side of my family, I heard lots of stories of WWI and II. Both wars lived in the household. And although they lost ( thankfully), they were in the end grateful for the rebuilding that the Americans did and that they kept the Russians at bay.
My father-in-law served in the Pacific in the Navy and was fairly reticent about it all. But he did talk about the Kamikaze that hit his ship. We also have some pictures of him after he came back. One is of a fishing trip. He looks like he’s so grateful to be back.
War is such a serious matter for everyone. Thank you for pointing out this administration’s lax and disrespectful attitude. It’s horrifying.
Well said, really important to reflect that sacrifice should be taken seriously and not be a prop for politicians - thank you and keep up the great work.
What an excellent message, particularly now. I appreciate your words and sentiment. It's funny, as I was just speaking to a friend about this, having servicemen in my family. In my opinion, this is the unseen and uncared-for cost of war.
Beyond the moral weight, there are just so many day-to-day worries for our men and women who choose the path of military service. We often forget the sheer fear they must feel for their own safety, coupled with the anxiety for the well-being of their families back home should anything happen to them. They carry the burden of wondering who will protect their loved ones if they don't make it back.
Take the person who erroneously launched that missiles on that school for girls in Iran. First of all, any loss of life is tragic, but innocent children? That is something those individuals will have to live with forever. The taking of life is devastating—or should be—regardless of the circumstances, but it is a very heavy, real burden for the men or women in combat. If they are given bad orders and forced to carry that responsibility, I don't even want to imagine the toll it takes.
For a pilot dropping a bomb, the weight of knowing that innocent people might die is incredibly real. To people in other countries, it feels no different than someone coming into our schools and killing our children. I feel that we Americans often forget this. This is the weight that so many veterans live with, and that many more will carry if this war continues.
Strong message 🌹 thank you for speaking out.
Sofia ~ Thank you for this powerful piece of writing. Personally, I think it should be printed on the editorial page of every newspaper in this country.
Thank you
Thank you for this post. So well written
Thanks for this post, it is something I have often thought about but have been unable to communicate. You are an excellent writer and both you and your husband Adam are communicating some very important messages that people need to be reading and hopefully people will change their minds.
Thank you for reminding us all what service is, what war means. Uncle Joe survived the Battle of the Bulge. He came home and worked hard and hardly ever went on vacation. He didn't like open spaces. He worked as a boiler man because he felt safe in the boiler room. 😭
This essay is amazing and inspiring! Thank you so much. I have shared it with friends.
Powerful message
War cannot and should not be treated as a game subject to the whims and fancies of politicians. It is a life stealing exercise promoted by those who do not themselves go to war. They do not suffer the lifelong horrors of PTSD. They do not die because someone else decided that seizing, destroying and then perhaps reshaping another country was a good idea. Particularly when there was actually no reason for that war. When will they and we the people ever learn?
This touches me as my children are serving now. Thank you.
Women who served have born this too, especially those who have served as nurses and other "non-combat" positions in our military or as volunteers. Please do not forget them in this wonderful piece.
Thank you for your heartfelt words. It reminds me what it mean to love our country the USA! The sense most feel when diaster strike the feel of community to help one another. That empathy for the care and love needs to be shown in all our elected officials. Being proud to be an American regardless of color of your skin, your age, your gender, economic status.
Beautifully expressed, Sofia. My father fought in WWII and served through the Korean conflict and then the competition for space flight with the Soviet Union. His love for his country was handed on to his three children, and then a grandchild who was not yet 13 when my dad died decided to name his first son after that ever-devoted-to-country Air Force Sergeant. I would have done the same if I had had a son.
Very nice! Thank you for this
Thank you for this assessment of war-love of country, not self-aggrandizement, not any of so many other things, but love of country. From the European side of my family, I heard lots of stories of WWI and II. Both wars lived in the household. And although they lost ( thankfully), they were in the end grateful for the rebuilding that the Americans did and that they kept the Russians at bay.
My father-in-law served in the Pacific in the Navy and was fairly reticent about it all. But he did talk about the Kamikaze that hit his ship. We also have some pictures of him after he came back. One is of a fishing trip. He looks like he’s so grateful to be back.
War is such a serious matter for everyone. Thank you for pointing out this administration’s lax and disrespectful attitude. It’s horrifying.