As a veteran of the U.S. Army, I am familiar with the sacrifices an all volunteer military makes that is similar, yet different from a draft era military. The major difference being that the sacrifice goes from being one of expectation to one of choice.
I cannot adequately put in words what I feel it means. I served in the U.S. Army during the 1980's, having been stationed in South Korea during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. I was never one to parade around yelling "U.S.A., U.S.A.", but being a member of the U.S. Army, imbued me with a certain pride that many who never serve can truly understand.
There are plenty of people who mouth platitudes at our soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors, who think they know what it means to serve. However, when I see the "Support Our Troops" magnets, or hear people say things like "honor our troops", yet never consider enlisting, or discourage their children from enlisting, I feel a sense of betrayal.
I have promoted the cause of Operation Yellow Elephant here in my little corner of blogtopia. But, I have done it because those who cheer the loudest at sending my brothers and sisters in the military off to fight, and possibly die in far off lands, are the least willing to do the same. People like Jonah Goldberg, and the Young College Republicans, who hold "pro-military" rallies, exoriating people like me for being "anti-American" or "anti-Military" because I dare to question the rationale for sending the military to fight in a war of dubious causes, if not outright lies, makes me sick. Not because I think they love America any less than I do, but because they would so callously send Americans into war, because they want war.
My political experience pre-military was extermely liberal. My grandfather lead the GAIU, and was a VP in the AFL-CIO. He was on Nixon's enemies list, and witnessed some of the worst that our government dealt out to political foes. My father was, and still is, a professor at the university level. The morality that I was taught growing up (pro-worker, pro-education, etc.), taught me that everyone deserves and opportunity to succeed. When I joined the Army, straight out of high school, I was taught so the importance of team work. Nothing mattered more than your buddy. There was the person whose back you covered, and you could depend on that person to do the same for you.
However, one part of the military indoctrination, which gets glossed over, is that you lose your political identity. Political identity doesn't matter. Religious identity doesn't matter. These divisions that define people don't matter when you are in the military. The only things that matter are your buddy, your unit, and your immediate commander. You rely on them, and they rely on you. That is the only way you can expect to survive in combat.
In the civilian world, however, the divisons are much different. Your political identity matters. Your religious identity matters. You don't rely on someone else.
What does any of this have to do with Veterans Day?
Ultimately nothing.
What matters is that those men and women who have served our country, be it voluntarily, or because they were drafted, deserve nothing but our respect.
Our respect means that when they are sick, or wounded, or psychologically troubled, they will get whatever they need. Costs be damned.
Veterans did what was expect of them.
We should do everything within our power to repay them.
