Back in the spring I watched the Bob Woodruff documentary "To Iraq and Back.” I liked Bob as a news anchor and reporter and was saddened when he was injured so I looked forward to seeing the show. It was a well done documentary with a good perspective of the human side of war.
Bob poignantly ended the show with this line- "No one comes back from war unchanged. The wounded face challenges that will last a lifetime and need support that matches their sacrifice so that they are, in the words of George Washington, appreciated by their nation." Support that matches their sacrifice...that phrase stuck with me.
I have shared with people before that I fear our soldiers currently serving will not be given the same amount of support as troops in the past. I wonder if a young man serving in Iraq today will be able to look back fifty years from today with pride in his service in the same way a WWII vet looks back. I am always amazed at the pride a veteran has when speaking of his service and I hope that a soldier of today will feel that they too can be proud of their work. Will we as a country honor the men and women fighting in the War on Terror in a manner that is due? Or will it be like the soldiers returning to Vietnam who received no parades but jeers instead?
I am not going to pretend to understand the reasons for war or peace and what is right or wrong when it comes to diplomatic relations and the safety of a nation. I do know though that I am grateful for the freedoms I have and for the willing people who will put their life on the line so that I can keep those freedoms. I also know I would be devastated if my husband or a family member was deployed so I am very grateful for the men and women who voluntarily go. How do we as a nation, and I as a citizen tell them this? Its worth a thought.
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