WAR – WHAT DO WE NEED IT FOR?

 

WAR – WHAT DO WE NEED IT FOR?

 

My first recollection of the military and war was very positive. My father’s brother was a lieutenant in the infantry. My mother’s brother was a navigator on a B-17. Uncle Tommy sent me a white sweat shirt that stated: “MY UNCLE IS IN THE ARMY AT FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA”. I never took it off. My mom had to wash it while I was sleeping. Uncle Irwin sent me a pair of Air Force wings that I immediately pinned to the sweat shirt. I was so proud!

 

Tommy was wounded on Okinawa and received a Bronze Star for bravery. Irwin’s crew was credited with sinking a German U-boat off the coast of Florida. Who wouldn’t be proud of those two?

 

I stayed pro-military throughout my college years, even joining ROTC. Wearing the uniform was rather cool (I thought it attracted girls).

 

Upon graduation from dental school I was assigned to a SAC base in Austin, Texas (still with the snazzy uniform). There, my love of the military slowly soured.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The event that completely changed everything was the assassination of JFK. He was scheduled to visit our base after Dallas. Instead of greeting him, we attended a memorial service for him. I spent the entire ensuing weekend in front of my TV in a morose fog. It took me days to even function near normally.

 

Since then, I’ve become an avid news junky. All that I read or watch on TV has hardened my anti-war views. To me, the killing of young men and women has become an anethema – its horror daily hardens my position.

 

There is no truer phrase than: “War is hell”!