Sunday, May 27, 2018

Sunday Reflection


When you lose a friend [in battle] you have an overpowering desire to go back home and yell in everybody's ear, 'This guy was killed fighting for you. Don't forget him--ever. Keep him in your mind when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. Don't think of him as the statistic which changes 38,788 casualties to 38,789. Think of him as a guy who wanted to live every bit as much as you do. Don't let him be just one of 'Our Brave Boys' from the old home town, to whom a marble monument is erected in the city park, and a civic-minded lady calls the newspaper ten years later and wants to know why that 'unsightly stone' isn't removed.'” --  Bill Mauldin, Pulitzer Prize- winning editorial cartoonist and chronicler of the lives of the average American soldier in World War II, from his 1944 book Up Front.

3 comments:

donnah said...

I live in a city with a significant Air Force base. They are our backbone, in terms of service, taxes, and innovation. One of the largest Air Force military museums is here and they provide a big draw in tourism and education. The military is really a big part of our community. We rely on them not just in wartime, but in our daily existance.

We must support those who serve in the armed forces. They are willing to sacrifce all for our protection, and we should provide appreciation for what they do. And most of all, we need to pay for and strengthen our military hospitals and veterans' services. If we care for them as we should, every soldier would receive top notch medical care, both psychological and physical. We cannot simply salute them and shower them with confetti; we have to give them whatever they need to be whole again.

Thank you, veterans and soldiers from all the armed services.

Anonymous said...

Agree with you 100%, donnah. As the child of an Air Force officer who served in battle zones in WWII and Vietnam I more than appreciate the service of each member of the armed forces of this country. No one who serves should ever have to rely on the charity of the private sector for their medical needs of any kind. If this country wants to continue to rely on volunteer forces it must show our future military members that their service is valued and that we will prove that every day when their service is concluded. And that proof must start now. P.E.C.

W. Hackwhacker said...

donnah and P.E.C. - can't add anything to what you've both said. Thanks.