Support the Troops

What I'm Thinkin';

Support the troops. Absolutely.

I was reminiscing about the Vietnam War this past Veterans Day. When those troops came home the were called murderers and baby killers. Can you imagine that? Horror in war, horror at home.

How does one find themselves in a war? Some people volunteered, some were drafted, some were doing their duty because the loved their country, and others had no prospects or were going to jail if they did not join. Quite a mix. One thing for sure; most had unexpected experiences, things they never imagined when the bullets started flying and the bombs were bursting all around them. War is far more than a 2 hr t.v. show or movie.

One thing I know for sure is not one of us reading this blog, can know what it was like to participate in something like the Hill 937 (Hamburger Hill), unless you were there. Hamburger Hill was only 10 days in the Vietnam war, which lasted years.

There could be veterans reading this who have experienced war. Only those who have been in battle are in a position to talk about it, the rest of us should only show compassion for those who have been there.

Not all soldiers like war. Probably the vast majority hate it once they are under fire. They wish they were far from where they find themselves. Yet, they fight hard for their brother next to them. Those who are wounded cry out for their mother. Those who survive cry for those who did not. War is ugly.

My cousin has a son who served in Iraq. He drove the brass around. One day the media was coming to their area and the brass told my cousin's son not to talk to the media. Why? Because after what he experienced he had other opinions about what was going on in Iraq and his statements would not line up with what "they" want the American people to hear.

I do support the troops. I do not support their mission. I do not blame them for what they are ordered to do. They are soldiers they will carry out their orders as those in my generation did in Vietnam.

There are those who think that if you do not support the war you do not support the troops. That is just not true. I'm Thinkin' there is a huge difference between the two.

Sincerely,

Timothy James Maki