An open letter to a dear friend...
Both in his civilian and military life, he's got a job to do. A very important job. And an increasingly thankless job. It's not a job like a cabbie, or a bus driver, or a CPA, or school teacher. This job, both in military and civilian life, is to literally put his life on the line 24/7 in the service of others. I have known him since kindergarten, and a better specimen of a human being you would be hard pressed to find. He has devoted his life to the service of others, both in his country and in his community back at home.
When you find yourself in the midst of a monumental, stressful, yet thankless task, I would imagine that you begin to grow a bit weary of constantly being bitten by the very people you are trying to help. For instance, getting verbally abused and/or physically abused by a drunk driver, while actually doing that drunk driver and society a favor by taking him off the roads before he causes death or serious injury. Or when "armchair civilian police captains," watching a part of a video clip on the nightly news, excoriate a police officer; they, having the luxury of hours or days to ponder and dissect a life-or-death decision that needed to be made in a split second.
Then, when his nation calls upon his service, he goes to the battlefield in a JUST war to serve his nation. Not because he had to. But BECAUSE HE VOLUNTEERED TO. He didn't need to go into harm's way... He has VOLUNTEERED numerous times for a cause he believes in, because he knows in his heart of hearts it is the RIGHT thing to do, and success in his mission will bring the world that much closer to a lasting peace in an area that has not known peace in millenia.
But he is not there in a vacuum. In another war, in another time, when information may have literally taken days to filter around the world, and outlets of information were scarce at best, he may have been more shielded by those who wish his mission ill, or at the very least speak ill of his mission. But he is now damned to fight in an age where constant catcalls against what he so fervently believes by the very ungrateful people for whom he is performing his service is there for him to see, one after another. Not that there are not those who support his mission. They far outnumber the Sheehans and the Swimmers and the Belafontes of the world. But the media who dominate the flow of information available to him completely ignore the successes as well as the justness and needs of his actions.
But all the time that this is happening, you know in your heart of hearts that what you are fighting for is noble and just, and is in the best long-term interests of your nation. So you keep on with the good fight... pressing on with your selfless service, in the hope that your children and grandchildren will ultimately live in a safer world, in no small part due to your efforts, both singularly and with your comrades in arms.
Still, when you're fighting a war, putting your life on the line in the service of your country, and everywhere you turn are put-downs and criticisms of your mission, tell me that you're not going to get a little touchy.
Oh yes, they often often couch their criticism in "well, I support you--but hey look how you've failed your mission.." Much akin to saying, "You're a good guy. But your work sucks."
Those naysayers. Sometimes you'd just like to take them by the scruff of the neck, look them in the eyes and say, nay scream You IDIOTS--you--viewing the war from the safety of your armchairs and desks--you just don't know or appreciate the importance of what we're doing, do you??"
So the naysaying wears on you... and wears on you...
To my friend... I apologize if this in no way represents you or your feelings. I appreciate what you're doing, and I wanted to get others to try to put themselves in your shoes and other servicemen's shoes before they go and open their big mouths or put fingers to the keyboard.
-Leo-
(Filed under heroes)
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