Saturday, November 12, 2011

one day and a reflection later

The Bonus Army takes up camp in front of the US Capital, 1932

I was a bit of a blubberer yesterday.  I was somewhat obsessed with Veteran's Day, and gravitated toward images and news stories as though they were chips and dip (I have a salt tooth, not a sweet tooth). Granted, before I was even out of bed yesterday I was feeling oddly vulnerable and weepy, so I was predisposed to get emotional about almost anything picked up by my "things that matter" radar.

The Veterans Day thing got a head start a couple of days ago when I learned about an award being given posthumously to a soldier who sacrificed his life in Afghanistan saving the lives of his platoon leader, fellow platoon members, and (if I'm remembering correctly) some civilians. The award cited the incident where he pushed his leader out of the way of bullet fire, taking the fatal hit himself. Only last week at my conference in Indianapolis I heard stories from retired military educators about how loyalty and commitment to fellow soldiers trumps loyalty to the mission. Though this was not news to me the information penetrated my being at a deeper level. The specific action of this Ft. Campbell soldier plays across my imagination as though seeing it on a screen, and his sacrifice releases from my soul a kind of grief.

I know the grief is mine, no matter what triggers it. As I write this post there is dawning awareness that it touches on my experience of camaraderie and friendship, and the gaping hole of such in my life these days. I'm also aware that issues related to justice have woven through pieces of my life in recent weeks, so stories about what I see as injustices to veterans pluck those strings. Sadly, there are lots of stories about such injustices, so my justice and vulnerability meters are resonating together to generate some interesting internal reflections. 

Thanks for wading through the above to get to what I really want today's post to be about: two particular stories of injustice. I had never heard of the Bonus Army, a group of WW I veterans who marched on and established themselves in Washington to demand what was promised to them. I am indebted to NPR for airing the story last night. The fact that knowledge of this event is not a part of our nation's body of common knowledge strikes me as shameful. Go here to read about it (I can't possibly do it justice here in brief). The Bonus Army is from another era, and although it will inspire anger it led, ultimately, to the G.I. Bill (which might be considered a form of justice, I admit. The story is still dreadful). The other story about denying veterans a gift given for them in Los Angeles was broadcast earlier this morning on CNN.  This story renews my animosity toward greed--as though any of us need any assistance in that arena these days--but it also rekindles my sense of helplessness when I want to take action to redress a wrong.  At least others are making an attempt to do so.

There are implications in these stories, and others, about our collective failure to deliver what is promised and to honor the contract executed by those who respond to the call to serve.  Again and again our leaders break those contracts, violating the trust and faith that all of us are impelled to place in their hands. For too long we have stood by and watched the disintegration of that which we so proudly hail, failing to hold our leaders accountable.  It is past time to step up and speak up, and to stand with those whose lives and memories have been betrayed.

To paraphrase Tim Gunn, "Make It Happen." Let's figure out a way, together, to do that.

3 comments:

Carolina Linthead said...

Dear friend,

I tried to sit with you yesterday as best I could from a distance, understanding only some of where this welling up was coming from, but I hope in some small way you felt that we were there beside you. I am sorry that such distance separates us, truly sorry.

I know about the Bonus March, and I assure you it is discussed in my classes, but, yes, others would sweep it under the rug and intruding upon their peculiar version of the American narrative. I also am appalled by the ongoing failure by individuals, society, and most of all our government to keep promises made to veterans. It is a national disgrace.

I loath war, but I love the men and women who wear the uniform and serve our country so magnificently. I pray that you find the community you seek, the community we all need. Love to you, sadly from afar.

Michael

The Bug said...

I just got back from visiting some friends from church (two ladies in their 70s) & we were discussing the disgraceful way that veterans are treated when they come home - by that I mean the lack of compensation and assistance they receive. It really is crazy. And of course that moved us to talking about how it's also crazy that congress is in charge of their own pay increases & health care. Does that make them a union? Hmmm. Definitely there are areas for action...

Unknown said...

Wow, this is a very well done post, my FAF. So how come you still have so few followers? You must market yourself! At any rate, I have been an admirer of yours for quite some time and I am pleased to see such high-quality posts as this. You just keep getting better. Hugs, D.H.

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