Today is Special

Today is a very special day, it marks the 66th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. I'm not going to write about my grief from the loss of my late wife, I want to highlight others grief, and some of my own that comes up when I think about the treatment of our Veteran's and our Soldiers. I am a disabled vet myself, I was not injured in combat, as a matter of fact I never had the opportunity to deploy, no matter how much I begged, I never was given an assignment. I feel an emptiness because of it, I served for 4 years before I was discharged for medical reasons but I never served in the capacity which I desired to do.

Along those lines I read an article that just sunk my heart a couple weeks ago. It was of a Marine who was injured in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded. It left him burned and badly scarred, took half his left arm, and caused optical, brain, and other trauma and injury. He ended up in a fight with the VA about his disability rating, this has been going on since 2004/2005. The story was broadcast on CNN.com here's the link for anyone interested.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/06/wounded.marine.folo/index.html

There was a MOH recipient who read the story and was so moved by what he read and it broke his heart so much that he sent this young Marine his challenge coin with the Marine emblem (globe, eagle, and anchor) with his signature and the purple heart on the back. That may not seem like much to you, but allow me to educate you on military challenge coins. They are usually given out to members of a unit, in the Air Force it's a member of a squadron. The idea behind the coin was to promote morale and pride in ones unit. If you were at the enlisted or officers club you could challenge someone else with your coin. You would pull it out and slam it on the table. Everyone else had to fashion his/her coin, anyone caught without it bought drinks, if everyone fashioned the coin the challenger bought the round. This helped to build a cohesiveness in a unit, a bond between airmen (using the Air Force term). Your challenge coins were supposed to be treasured, and for this man to give away his coin...... that means something. I myself have 2, I treasure them both. I received one while stationed in S. Dakota in the 28th Civil Engineering Squadron, in the Prime B.E.E.F. unit, and I received a second one while augmenting the 28th Security Forces unit, that one I treasure the most because the military police unit I was with for 8 months felt that I was worthy to be called one of their own even though I wasn't officially in their unit.

This story and the countless others, the "church" that celebrates at the funerals and at the deaths of our Soldiers, Marines, Seamen, and Airmen as well as the poor conditions our older vets have to endure in the VA hospitals brings me much grief. Alot of the time it moves me to tears. I have been asked several times over the years how happy I must be to not be enlisted anymore and not serving in wartime. My response...... 50/50. I am glad that I'm not serving because of my son, I don't have to be separated from him. If I did not have a child.... I'd want to be in uniform with my bags packed ready to deploy at a moments notice. I still consider them my brothers and sisters, a family that others do not understand. Marines say it best...... Once a Marine, always a Marine. I feel the same way.

Today as the world forgets about the lives of the men and women who perished at Pearl Harbor 66 years ago and those who have given their lives since take some time to reflect on their grief, and ask yourself if you can make their lives any easier.