Friday, June 21, 2013

An Essay on Veterans

I have been reading "The Great War and Modern Memory", by Paul Fussell. I was not near a computer at one point, so I wrote this essay (or free verse poem) in the flyleaf of the book.

It is called "How They Must Hate Us."
How they must hate us.

We back in the States.

We concern ourselves with Snookie and Sarah.

Our politicians bluster and blather, eager to get us into three or four more wars.

We don’t sacrifice for the war efforts, we give up nothing.

Only those who need a job, a path to citizenship, a path to respectability, an education, go off to serve in the latest little war.

Three, four, five tours. Until they reach their EAOS or until they are shattered in mind or body.

We do nothing in support other than to run our mouths and fly flags. Some politicians decry the cost of veterans benefits, of family benefits.

We give up nothing.

We sacrifice nothing.

How they must hate us.
on or about

3 comments:

  1. Vannevar6/21/2013 8:25 PM

    Truly excellent. If I may:

    Until they reach their EAOS or until they are shattered in mind or body ... or until the DOD downsizes their MOS with 16 years service.

    They're discharging active duty people who were eligible for re-enlistment, who want to stay in, because they're downsizing the force. That sucks so much.

    ReplyDelete
  2. bearsense6/21/2013 8:39 PM

    They hated those of us that retired over 20 years ago.
    You don't know how many slurs I've heard because I chose to work for cheap wages, 10-12 hours a day, leave my family on short notice for long periods and be put in harm's way. All for a promised pension and medical care (which they now want to take away).
    The "stay at homes" hated us (and fear us) then and still do.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Old NFO6/22/2013 12:13 AM

    Well said, and +1 on bearsense!!! NOTHING has changed... NOTHING!!!

    ReplyDelete

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