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Originally Posted by The Reaper
The problem is that every vet's organization I have known has turned into a good old boys club, with the founders and their generation being "first class" members, and everyone else, especially the new guys, being shut out of the decisions and leadership till the old guys are gone.
TR
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Concurr-
On the article....my Dad mentioned something similar a couple of days ago. "You don't hear much "good soldier stuff" in the news from over there-the press certainly has a negative focus." He is a Vietnam Veteran. Until I enlisted in the Army, he didn't tell me anything about his service there. Even when I asked him about it. Once I did enlist, I got very little from him.
IMHO, there is still a "second class" attitude towards military service. It is not considered an act of patriotism or duty to country, but more "couldn't get a job doing anything else so he joined the military". This notion is being furthered with recent published reports of the number of waivers now being granted for felons and other "less sociable" folks being allowed in to fill the ranks-the primary pre-req is that they have a HS diploma or GED. Nearly everything else is now waiverable depending on MOS.
The Vietnam era veterans were shunned in many cases for their service and sacrifice. The war was unpopular, hence they were unpopular -> eventually that translates into "joining a profession" that is unpopular. No reason to celebrate there. No stories shared in the living room with the family. A generation, my generation, denied the stories of heroism and valor. "Hey dad, what did you do in Vietnam? I don't want to talk about it. Nothin to tell."
Then 9/11 happened-patriotism at an all time high. Bi-Partisan love. A near orgy of unification on the hill. But we as Americans are spoiled. We as a society cannot be expected to sacrifice anything of ourselves (ME being MY NUMBER 1 concern at all times), and all this "patriotism" becomes inconvenient. Lines at the airport, my national gaurd or reserve spouse being called out of his weekend rotation schedule, soldiers leaving home...and (sadly) not coming back. We want clean and fast. Dominoes in 30 minutes or it's free, an invasion and war on 18 months or less...or it gets old and smelly. Like lettuce on the docks.
Inconvenience then becomes unpopular....and so follows patriotism.
When I go home, my kids will know stories of Warriors I have met here. Acts of bravery I was both part of and witness to. Tales of duty and sacrifice that (I hope) will help instill in them a sense of patriotism and what it means. In 10 years or so, my kids will come over with their children, sit on Grampa's knee, and they will hear those same stories-no doubt embellished some by then-but hear them nontheless.
And when I am dead and gone, my journal will still be there for their kids to sit and look through when they go sneaking in the attic with a flashlight and look through Great Grampas old "army stuff".
We don't celebrate our heros because we haven't been taught to do so. It is upto US, THIS GENERATION, to bring that back. Instead of just "identifying it", "gathering a committee to study it", "commssioning a panel to put forward ideas on re-popularizing it"...Someone has to start it. I, for one, already have.
Eagle