Do you want to know a secret?

The hardest part of getting a top secret clearance from the government is when you don’t know they’re investigating and they’re talking to all your high school and college friends about what you drank and smoked and joined.  When I started getting calls from people I hadn’t heard from for years, it was a little disconcerting.

Soon, I found out it was about all my first assignment in the army.  I was going to be working on a top secret project called Potlid, that would lead me deep into Agent Orange in the course of my service. It took me to all kinds of strange places in Central America and Southeast Asia.  I was on a team that included at least two operatives for the CIA. One of them went out one day for a ride in the jungle and never came back. If that doesn’t creep you out, I don’t know what does.

What I do know is th
at serving my country was never a question in my mind. We dealt with wind changes that blew nerve gas in the wrong direction, political changes that placed us in the wrong place at a bad time and social changes that affected our views of the mission we were presented with. Being a soldier is not an easy job. And the difference between the jungles of Vietnam and deserts of the Middle East are much more than topographical.

We’ve been at war over there now for more than 10 years. Since the US went to war in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, about 2.5 million members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and related Reserve and National Guard units have been deployed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, according to Department of Defense data. Of those, more than a third were deployed more than once. In fact, as of last year nearly 37,000 Americans had been deployed more than five times, among them 10,000 members of guard and Reserve units. Records also show that 400,000 service members have done three or more deployments.

We have never fought a war like this in the history of our country. It’s about ideology and diplomacy doesn’t seem to get us closer to resolution. There is no doubt, however, that those who are serving now are holding our country’s flag high in a world that is increasingly looking at us with a jaundiced eye.  I feel a small sigh of relief each time a unit returns. We can agree that we want our troops to come home but the reality is we’re in a place where getting out of this conflict is a very difficult prospect.  And who knows if anyone can “win”?

It was a long time before my father, the career Army officer, and I sat down to talk about my service. As a World War II vet, his allegiance was unquestioned and clearly accepted.  When he finally told me not long before he passed away that he was proud of the fact that I had chosen to serve in such a difficult time, it was a moment that I can carry in my heart forever.

Somehow, it’s even tougher now, though. My respect for today’s troops is unparalleled. I want them back. I want a world full of peace.  I want to break down the barriers between our ideologies. More understanding.  More compassion. None of this can happen too soon.  And the secret is finding the answer to this situation. I’m proud to be a veteran. Every one of us who has served has helped to make our world a better place.  Celebrate a veteran on Veteran’s Day. He or she deserves it.

Quiet Remembrance

My father had a full military funeral.  He wanted it. The US Army shaped his life.  It was his career.  Had he still been stationed in Washington, DC, at the pentagon, I think he would have been buried in Arlington Cemetery.

Dad was drafted right after high school and received a battlefield commission in Europe.  He fought in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. After 20 years as an officer, he did another 20 as a civil servant in the Department of Defense.

He didn’t talk much about the friends he lost in the wars.  He had lots of friends in the military who he hunted and fished with over the years  but I never heard a story from him about friends dying in service.

He was always quiet on Memorial Day. I know he was thinking and remembering but I don’t know about who or what.  Late in his life after I had served, he did talk more about his tours.  The stories were mostly safe and humorous.  Nothing very scary, though.

I remember the friends I’ve  lost to war.  The memories are vivid and I think about them more than just on Memorial Day.  But then, I guess I don’t talk much about it to my friends.  It’s a personal and private thing.  I look at old pictures and try to focus on good thoughts.

But there is nothing good about losing a loved one to war.  Being a patriot is defending one’s country.  All those who’ve served in the military are patriots.  Today, we’re still losing friends and loved ones and, regardless of our thoughts about the politics of war, there are young men and women defending our rights and placing their lives on the line for this country.

Today is a day for quiet remembrance.  Spend a few moments away from the grill and TV and think about what our freedom means and what and who it takes to have it.  I hope there comes a time when no one has to die for us to have these freedoms.  Until then those who have given all deserve our profound respect and gratitude.

Stop complaining for one day...

All of us Americans grumble a lot. We are frustrated with our government. We don’t like many of our elected officials. Taxes are too high. Schools are not good enough. Our air and water could be cleaner. Even our cable television channels make us mad. But this is it. This is all we have. This is the life we live in a free and open democracy. How did we get to this point in our lives? Most of us were born here. Many of us came here for our own personal reasons and have become full-fledged citizens. Can we change the way things are? Can we make our lives better? We can certainly try and, in this country, no one can stop us from complaining or trying. Guess why?


Today is Veterans Day and, at least for today, we should think about those who have served our country proudly and how they have protected our right to complain…and our right to try to make things better. We only have a draft or conscription during war times…and then with exceptions. Otherwise, our military is volunteer. Many other countries have conscription. China, Russia, Germany, Israel, South Korea, even Switzerland require two years of military service at the age of 18. There are many reasons to serve your country. Personally, I like patriotism. Being a patriot is honorable. It is a distinguishing characteristic. The dictionary says one who loves, supports and defends one’s country. We all may have different reasons but I think, deep down, we love our country.

I am reminded of a line from the powerful movie about military service, “A Few Good Men”. The lawyers who are defending two Marines in a case about their commitment to service are arguing about the motives of these two young men. One lawyer asks, “Why do you like them so much?” The other answers, “Because they stand upon a wall and say ‘Nothing’s going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch.’” That’s patriotism to me.

I come from a military family. My father was a career Army officer. He was drafted in World War II and fought on D-Day and in the Battle of the Bulge. Later in his career, he worked to create Civil Defense, now FEMA, to help our country in emergencies. I still remember seeing him on television standing behind President Carter at Three-Mile-Island when he was Chief of Staff of the Department. He was a patriot to the end of his days and he would have been appalled when “W” uttered that now-infamous statement, “Good job, Brownie.” Brownie would have been my father’s boss and he would have been embarrassed. He was a patriot.

It took me over a week in the 3rd Grade to be able to bounce a quarter off the square-cornered blanket on my bed. When I could pass my Dad’s inspection, I went on to other things. I never considered not serving my country during a very unpopular war. I’m definitely a veteran and I sincerely hope I’m a patriot. I have the greatest respect for those who have served our country. It should be considered an honor. Every veteran deserves our applause and gratitude…at least, on this day dedicated to them. So take a break from your belly-aching long enough to give thanks to those who have helped make this country a place we can all love. Salute the veterans. They deserve it.