NEW BEGINNINGS

In the beginning the earth was without form and void; and then I was born.   According to Schrodinger’s Cat analogy the earth is here because I can observe it, and when I am gone the earth will no longer exist: sorry folks.

Solzhenitsyn, one of my favorite authors, wrote in the Gulag…  “One and the same human being is, at various ages, under various circumstances, a totally different human being.”

I believe this is true for some people; it is certainly true in my life.   The opportunities to begin again come throughout our life, though less so as we age, and we can grab the path less traveled or continue on the safe road to conformity.

I am a veteran; but I actually feel sorry for the older veterans I see wearing their VFW/American Legion hats or ball caps that proclaim their military service.   It is like saying ‘I was in the military for two/ four/ twenty years and that is all I have to distinguish myself.   I have to wrap myself in the flag and in patriotism to pander for my moment of fame, because other than that I have never moved on, I have never changed.

We all are a compilation of our past experiences – they imprint to a large extent who we are; but to live in our past experiences, and never to have moved on, is somehow pitiful. 

I think about some of my past experiences because they were exciting points or highlights that I can enjoy reflecting on; but they are not me – not who I am today.  

These thoughts came from watching the Commander and Chief forum.  The new vets are having to deal with dramatic change, and hopefully they will be able to adjust and move on.   But the old vets didn’t seem like they were there for support, but for recognition – and again, that’s kind of pitiful.   

Where am I going with this?

Hell I don’t know – just my thoughts.

And I do love semicolons.

the Ol’Buzzard

Me probably eight or nine years old

Perhaps I haven't changed that much. 

COMMANDER AND CHIEF FORUM

I watched the Commander and Chief forum tonight and was very disappointed. 

First of all, the choice of Matt Lauer, a man who has never served in the military, for moderator is like having Louie C K moderate a physics symposium. 

The format sucked; having the audience ask soft ball questions.   There was nothing of substance discussed.  There were no questions on military policies: 5000 military still in Iraq; arming the Kurds is weakening our relationship with Turkey; what is our end goal in Syria and how do we accomplish it; what is the greater threat to the U. S. - Isis or North Korea; how strong is our commitment to NATO; should we have a plan to limit deployments to war zones, should there be a draft in time of war; what are specific plans to improve the VA? .....   

We learned nothing new tonight, with the exception that Donald Trump thinks the President has the power to fire all the Generals and appoint new ones.  He obviously is totally ignorant of rank and advancement structure of the military; but then again, Trump’s total lack of knowledge on almost all subjects is not new.  

the Ol’Buzzard

WE LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND

I am not a person who defines his life by his military service.   After twenty-two years in the military I moved on – a new life – a new career.   However, it burns my ass to hear non-combatants talking about the value in a prisoner exchange.    Chris Matthews on MSNBC setting himself up as authorities on one soldier’s value against the value of POW’s we hold, released in exchange, has me infuriated.  

Ask any combat veteran: YOU LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND!  

I spent eight years in SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.)    

Among other missions we taught high priority military persons (SEALS, Special Forces, Combat Aviators) how to survive and behave as a prisoner of war.    One thing we always stressed is: You will never be left behind – you will never be forgotten or abandoned by your country.

As an authority I can tell you that every person has his or her breaking point.   During both the Korean and Vietnam wars POW s were forced by their captors to make public statements against the war effort and against their country.  These men were not traders – they were POW s under duress: day after day; week after week; month after month; year after year they were subjected to 24 hours a day of interrogations, propaganda and mistreatment.   Those few that went over the line and collaborated against their fellow POW s were brought home to stand before military justice; but they were brought home.   

YOU LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND. 

We do not know the mental state of this young soldier when he left is unit.   We do know he was an active duty military man serving in a war zone - and as such a brother in arms – captured by the enemy.  

One premise that has always kept our American military captives held in enemy hands loyal and resisting is the fact that they will not be forgotten – they will not be left behind by our country – they will be brought home.   Now, civilians seem to want to inject a quid quo pro value on prisoners of war to determine their worth in some sort of capitalism of exchange.

There is not one combat active duty or combat veteran (including myself) that would not willingly, today, go into harms way to free a POW – no questions asked. 

As our war in Afghanistan winds down we need to face the realization that international law requires the release of all prisoners.   We have already violated this precept by continuing to detain POW s from the Iraq war: and yes, the prisoners in Gitmo are POW s – suspected enemy combatants taken prisoner during war time, and detained in a military prison camp.   The United States does not have the right to detain POW s beyond the end of a declared war because of actions they may or may not perform in the future.

And regardless what some civilian, self proclaimed arm chair authority on the value of a U.S. military man may expound: we band of brothers, we combat veterans say:

 FUCK YOU – WE LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND!

the Ol’Buzzard