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I never joined the service due to my father telling me over and over that I would not do well in any branch. My father was a Marine and served for 25 years before he retired and he felt it was best if I didn't sign up because I had a real big problem with authority back then and he felt that I wouldn't last if I did decide to join up. Also, in those days they didn't accept just anyone and when I was graduating from high school all my buddies were getting approached and sent mailings to sign up, but I only got one.
Anyway, growing up as a son of a Marine I had nothing more than respect for the men and woman members of the service and being fairly arrogant, the only people who humbled me were members of the military.
I remember when I was about 5 we taped a reel to reel tape that was being sent to my uncle who was in Viet Nam and I remember thinking that it just wasn't right for people to be fighting with guns and trying to kill each other and even as a child it hurt me to think of people killing each other for something that I didn't understand and while watching body counts at dinner on the television, I knew these people weren't ever coming home.
As I sit here now in my 40s I still feel the way I did as a child. My heart breaks each time I see reports of people that aren't coming home ever again. In Cleveland we had a Marine unit that lost 20 something of their members and I wept for the families and friends that will never see them again. Incidentally, that was my father's old unit and he was so saddened by the loss of life that he felt were members of his family. A Marine is a Marine forever they say.
As this Memorial day approaches I think of all the servicemen and women, past and present, who either by their own decision or by the decision of the government has given their blood, sweat and tears in one of the military branches, I think about what I have done with my life and no matter what, it will never live up to what you have done.
I am deeply humbled by you all and I want to thank you all for doing something that I didn't have the balls to do.
For all you that might know me from DU, you might remember that I have used Alfred E. Newman as my avatar, but today I got to do some thinking. I wrote a few posts and felt like an idiot writing about things I feel deeply about and having that avatar by my name. I tried to come up with a new avatar and just couldn't do it. I eventually decided to go with all black. I will keep that as my avatar until everyone that is serving in this illegal war in Iraq and the members of the service in Afghanistan come home.
It is my tribute to you DU members who have served and also as a nod to Johnny Cash for his fantastic song "The Man In Black" I hope this isn't a terrible thread to post here on DU, I just really have a hell of a lot of respect for all you DU members that have done what I could never have done.
Thank you.
Man In Black by Johnny Cash
Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.
I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.
I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.
Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.
I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.
And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.
Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.
Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black
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