Oct. 02, 2003 ~ Forgotten heroes
This morning brought a nice surprise, an early call from Soldier Boy. Just yesterday I'd mentioned to someone that we had not talked to him this past weekend, the first time that has happened since he's been back from Afghanistan. One of us usually calls the other.
Turns out that he had to go out of state to a funeral. This past month he has been on funeral duty, meaning that if anyone wanted a military funeral for their loved one, and wanted representatives of his Division to be there, he would go. So he did. There was a young man who was killed in action in Iraq, who was buried with full military honors. I do not know his name, I'm sorry to say. Soldiers getting killed in Iraq is now almost a daily thing, but the war is officially over, so it barely rates a mention on the news. I think most people have... forgotten. Out of sight, out of mind. And since it doesn't make the front page, with big headlines, and since we no longer seem so absolutely fearful of terrorism at home, most of us just don't think about it.
Iraq is filled with forgotten heroes, men and women who risk their lives daily. Afghanistan, too, and plenty of other places. We just don't hear about them much anymore. My cousin's young son is in Iraq, has been there since February or March, and is expected to remain there until next March. That is a long, long time to be away from home, in a hostile, dangerous land. That is a long time for my cousin to hear news reports of soldiers killed and injured, and to wonder if a military vehicle is going to show up at his door.
Well.
Son has spent the past couple of days at the range, shooting. Day and night. He's going back out again today. Grenade launchers, I think he said. There was a time when this worried me. Now it just seems like part of his job. I'd still prefer not to know when he is going to jump from a plane, but the stuff on the ground doesn't bother me so much anymore.
Just as long as he stays stateside.
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