I wish we didn’t have war. But we do.

A lot of great minds have contemplated the subject of war and tried to make sense of it. I am not a great mind…. so try as I may…. I cannot make any sense of war.

One observation mad by J. Narosky acknowledges that “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.”

I think this to be true. The service men and women of the United States of America serve our country proudly. They give themselves, and sometimes their lives, to protect the rights and the freedoms of our country. I am grateful for them and indebted to them.

But I think it is very hard on those soldiers… as they are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends. They are humans with emotions of fear, anxiety, and pain… all amidst their bravery and call of duty.

Benjamin Franklin summed it up so clearly with “There was never a good war or a bad peace.”

Yet,  as I reflect. I have one more story about it.

A young man named Paul was studying to be a Design Engineer at the University of Cincinnati. He was moved to serve for the United States Army when he was 21 years old. When he was called up for combat he went readily and without hesitation. His unit landed overseas at night. The country they were invading was dark as pitch upon arrival. All of the lights in all the cities were darkened to avoid bombing. It was silent, except for occasional gunfire and artillery. It was also dismal, lonely and unnerving. He could tell their platoon leader was nervous… maybe even afraid.

Paul was a heavy artillery gunman and shot down enemy planes. He probably killed a lot of men during his two-year tour in combat. To this day, that fact does not sit well with him. He survived that war… but many of his comrades in arms did not. They were killed in action and he bore witness to this.

Paul came back to the U.S., completed college, married, and started a family. I am his youngest daughter.

The war in which he served was WWII.

Near the end of service, he began writing letters to himself, to keep as a reminder of this egregious experience. One of those letters has always stood out in my mind… and I keep a copy of it. Printed here are some various excerpts, as my Dad recalls the memory of those who died while serving.

“They felt that it was impossible for them to die before they, once again, had lived the life they had once complained about, and yet they felt they would never return. And they promised themselves that if they should survive, they would do everything they could to prevent the occurrence of another war.”

“All I know is that they wanted to live because they felt they were too young to die. If the people of the United States could and would make themselves realize how much life meant to those who faced death so that their country might survive, they could do much toward elimination future wars. The service men and women that died during this war had only one regret: That they were young.”

“The single regret of the war dead could act as a constant reminder to the people of this country to do everything possible so that in the future young Americans would not be forced by war to face this regret. They would face problems broad mindedly without prejudice and would try to understand those problems. They would seek truth instead of believing what they wanted to believe. They would act unselfishly. They would actually realize that they inherit a tremendous responsibility along with life and citizenship and they would not desert this responsibility. Then this country could function harmoniously and world peace could be possible.

I realize that I have presented only a theoretical solution because human beings lack imagination and forget too easily to make this solution workable.”

This….In honor of Veterans Day, November 11, 2011