they all went out together
The father of one of the 13 US servicemen who went missing at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan four days ago, on August 26, 2021, recounted how his son had said that his brothers and sisters would take care of him, and now it seemed “that They all went out together.” That broke my heart. I served in Afghanistan and was lucky enough to come home whole, but the memories always come back to me, especially when I hear of someone else who answered our country’s call and didn’t come home the same way they went to the edge of the lance. .
This is a story that has been going on for a long time and has no ending that we can see. Whether it’s a direct conflict with our country’s founding principles, a threat to ourselves, a principled stand, or simply accidents during training or a failure of a complicated piece of machinery, it’s so hard to see the damage reach the heart and to the soul of America. your youth, our future, who stepped up to be our shield, our champions, our soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, national guard, coast guard and veterans, many of whom return to those places as contractors or humanitarian workers in Non-Governmental Organizations. Why do they contribute so much to our country and our people?
The reasons vary: Honorthe desire to be honorable to our country; TraditionOften in American families, the next generation moves on to continue a multi-generational contribution to uniformed military service; Adventure, Those who serve enjoy some of the coolest “toys”, the most exotic trips and the best friends. At the retirement of a man who served for 30 years, someone who was one of the best and brightest I’ve ever known, when it came time to speak, all he could say was, “I can’t believe it’s over.” Hey cried.
Then, there are those who stand up when our country is blatantly attacked. In my life, I experienced that. On September 11, I saw tens of thousands of Americans join me in the military ranks; they were pissed off and out for revenge. Now, in the last four days I heard that little American children at the time of 9/11 gave their last full measure in uniform trying to save Afghans who had earned their right to America. to save them.
It’s so hard to listen to the stories about who they were, knowing that they didn’t get to live their lives fully and that they didn’t pass peacefully in their sleep. But, don’t turn that off, and don’t be scared. If you don’t get it, watch actor Kevin Bacon’s masterpiece, a movie called “Taking Chance.” Look at that, then you will not be embarrassed by this sad news. You will embrace it, because you understand that every American is his witness. You owe it to them.