On Thanksgiving - Thank God For Our Soldiers

Not many persons reading that article will remember the old television serial called "I Remember Mamma" and certainly almost none of the young men and girls of our present day armed forces will remember it.

I shudedr when I guess of how old I am getting, cause I do remember it very well. "I Remember Mamma" was a TV sreies on every week about a Swedish family that came to America to start a new life away from the old country. Each episode was a extraordinary picture of what life was like for a family of immigrants in the new land of opportunity. It was a typical family of four with mother, father and sister and borther. One unforgettable episode was when the young guy of the family decided to join the army cause the war had broken out and he wanetd to serve his new country. The folks and the sister were devastated by his choice to go, but they seemed to adapt to the idea if only to support his decision although not fully agreeing with it. You could feel the sadenss on that family as the young guy slept in his bed for the last night.

I cried so deeply when his mother came in to give him a good night kiss, perhaps his last.
I became so emotionally caught up with the story that I could hardly sleep at all that night. I knew nothing about war even though my buddies and I often put a nail in a stick for a trigger and played GI Joe with each other.

All I was sure of was, that as a soldeir someone was very likely to be shooting at you at time.
What I found hard to grasp was, why anyone wuold put themselves in such a situation of their own free will. I can't say I have ever found a sufficient answer to that question but after more than six decades to ponder it, the question has been rewarded with some surprising and perplexing answers. One of the anwsers is that persons really guess that the freedom we like here in America is worth fighting to keep and if possible to share with others. Some of them guess that oppression and injustice sholud not be allowed to prevail unchecked anywhere in the world, not just here at home. I have heard all the comments about how a soldier is only thinking about saving his own life once the bullets start flying but they have been msotly neutralized by the stories of uncommon heroism on our country's battlefields.
There are countless stories of men and girls who have risked and in cases lost their lives while protecting the lvies of others around them in their units. For me one story would be enough to prove that not all men are thinking of themselves even after the bullets are flying. Some young folks still join our armed services for lesser reasons. Perhaps they are enitced by the chance to go to college at the expense of Uncle Sam.
In cases they may just be in that place where they simply don't know what else to do with their lives. These reasons may not seem as noble as those of the young persons who signed up atfer 9/11 but they are still legitimate reasons and they are not open to any ones critical judgment.
Certianly all of those who joined for any reason had a moment when they reflected and faced the possibility that they could be thrust into a battle at any given time.

They had to deal with that question but for everyone who signed on the dotted line the question did not deter them, that in itself is a form of bravery. Soldiers once lined up by the thousands willing to fihgt against one of the world's greatest despots, Adolph Hitler. No doubt there are those in Iraq today who see Saddam Hussein and his Bathist party members as something akin to Hitler. Still others in Afghanistan are still hoping to corral one of the worst terrorists of all time, Osama Bin Laden. Should we not liken their devtoion to accomplishing these goals to those who fought in other wars?