Random Thoughts and Feelings

The topic of gun control seems to fade in and out. You have those that are for it, and those who are against it. Of course I'm against any form of gun control. It just doesn't make sense to me because the criminal element isn't going to follow the rules regardless of what they are. If I'm armed, at least I can protect myself.

My brother and I have been training the past few weeks. I have some hard training coming up soon while he has an Iraq deployment around the corner. So we load up our rucksacks and go for a hike two or three times a week. Our kickoff point is in front of an American Legion and then we hump down the trail until one of us starts to get hot spots on our feet.

Last night started like any other, only this time a fellow walked up to us and wanted to know how much our rucks weighed. Mine was a light 50 while my brothers was pushing 60. He gave us each a simple fist bump, holding it long enough to say, "I love you, Jesus loves you. Stay safe."
He then told us he was in 'Nam and I thanked him. Like all vets from that era he brushed off my thanks while heaping praise on us. I told him, "no, thank you. We get our thanks, you guys didn't."

And that got me to thinking about how it must have felt to come home from a war you didn't want to go to. After somehow surviving it all even though you watched friends get killed around you each week. The horrible things you had to see. And finally, when you get home you discover that your own country thinks you are disgusting. They spit on you, ridicule you, and call you things like baby killer. Funny thing is many of those same people are now the ones running this country. So much for being against "the man". Now they are "the man" and they suck still.

Vietnam Vet's may get thanked today but to them it is to little to late. Can you blame them? The most touching thing though is how they go out of their way to talk to the new generation of military guys and gals. One group that I know of meets every plane of soldiers when they come in. Time doesn't matter. 2 am, 5am, 11pm, they are there waiting. As one of them told a friend of mine. "We are here because no soldier should come home and be treated like we were. We are here so you know that you are not forgotten and that what you did is appreciated." They then brought all the guys inside and treated them to a dinner. Its acts like these that make me proud to wear a uniform. Those are the kinds of people that make what we do all worth it.