War

Over the Fourth of July, Lorraine and I were watching fireworks around the valley that we were visiting. Everyone had their own, and so there were "bombs bursting in air" all around us. Some were faint, some were close, but we could hear all of them. As we sat there watching and listening, Lorraine commented on what it would be like to go to sleep every night listening to real explosions and real flashing lights; not knowing if your house would be hit next.

Around the national holidays, I am more likely to be thinking about our troops and their sacrifices. Not just those out now, but all those in the past. I take great pride in knowing that my grandfather served in the Army in his younger days. Over the years, I have also come quite a ways in understanding myself what this thing called war is all about. It is so hard for a man growing up in a quiet suburb to understand what a war would really be like for those not only serving in it. I claim no ability to know now either. Yet, I believe it could be said that nobody ever really serves IN a war, but as long as they are within its grasp; all are servants of that war. Whether soldier, civilian, man or child - none are exempt. The headlines today read: "Taliban attacks increasingly kill Afghan civilians." This must be at least some of the reason our troops fight so hard on such a difficult front. Perhaps when we remember those who give so much to fight terror, we also remember the other casualties of this war. To me it is frankly pathetic to think that there are those in the world (a vast number really) that live in fear daily of wild men with powerful weapons of destruction. My heart goes out to them. I hope I can find ways to help them. For now, my prayers will have to suffice. God bless America. God bless the children and families suffering in the war on terror.