ever watch "Band Of Brothers"?
World War II
men who fought for a cause
for each other
and for us
they would get shot
then bust out of hospitals to race back and freeze and bleed some more because they were passionate.
Vietnam was different
one and done.
survive 365 days and get the hell out with as much blood and limbs as you had on day one.
-then never look back.
and never get to know the guy next to you as it might get you killed.
the James Bond approach-never make it personal
MacArthur knew this.
he led his men to an island, then when things got rough, he flew away
saying
"I shall return"
and while they all fought and died, he drank chardonnay from moonlit balconies.
but return he did, to the bleach bones and empty shells
cuz, well, a promise is a promise.
is the passionate soldier more hero than the day and limb counter?
seems to me, dead is dead.
and those that lived won't tell you.
maybe this is life
and love
maybe there's an in between
I know I despise MacArthur
but Bill should've never risked his own leg to save Joe Torre who wouldn't have even been hit
had he stayed in the hospital.
I watched "Pacific" too
John got lucky
got the medal of honor
all his limbs
and the girl
parades too and magazine covers
he won it all
then
just before discharge
he signed again
boom!
dead
no girl
no kids
no grand kids
and no difference to the battle
he took his life and a hundred future lives for the murmur of passion
I've never been to war
and I wonder who I am
I don't want to be MacArthur
I want to know the guy in my bunker
but I want my legs
my son is joining the marines
who do i want him to be?
I think
at some point in our lives
we're all going to find out
and then
never talk about it
ain't that the way?
2 comments:
When I think about myself, my imaginary self, in the military...I imagine that when I signed up, I would expect to not return. I imagined that was the only way I could be brave enough to do what needed doing. To go...and cower...seems wasteful. But I've never feared death. However, loss of limb is something I fear every day. So yeah...a good question. I hug every Marine I see. I thank 'em. But I don't want your son to go. Nor mine. Surely I don't. Because losing your life, or losing your limb is nothing...to losing your son. I haven't seen war. But I've seen that...up close. Real close.
MacArthur! What an ASS! I never knew. Might even switch from Chardonnay. Seems like a pansey drink now.
SB, yeah, I don't like Doug either
I just thought of laying war and soldiers over the screen of life and finding parallels.
not yet sure where i fall in.
LW
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