OPERATION HOMECOMING
As I watched each of the soldiers try to strip off their courage to unveil the true emotions I was reminded of my own family and the secrets that hid behind their eyes. My grandfather volunteered and served in World War II, my uncle was drafted and served in the Korean War, my father volunteered and served in the Vietnam War, and my cousin volunteered and served in Iraq. All made it home, in a sense, and all never really talk much about what they went through. My grandfather, father and cousin enlisted, they chose to go and they knew what that meant. My uncle wanted no part of war, but the war wanted him. They knew that war was nothing more than two childish men arm wrestling until one finally gave in, using the bodies and souls of the soldiers as a table to dig their elbows in. Ironically my cousin died while repelling down a mountain, while he was on leave. For my cousin; his peace was in Iraq, here in the good ole USA he was struggling through a very tough divorce. Losing the woman he loved and knowing that the sacred time he had with his two boys was now going to be reduced down to flashes and glimpses of them as they grew; that was more devastating than any war scene for him.
Watching this documentary forced me to think about the service of my own family and the death of my cousin; and I came to the conclusion that regular life, outside of war, is like war, only in slow motion. Life is full of tragedy, and war is life on steroids. A freak tsunami took out 250,000 people in one day. People experience all the emotions; fear, pain, guilt, courage, etc, just a different situation. What about the child born in a small African village. The minute that child takes in its first breathe it is forced into trial were it is unjustly found guilty of living and is given the death sentenced by starvation, millions are sentenced each year. Life is like war; the only difference is one is controlled by mankind and one controls mankind, try and decide which is which.
This documentary really reinforces how I look at and comprehend Tim O’Brien’s writing. I really like his thought, “there is a false sense that we ought to get over things…there are some things we shouldn’t heal from, they’re unhealable. There is something to be said about not healing and remembering.” (O’Brien OH). What a powerful statement. In this he is saying healing makes you forget, and if you forget you stand the chance to make the same mistakes again. Sean huze’s “The Sand Storm” blends specifically in the Iraq stories that the soldiers tell, where as Tim O’Brien’s, “The things they carried”, seems to be more of a timeless writing. The difference between Tim O’Brien and Sean Huze is simple. Sean Huze enlisted and wanted to be part of the war. Tim O’Brien wanted nothing to do with the war. The traumatic and emotional drain that these men experienced was very similar, the main difference is that one man wanted to be there and one man did not.
The stories of all these soldiers all are saddening and intense. “Taking Chance Home” was the hardest to watch, I don’t know why I had tears or maybe I don’t want to know why, but it hit me the hardest.
I have had some family members that enlisted and some that were drafted, and because of that I can make this speculation; if you are forced off a cliff and die you have the right to question the reasoning, if you chose to jump off and die you have no one to question but yourself. Tim O’Brien was forced to go to war; Sean Huze chose to go to war.
“Works Cited”
Robbins, Richard E., dir. "Operation Homecoming." America at a Crossroads. Prod. Tom Yellin. Pbs. Television.
I like your post, Jayson, especially your closing paragraph. Good analogy, great insight. And, I appreciate folks who serve in the military. I have even more regard for those who don’t whine about what they volunteered for, which for the record has been very few.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found telling was the idea that personnel, or in this case draftee’s, have the right to question mandatory service, “if you are forced off a cliff and die you have the right to question the reasoning.” Growing up in the Vietnam era, my parents were appalled that anyone would “shirk their civic duty” by going to Canada or burning a draft card. My dad served, post Korea, and was glad to do so. War protester were heard about and harshly spoken of in our household. The reason? I think much has to do with a generation who served in declared wars, like WWI & WWII, that had definite purposes and definitions, versus “Police Actions” of Korea and Vietnam and most conflicts since then. I really cannot agree or disagree as to whether on has the right to question service, if the draft were still in effect. In my mind, all I can compare it to is taxes. Even though they are stupidly mismanaged, does one have the right to not pay a portion they disagree with? And if one does, the penalty is clear, pay the price. The only conclusion I can come to is I have more empathy for those who were contentious objectors, serving as they could, or the men who went to prison for their beliefs; than those who went to Canada.