Veteran's Day

When I was a child little boys played games like Cowboys and Indians, Cops and Robbers or Army. Often those games were played with toy guns - either cap pistols that we fired pointed at one another or a toy replica of a machine gun with realistic sounds that went off when we pulled the trigger. I thought nothing of these games, nor these toy guns when I was a child. I remember one of my father's artist friends coming over to visit with his son, who was just a few years younger than I was. I'll never forget asking him if he wanted to play any of those games and use the toy guns I had, because I'll never forget his response: "My dad doesn't allow me to play with toy guns because he said that someday I might grow up and be a soldier and I'll have to use real guns." I think I was seven or eight.

I remember riding in the car with my father, taking my mother to work at Continental Airlines and asking loads of questions about all the planes I'd see at Los Angeles International Airport. One morning we passed rows of military planes that looked a lot different to me than the commercial airline planes. I asked my mother what those planes were for.

Mom: Those are the planes that take young servicemen to Viet Nam

Me: Am I going to ride on one of those planes someday mom?

Mom: Well I certainly hope not son.

I had uncles who served in the Air Force and the Navy around this time. I remember asking my mother and my grandmother if my uncles were going to have to go to Viet Nam, I remember the military star decals my grandmother had in the picture window of her living room that told people she had sons serving in the military. I remember my grandmother's faith as being stronger than anyone I've ever known. Both of her sons came home never having to serve in a war.

I grew up never having to ride one of those military planes to Viet Nam, or any other place to serve in a war. I never had to register for a draft, though at some points I thought I might. I have had friends go to war and I have prayed for their safe return. Those prayers were answered and I have seen those friends return home safely, but I realize that there are many who didn't return home. There are many who returned home with their lives forever changed by injuries and haunted by memories that most of us can't fathom.

I'm left with the feeling that these games I played without any thought to the meaning behind them, were just wrong. To me those games allowed a sense of belief that there were human lives that were so meaningless that they could be ended in the split second it took to pull a trigger. As a child I gave no thought at all to what a machine gun is actually designed to do. If I'm grateful for never having to hold any type of firearm in my hand and be faced with the need to use it on another human being - one that probably has fears, hopes, dreams and more that are perhaps not much different than my own, what about those who have had to? So many young men and women have served, some have chosen to do so, some have not.

A friend and coworker of mine served in the first Gulf War. I remember how I felt as I thought about the fact that this was real and not some game - my friend might not come home. I thought about the games I played as a boy and how what seemed so normal then seemed frightening now. It seemed harmless having a toy machine gun that made realistic sounds, it seemed harmless to engage in games that had me pointing this toy gun at my friends, at anyone as I pulled the trigger. I know it was normal role-playing games that kids did in those days, but now when I think of it, I can't help but think of the comment that my father's friend made so many years ago and how many people have served in the military.

I am thankful for all of our veterans - I have friends who served, but never had to go to war, I have friends who have fought in a war. I have a friend whose brother's helicopter was shot down and I'm thankful that he's still alive and well. Somehow or another I avoided seeing war from a participant's viewpoint. It could easily not have been that way. I live in a country that has freedom in various forms that many people in this world may never know. I'm grateful for those who have served and I hope that on this Veteran's Day that all who have served are remembered and feel honored today. For all veterans on this day, and every day, THANK YOU.