BITTERSWEET

Bittersweet day today. Was invited to today’s Deployment Ceremony at Ft. Richardson to Honor the Officers and Soldiers of Bravo Company 1-143 ABN. They depart to Afghanistan tomorrow as part of America’s War on Terror.

Today was “bitter” because of the dangers the soldiers will face, and their separation from family and homeland. It was ”sweet” because our armed forces represent everything that’s good about America, and “sweet” because of the respect they received from comrades, family, and friends at the ceremony - and the pride we all felt just being there with them. Their esprit d’corps was evident. I suspect some of us old vets are a little envious that we aren’t joining them in their forthcoming adventure.

ROLL CALL OF WARRIORS

ROLL CALL

Listen to news reports, read the paper, watch the war in Iraq and Afghanistan on TV. Learn the statistics of the war dead. Yes, we know the meaning behind the statistics – intellectually. It’s terrible. Obviously terrible. But unless somehow personally involved, numbers without names don’t really “connect.”

Thanks to the Student Veterans of the University of Alaska Anchorage on Veterans’ Day 2011, the numbers became more connected.

A National Roll Call was conducted on the UAA campus of some 6,300 (currently) America’s military warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan “killed in action” – euphemistically softened to “KIA.” Turns were taken intoning the names and ranks of our fallen warriors - page after page, after page, after page of names names names. Names read, one after the other, from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon.

I imagine few of us who read or heard the names during the Roll Call knew the human being behind the name. But after the calling the roll name-by-name, there was some connection. A connection more than before. It brought it all somewhat “home.” I read just one long page of names. It was an “experience.” An experience made more poignant by being a veteran myself.

Male, female, private, colonel, army, navy, air force, marine - names on the Roll Call. Made no difference. Only volunteer human beings dying on a battlefield on the other side of the world. God Bless you.