Freedom is Not Free

[Sore Thumb Suburbanite]

Its unbelievable what these men go through in their heads when they get back, my grandfather just died last month, he was always muttering how he didn't deserve to go to heaven, he faught in WW2 and was very upset about the war; he spent 2 years in an itallian POW camp after surviving 2 plane crashes...He was never proud of himself one day in his life, and he woulnd't tell anybody much about his experience...he was always so tormented. I think it is because of this constant torment that he was a bad father to his children, as evidenced by my trip up north to see them (the 2ond time I have ever seen my aunt, the 5th time I have seen my uncle and the 7th time I saw my grandmother-the first time I saw all of them together) and they all had horrific things to say about their childhood in refernece to their dad.

My father faught in the vietnam war, he won't talk much about it either, though he is still bitter and angry about it...fortunately he did an ok job coping and though he did some very wrong things in raising me, I lived and I don't hate him.

I think we all need to extend extra mercy and kindness to our veterans and members of the military, you often don't think of how bruised they have become from their service of protecting our nation, and us-War is hell and to live through it...well, there is no handbook and often little support/undrestanding.

Thanks for writing that, it compells me to put more focus upon showing compassion and less judgment.