Good Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

My family has been a military family. On both my mother's and my father's side, with my mother's mostly having been Marines over the generations, and my father's having served in the Army. I myself do not serve in the armed forces. I'm sure it's just one more thing my family would be ashamed of, as I'm the first male in 5 generations not to.

But that doesn't mean I don't like the military. Most of my best friends are ex-military, and I find myself fascinated with military technology and military history. Hardly an expert on either, but still, it's really quite interesting stuff. And most importantly, while the phrase "Support our troops" is often bandied about I ask myself, "Just what can I do to help them?"

I'm not a rich man of course. I can't do the things for them that celebrities like Drew Carey (Ever notice the Marines tend to do a lot more charity work it seems, and ex-marines a lot more for organizations like the USO?) and Tom Hanks do. And really they do a lot for the troops. But I still try what I can. Talked my bosses into the "Military and Veteran Discount" at the motel I worked at. Which by the way is higher than the AARP discount, I made sure of that. For some reason my mind said "National Heroes > Old People". Most places it seems the other way around.

But as I go through the store today, get my caffeine source, I notice a Vault box that looks different from all the others, little Vault Logos as a camouflage pattern over the box. I take it up, check it out, and see a Postcard marked out for "Any Soldier", care of the USO. So I take up the box, and manage to pick up some phone cards on the way out.

Best I could do, but I went and made a few letters with that address, popped a little 50 minute prepaid phone card in there and shipped them off with a little note of appreciation. Maybe they get to call home next time they're on leave, talk to their family. Only 3 cards and three letters, I'm not made of money. But I hope it's appreciated, I hope that it really makes some guy's day over there.

I would do more if I could.

I wish people would do something like that, rather than just buy some little "Support Our Troops" sticker or magnet. I wish I could do more to help veterans after they come home. You know out of all my ex-military friends, I do not have a single one that isn't considered at least 40% disabled because of what happened in the service? Never mind the question I obviously asked when I heard my friends talking about it.... (How can you be "40%" Disabled?)

I did something for them today. It wasn't much, but it's in the mail box at the corner, ready to get picked up at 8 AM. And I wonder what more I might be able to do for them. I already write my congressmen about a myriad of things, including more funding for the VA, both before and after it was a hot issue.

Often you hear people talking about pride and respect for the men and women of the US Armed Forces. You watch the news and hear people say things like, "We owe you our freedom." Sometimes a cynical part of me pipes in, wondering if they really feel any of that pride and respect. After all, not like I expect them to say, "I think you're a murdering, rapist scumbag," to their faces. Not like some of my family members coming back from Vietnam heard.

Frankly if I heard anyone say that, I'd kick their ass right there. I still remember the pain my cousin had, talking one Christmas Eve, drunk, the only time he ever would drink, about what it was like over there, and what it was like coming back. I can't even recall the images he used, they were so horrible that I can never bring myself to remember. But I do remember the feeling of it, and I do remember how my cousin felt. I wouldn't kick their ass because I'm some violent, intolerant redneck, not like that at all, I'm generally a peace loving, man of the people, enlightened redneck. No, I'd do it because I remember how badly it effected him.

It does piss me off mightily when I hear things like, "Only the bottom 10% of High School students go into the military," though. For once, obviously not true. Do you know how intelligent and quick you really have to be to do half the jobs in our military?

I could never do what they do. I'm a coward. I can count the number of fights I've been in, only two of which I started when someone really deserved it, 4 of which were people that cornered me and were after me. I'm not all that bright either. I used to dream of becoming a Fighter Ace. Used to watch that old show Black Sheep Squadron every day, imagining I might someday I might fight in the skies like that. Course I got vertigo, and a minor case of dyslexia, so I know that can never be. I'm not fit, I'm not disciplined enough.

I am perhaps the bottom 10%, and I wouldn't be fit to scrub their latrines.

But I do what I can.

It wasn't much, but imagine if every civilian in America pitched in something like 40 bucks to do something nice for our soldiers, some little act that shows we care, we appreciate, and we're proud. Imagine what that would do for them.

I salute you men and women. I would give you the clothes off my back. I love my country and I love those who put their life on the line for it.



Til next time,

Soldier On