Everyone knew there was a war going on. On the other side of the coin, some anti-war groups blamed the troops for the war which was particularly silly considering most troops were draftees who had only three choices, go to war, go to prison, or flee the country. One advantage they had is that with the draft, there was a steady stream of “new meat” to feed into the grinder, so when their tour was up, it was up, unless they volunteered for more.

Today’s troops are better equipped and have much better medical care for physical injuries, but not much has been done to improve mental health care. Many are alive that would have died from their injuries previously. For the most part, no one blames the troops for the wars. Even the most intense anti-war groups say they are trying to save our soldiers from being killed and maimed.

With an all volunteer military, most of the country is carrying on like there is no war. President Bush told us to fight the terrorists by going shopping. Many Americans don’t know any active military personnel. Most of the troops come from lower middle class and poorer backgrounds, though there are certainly a few exceptions to that rule.

They enlist because they are the only jobs available, to get training they can use in civilian jobs, or money for college. Since there is no longer an unlimited supply of new draftees, many are sent back over and over. Men and women who are clearly suffering from PTSD are sent back to the front where they either kill themselves or they go go completely off the deep end, are dishonorably discharged for bad behavior and are then denied the retirement and medical benefits they have rightfully earned. This is one of many secret disgraces that we share. If they are lucky enough to get an honorable discharge, they return home to find that there are no jobs available.

There are other similarities, between then and now. The goal of the wars are not really clear to those fighting. Looking at the locals, it is impossible to know friend from foe. Some may be friend by day, and enemy by night. Corruption is rampant and can be easily seen. There is no end game and the current wars will probably end as unsatisfactorily as Viet Nam, with the only “winners” being the military contractors who have made huge profits. There are many thousands of troops who will come home and be dumped on the street without as much as a thank you, their only skill being able to kill; a skill with limited use in the civilian world.

Many will still be on the street 20 years from now, some will be in prison, and many will, at least appear to be normal, but all will have effects from having served. A friend’s son who is now 40 wanted to be a Marine all of his life. From the time he was pre-school until he enlisted at 17, that was what he wanted. He planned to make a career out of the Marine Corps. He went to Iraq during Desert Shield and Desert Storm and was part of the flanking group that was supposed to be a diversion, but ended up going all the way to Kuwait City. He did the job he was trained to do, shooting the .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a Humvee.

After that experience, he only wanted one thing; to get out of the Corps. Active combat was less than two weeks, but he sat in the desert for about six months waiting to fight and another 3-4 months after the fighting. Upon his return, he began to suffer many unexplained medical symptoms, which have come to be called Gulf War Syndrome. Of course the military denies its very existence, much as it did with Agent Orange in Viet Nam.

No one knows exactly what combined to create these problems, but it is believed to be a combination of experimental vaccines they took “voluntarily” (Yeah sure) to resist chemical weapons, but which actually made them more sensitive to them, exposure to these chemicals when the weapons were blown up (What did they expect would happen to the chemicals when then were blown up) desert parasites, and diseases that Americans are not normally exposed to and have no natural defense against.

Probably even more important was the mental damage he suffered. He feels totally betrayed by the country that he loved so much. He had put his trust into the righteousness of being a US Marine and serving the people of this country. He realized that he was, in fact, serving special interests that did not give a damn about him, even whether he lived or died. He was repeatedly lied to and came to recognize the lies.

When he got out, he bounced around from one part time job to another. He did not fit in anywhere. He had spent 8 years as a Marine and they refused to give him any help, mental or physical. He longed for the camaraderie of the Corps and found it in a militia group.

This group got together on a regular basis, swapped war stories and bitched about the state of things. They held military style maneuvers in the woods and drank beer. Two years ago, this group was accused of plotting the murder of police officers. He has been held in Federal Prison since then without bail or trial. The evidence against him is quite thin and that is why he has not gone to trial. They say that he was the group’s weapons expert, which he learned in the Marines.

They call him “Big Gunner”, the nickname he got in the Marines because he operated the .50 caliber, but they attempt to make him appear more sinister by using that name. So basically they are using his excellent record of service to this country against him. (The Marines gave him comendations for his service) Is he guilty? I doubt it, but I really have no way of knowing for sure. Either way he deserves his day in court and he has, thus far, been denied it.