Joining the U.S. Military

by Peter Macdonald, Sgt USMC

When your child is growing up could you imagine (him or her) becoming a member of the U.S. Military.  So many years of hard work and finally the child is to graduate from high school.  The child sees a dismal economy and a boring life; tired of school they see adventure in joining the Military.  As parents we are proud that our child wants to represent our nation. 

We are proud that our child wants to defend our nation against evil attempts to conquer her.   Many parents try to discourage their child from the Military out of fear of harm or considerations for a successful future.   Let the other children of the U.S. put there live in danger or limit the possibilities of success.       That plane ride to boot camp takes place.  The hard days where people that call themselves your mother, father, and other names torment you for days on end.  Life as you spent so many years learning from your parent’s example is drawn from your body and mind.  You become a killing machine where the rules of a civilized society no longer are considered. 

You become a member of a team where doing in creditable acts of courage come natural to protect other member’s lives.  You fight for the freedom of a nation that ridicules and mocks your in humane actions.  Complacent to the fear of death as it’s presents becomes a daily routine inflicted on others to avoid yours by such a short time (in country).  The days become numbers to a short calendar as that final plane ride home grows near.  

The innocent child steps off the plane into the arms of those loving parents as if now strangers.  The innocent child, now U.S. Military veteran seems different.  Society honors the returning veterans only to rationalize that difference in the effort to in courage the child to resume their promising future that they left year earlier.  The joy of returning soon becomes torment as society just as quickly forgets the honor of the title veteran that forever will follow your name. 

Your wife leaves you because of the anger and attitude that engulfs your personality.  Your boss fires you because of the iritic behavior as the torment of where you have been takes over your mind.  Society rejects you as a loser as the street is now your home.  The government promises you help only to be rejected because politicians see no gain in helping losers on the street.   The questions grow as off hand comments of every day people cloud the pride you feel for defending the nation that now clouds your actions as uncivilized.

The innocent child went off to defend and protect a Constitution that when we returned does not protect us as it does the rich and famous.  Politicians and judges have diminished the law to protect a special class of society by diminishing the guaranteed rights that we gave our lives for.  The VA and its hospitals now are a public believe that society is giving veterans what they deserve. 

Imagine your innocent child that went off to fight in future wars, comes home to be cared for by a political night mare society spends money on telling people to waste more because these are our Veterans.   Wasting money so you can believe Reps like Shea-Porter are great does not help the veteran lost in the system.  We came home to a place that cannot accept what we did for them. You question our suicides but you do not want to understand our reality. Freedom only exists because of that Innocent child.

Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper fi