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A Soldier and His Dog Come Home for the Last Time
There are two ways to look at the video below, and they are both right. It shows the remains of a soldier and his K-9 coming home for the last time from Afghanistan. The circumstances of their deaths are unknown.
One Way
If you can get through the video with dry eyes, you may not be human, or may not at least deserve the title. Someone replaced your heart with dry meat. Despite the sappy music, the expression of utter emotion packed into a mundane activity — unloading “cargo” from an airplane — is raw and undeniable and good. Each set of remains is brought from overseas into Dover, Delaware, where the U.S. military operates its largest mortuary and receiving facility. Each container is flag-draped and accompanied by military members, so the soldier is never alone on the long trip off the battlefield.
At Dover, s/he is cleaned up if possible for an open casket viewing by the family, and the body dressed in uniform with all decorations displayed. At that point, commercial air transport brings the deceased back to his or her home, in this case, Atlanta. Each serviceperson is escorted on the last flight by uniformed military personnel. The process is designed to show respect, and it does. It is only fitting and appropriate that it does so.
Delta Airlines’ staff at Atlanta have taken things further, organizing their own an honor guard, to add that much more to a final step.
Another WayNo. no, the other way has nothing to do with not having this ceremony, or not honoring those who lost their lives.
This “other way” of looking at all this is to stop turning healthy young men and women into “remains” for causes of unclear purposes. After coming into office promising to end America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as begun with the darkest of hearts by his predecessor George W. Bush, President Barack Obama will leave eight years later having accomplished neither task. After overseeing an “end” to what some now call Iraq War 2.0 in 2011, Obama reinserted American forces back into that country in 2014 for Iraq War 3.0. There is no end in sight.
Now, in Afghanistan, conditions are such that top U.S. military commanders, who only a few months ago were planning to pull the last American troops out of Afghanistan by year’s end, are now discussing a commitment that could keep thousands of troops in the country for decades, an “enduring presence.”
Bring them home, Mr. President. Alive.
Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved. The views expressed here are solely those of the author(s) in their private capacity.
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Rich Bauer said...
1Hillary: They came, they saw, they died.
Hope her crack is also on her campaign tombstone.
02/2/16 7:54 AM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
2Obama to PVB, “Too risky-your appeal that is. The US leaving before the “job” is done would only put this country at higher risk and sully my legacy. Thanks anyway”.
02/2/16 8:49 AM | Comment Link
bloodypitchfork said...
3“Bring them home, Mr. President. Alive.”
Letter to Peter Van Buren from the President
“Dear Mr. Van Buren,
I’m sorry. Apparently you have mistaken me for someone who can. You see, I have no more power to bring them home than to change brass into gold. I only have to power to send them. Oh, I could sign an executive order to bring them home, but what good would that do when the next President finds out he is owned by the P’sTB’ too, and then sends them off to another war. So please, understand this. It’s cheaper just to keep them there, than spend the extra moola bringing them home(if there’s anyone left), only to spend more moola sending them off again. At least, this way, I get political currency by saving money, the PTB stay off my ass, the Congress is happy they don’t have to write all those AUMF’s or whatever, to cover their butt for another war, and the MIC keeps making a ton of money to keep the economy flowing. ‘know what I mean? It’s a win win. Haha.
Besides..no one in America is paying attention anyway. ‘Cept maybe a few dads, moms and siblings. And they’ll get over it. Specially after they get all that attention at the funerals. You know..all that military splender, medals, guns firing and all that jazz. Notwithstanding a letter from good ole me. It makes them proud and makes them feel their kid was special. Know what I’m sayin? So,, don’t feel bad for these dudes. They knew what they were gettin into when they signed their life awa…er..on the dotted line. Besides.. they had a chance to see the world before they died..er..gave their life for our freedumb. For what it’s worth. Anyway, in closing, along with this letter, I’m enclosing a personal gift to you..a picture of me. Enjoy.
Oh, btw, once I’m outta here, write the next President too. I’m sure he will ‘preciate your concerns like I do. In the meantime..don’t bother me anymore. I’m gonna be golfing.
Your Prez, Obama. “
02/2/16 9:00 AM | Comment Link
bloodypitchfork said...
4ps..
“enduring presence.”
I swear to god.
If I read one more stupid goddamned USG euphemism I’m going to scream till I pass out…er…wait. I know. I’ll write Obama a letter..yeah..that’s it.
Dear President Obama.
Fuck you.
And fuck the lies you rode into the Whitehouse on. And fuck your Presidency.
And fuck your wars.
And fuck your kill list.
And fuck your drones.
And fuck your war on terror.
And fuck your Nobel.
And fuck your legacy.
And fuck your Obamacare.
And fuck your mother.
And fuck your so called “transparency” you lying sack of shit.
And finally..fuck you.
Oh, did I mention..fuck you? If not..fuck you.
In closing..fuck you.
Sincerely,
fuck you
ps..fuck you.
Meanwhile..fuck you.
In the meantime..fuck you.
Now go kill yourself. Seriously dude..kill yourself. And if you don’t..fuck you.
Oh, and for that guy that called me hyperbolic. Fuck you too.
damn..I need a beer.
02/2/16 9:43 AM | Comment Link
bloodypitchfork said...
5Dear Peter. I’m sorry. Something about seeing pictures of caskets coming home from war makes me certifiably crazy. I just want to rip the head off the nearest politician. Kick doors. Explode in outrage. Bang my head on a wall. Do anything but think about it. Cause if I do.. I swear I’m going to lose it. And I don’t want to lose it. So I write. What I feel. I’m sorry if it has to be on your blog, but this subject makes me fucking INSANE. Something snaps. It’s been like this since Vietnam. And here it is 45 years later and it’s STILL HAPPENING. god. help. us.
02/2/16 10:06 AM | Comment Link
StarkNakedTruth said...
6PVB…
I forgot. Remind me again. Why is the US military in Afghanistan?
02/2/16 3:32 PM | Comment Link
StarkNakedTruth said...
7For what it’s worth Pitch,
God gave up. He said, ” screw it” and left the building. We’re on our own and it’s not going to end well.
02/2/16 3:35 PM | Comment Link
Patricia said...
8From Ave Imperatrix, by Oscar Wilde
What profit now that we have bound
The whole round world with nets of gold,
If hidden in our heart is found
The care that groweth never old?
O loved ones lying far away,
What word of love can dead lips send!
O wasted dust! O senseless clay!
Is this the end! Is this the end!
02/7/16 8:07 AM | Comment Link