The ink filled names leaped from the creased pages of our local newspaper. They read: Charles Webb, Marlin Rockhold, and James Wright. All three came from the Greater Cincinnati region and died in Iraq. I am proud to say I have two things in common with these courageous men. I am a resident of Ohio and a veteran of the U.S. Army. The only thing separating us is that I didn't die in a combat zone. Unfortunately, the families of these men received a folded American flag.
As a child, I used to collect plastic army men. I remember getting together with my friends and playing war. I was an eight-year old general with hundreds of troops under my command. I never gave my plastic troops a legitimate reason for placing them in harm's way. Whenever I hear news stories about terrorism, I always think about the soldiers who valiantly serve overseas.
Years ago, Afghanistan and Iraq were just answers on a Geography test. Today, the two countries have become the faces of terrorism. Instead of worrying about dating and completing college applications, many young soldiers sit overseas and wonder if they will live to see another day.
Surprisingly, there are Americans in this country who don’t support the military. I have seen protesters complain about our military. They only see the military as a means of enforcing our will on weaker countries. However, if not for our soldiers, we would either be goose-stepping to a German folk song or eating Sushi with our rice wine.
We have politicians who lead like an eight-year-old general. These men can send troops to war with a pen stroke. Our politicians probably worry about the troops, but they do so from their own beds. I have witnessed many heated debates about fighting in Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Iraq. Eventually, our troops will come home. The major difference between real soldiers and toy soldiers is the burial. If a toy soldier dies, he is buried in a closet. When a real soldier dies, he gets a cemetery plot.
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