It is very hard to read about
characters like Norman Bowker, Lt. Jimmy Cross, and Tim O’Brien and not wonder
about the issues war veterans face today, with so many struggling in the return
to civilian life.
We have to question:
- What as a culture and as citizens do we owe these people?
- How can we understand their stories and challenges?
- How can we learn from them and support them?
- Is the system set up for their success or failure?
- What can we do to support or criticize that system? Do we need to do both?
- How can we relate or connect on a person level?
None of these questions will be answered deeply without inquiry and listening. That's the start.
Here are some links. Let's connect our readings to this world!
Here's the link to some stories and videos about Clint Romesha, who just was awarded our nation's Medal of Honor. (Yes, the same award that the popular point-and-shoot video game is named after.)
Please read and listen to these links.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/politics/medal-of-honor/index.html?iref=allsearch
http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/11/clint-romesha-on-the-medal-of-honor-its-not-about-me-it-was-everybody-that-day-up-at-cop-keating/?iref=allsearch
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2013/02/07/intv-tapper-romesha-soldiers-left-behind.cnn
http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/romesha/battlescape.html
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| Clint Romesha |
In the video we watched in class about Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha, I was particularly moved by the humility that Romesha showed when the interviewer asked how he felt receiving the Medal of Honor.
ReplyDeleteHe said: "I was doing a job. And I know that there are so many great soldiers out there that would have stepped into my shoes and done the same thing. I just feel that I just did a job."
I believe what SSGT Romesha was trying to say is that heroism is common amongst soldiers, that what we see as heroic actions are considered part of the job for soldiers in combat.
That being said, I believe we should be doing everything we possibly can for our combat veterans and that we should understand that there are countless soldiers who wont receive medals or other public acknowledgement for the heroic things they do.
As a nation, and as individuals, the best thing we can do to honor these soldiers is to remain aware of the wars they fought in and to learn the lessons from these wars to prevent future ones if possible and thereby save other men and women from being placed in a similar situation. Like Romesha, most soldiers aren't looking for medals or honors, they just want the American people to make sure their sacrifices weren't in vain.
Throughout this video about Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha, he would often times be hard on himself like he failed. Even though the mission was a success, he still blames himself for not being able to save everyone.
ReplyDeleteHe said "my grandfather would say if you tell someone your going to do something, you have to do it".
I truly believe that Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha and many other soldiers like him deserve to be recognized for their courageousness.
From the soldiers we can learn that war is not easy thing to go through. And we can make sure that they have steady jobs,and support/counselling when they return home.
The highest level of honor that we can give these veterans is RESPECT without exceptions. Because they have experienced the harsh conditions that we live without it in the states. We can also learn from them by reading the books they have written and listening to their legendary of war stories. At least this is a better why to share their feelings of the war.
ReplyDeleteWhat struck me the most about Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha video of him receiving the medal of honor is that he never takes any credit what soever for what he did with his buddies. In addition, when he was interviewed about what he felt when the president called him he said "there are many soldiers who would have done the same thing".
ReplyDeleteMoreover, I think its very hard for the average citizen to understand the challenges these guys and girls face unless you witness what they do everyday.
I think we owe these people respect. I think we can never thank them enough for what they did for us. They risked their lives for our country and people they do not even know. They know going in that they could never see their loved ones again. Yet, they go in prepared and ready for duty.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that we can necessarily understand the challenges and experiences they went through. We cannot relate so it is harder to fathom. But we can listen. We can hear what they say and appreciate what they did for us.
I think we can learn a lot from them. They experienced things that some of us never will. They know what to truly appreciate when you are away from our free country and their families. They see the other countries and how they do not nearly have the same freedom as us. They see people lose loved ones in terrible ways. They know what to appreciate and sometimes we forget that. I think we can support them by being there. Sending care packages when they are over sea is so fun and really makes an impact on the soldiers.
The thing that struck me the most is how much respect I have for Sergeant Clint Romesha and the others. Romesha is thankful that he made it out alive unlike the others and, we have to understand that what the soldiers went through is something majority of people will never go through or even imagine. Barrack Obama honored Sergeant Clint Romesha his medal and Romesha told him that it was a team effort. That shows how brave he was along with the other men.
ReplyDeleteAs a society we owe veterans respect and our gratitude. They went to war to fight for the freedom that we have today. I believe that as a culture we should be more involved in giving the veterans the respect they deserve. I don't think any of us who have not gone to war will ever understand what it is like but we can take into consideration what some have been through and treat them accordingly. All of America can learn a lot from a soldier. The strength and courage they have to risk their lives is something we can all take away from them. The system is a failure in the sense that it's hard for some veterans to come back and try to be normal if not everyone greets them with open arms. I believe that we can be more accepting of veterans.
ReplyDeleteWhat really hit me was the way Clint tried to describe the events that earned him the Medal of Honor. The fact that he couldn't even talk about what happened without getting choked up, spoke more about what transpired there than any words could. He is a real hero and it is the duty of all US citizens to honor the sacrifices he and his comrades made for us.
ReplyDeleteOur society owes every veteren that ever surved the highest level of respect and dignity. without them watching over our country, we wouldnt have the freedoms that we are free to enjoy in todays world and its all thanks to them. our culture should be more invested in providing our veterans what they deserve. The biggest impact that this story had on me was when Clint tried to tell us what he did to earn the medal of honor. That was one of the most emotional things I have ever seen. He is a true American hero and him as well as his comrads deserve to be recognized.
ReplyDelete