Swept Under the Flag

Yesterday I was at a wedding shower when I heard with deepest sadness that a friend of mine's brother in law had been severely wounded in Afghanistan when he and his partner were on patrol and fell into a deep well.  I learned that he was going through the slow and painful process of recovery near his home in Texas where he was surrounded by many other young vets who were severely wounded, missing parts of their body forever more to be changed from this moment on.  Nobody talks about the war any more  since its been going on since 2003 and it's become just like the weather.  Since we always have it, why discuss it?-- I mean unless it's very severe. I don't know if its a knee jerk reaction to not cover the sacrifices of the young men and women overseas, as if not mentioning it wont foment picketing and protests.

I thought it was ironic to be reminded of the selflessness of many the day before the nation set aside a day to remember the sacrifice of many.

It made me think of an American man I recently became acquainted with while traveling in abroad. He was a soldier over seas-- Iraq I believe, and he's a very disciplined and serious man.  As I've observed him on Facebook, I have grown in my respect for him in both his love of family but most of all His love of God.  But for all his strong words and unwavering principles, he posted a picture of himself with sitting with a smirk on his face while his two or three year old daughter put ribbons in his hair.  I love opposites-- and I guess, that's as opposite as you're going to get.


To all my friends and those I don't know

Happy Veterans Day.

your your service should not be forgotten, and remembered every day.

ps) here's a link to my short film Witt's Daughter if you haven't see it... there's a theme here-- Soldiers and their families