"They are Called, And That Call is Answered."

Time to Give Much Needed Respect to our Memorialized Veterans

Veterans deserve our respect. Period.

Not only the ones who currently serve or the ones that are no longer active duty, but especially and particularly those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

We tend to go through the motions with a grain of salt. See the markers. Honor a silence as taps is played on a bugle, stars and stripes blowing in the wind. We also tend to treat it with some lip service. We say the right things but seldom spend more than a few moments dwelling on what their sacrifice meant. Even then we tend to group it in the context of the big scheme of abstract things like “liberty,” “freedom,” and “our way of life.” Those are important, no doubt, but in the context of what these young gentlemen (and now women) gave up, it’s far from satisfying. So today, as my only post this week, I want to get you to really think about what the soldiers protecting us over the years, who gave their lives for us, really sacrificed, and how we are all so very lucky to be living in the shadow of their achievements.

For starters, not all of them had the luxury of believing in the cause they were fighting for. Many, if not MOST of the people who died in wartime defending the United States did so as draftees.

• During the Civil War, many people inducted into the Union and Confederate Armies were conscripts. A large number of them were immigrants who had only been in this country for a decade or even less. Many fought to ensure their families would be accepted in the new country and that they could lay roots that would last. As many were fleeing places in Europe where wars were constant anyways, the opportunities America provided outweighed those of going back home and fighting. They were called, and they went.

  • The median age of a soldier at the Battle of Gettysburg was 25. That number is skewed a little though as there were many fighting into their 40s. The oldest was in their 80s, while the youngest were merely 12. The most common age was only 19.

  • 618,000 Americans died in that war.

• In World War I, 2.8 million men were inducted to go to war. The United States had resisted getting into the conflict for as long as it could, but once we were in, we brought an army that decided the course of the conflict. They were called and they went.

  • 116,000+ Americans died in that war.

• During WWII, following the Selective Service Act of 1940, which required registration for all men aged 18 to 45, over 10.1 million men were drafted, making our armed services 61% draftees. Another 2 million volunteered in the first days following Pearl Harbor alone. They were called and they went.

  • Over 405,000 Americans died in that war.

• During Korea another 1.5 million were inducted. They were called and they went.

  • 36,500+ Americans died in that war.

• Then came the Vietnam War. The Vietnam draft inducted 1.8 million young men. Many openly worked to evade the draft, either by ignoring induction altogether or moving to Canada to avoid it. As with other drafts, there were eligible deferments for various reasons such as medical or higher education; this alone was the reason the college admissions skyrocketed during the 1960s.

  • 58,000+ Americans died in that war.

  • We have not had a military draft since then.

• After 9/11, we began wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of a “Global War on Terror.” This was an entirely volunteer army; however, to maintain troop levels they often deferred the end of their tours, something referred to as a “Stop/loss.”

  • Over 11,000 Americans died in both of those wars.

In Vietnam, there was a “draft lottery,” which means that numbers are drawn by birthdate and if you’re birthdate was picked earlier, you would much more likely be drafted than if you’re date was later. Here’s the draft order from 1970.

And I want to stress what these young men subject to this in the 1960s and 70s were asked to do. For the first time in American history, real opportunity to improve your way of live existed. You were no longer bound to what your parents did or geographically limited to your county or state. You could go to college. Buy a house, a car, start a family. You could be anything. To ask 18 year old men to give that up, who could blame them if they disagreed, particularly for a cause they personally disagreed with. These days, military service to many is something to be avoided.¹

Still many were called, and many went. EIGHTEEN YEAR OLDS. They’ve only been able to drive for two years. Back then it was the drinking age, so many could have a beer, but not today. Same with smoking. Most are just kids trying to figure it all out. But their country called on them, and they went for it. They had an infinite number of possible paths their lives could go, and they chose to follow what Uncle Sam wanted them to do. Many of them came back, many did not.

Someone once likened surviving a war to being in a lottery. Good, even great soldiers die in almost random ways. Bad, undisciplined soliders sometimes, somehow survive. A stray bullet can barely miss but a centimeter one way or the other could be fatal. These are kids asked to defend, to advance, to secure, to pursue, to engage, to hold, to do whatever is humanly possible to win the war. Their decisions are not their own, in fact, most have no agency in the decisionmaking process at all. They’re asked to do all this regardless of the weather conditions, physical fatigue, state of mind, company morale or the size of the enemy they are facing, or the odds of survival. They are called, and they comply.

And as a solider, you’re no longer an entity, you’re a pawn in the bigger game, directed by others. On D-Day, there were 160,000 people storming the beaches, and it was widely known that the first battalions to hit the beach would suffer heavy casualties, including whole companies. You don’t get to say no. You don’t get to say “someone else do it.” It has to be done. SOMEONE has to do it. You may be saving the lives of the thousands that follow you onto that beach, but you’ll have to sacrifice your life to save theirs. It’s a commitment few truly understand and even fewer ever have to experience. And yet, they are called, and they commit.

I, like many, often wonder when the next big international conflagration will be, and who will be called. I wonder if our cause will be just. I wonder how many of our young 18 year old men (sorry, women are still not subject to the draft, but if you really want equality, this is a great way to demonstrate it) today would be willing to make such a sacrifice if called upon for their country. I wonder how many of them are actually ready for that call. I wonder what unforeseen events and technology they will have to deal with that we have never witnessed before. Most of all, I wonder with all my heart if their sacrifices will be seen by a grateful public, or ignored as something occuring a world away.

And it’s that last item that particularly bothers me. Many are able to come home. They may have severe PTSD, they may have trouble reacclaimating to domestic life. The rest of us back home may not (and may not EVER) truly understand what they went through or what they are personally dealing with. Some may be able to get on with their lives in a compliant society who stays silent and bowed while taps is played on the bugle, or pays lip service thanking them for their service. But many will not. In the past, many HAVE not.

And that is what Memorial Day is all about.

So this weekend, amidst the barbecues and the beaches, take a few minutes to reflect on what so many gave up, so that you can enjoy an extra Monday off in May…and so much more than that.

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PurpleAmerica’s Cultural Corner

In the early ‘80s, the Vietnam War was still fresh in people’s minds. With the war over and many of our veterans returned, there was a public revision of the period, changing from the anti-war efforts of the late ‘60s and ‘70s to a more respectful tone for the soldiers who went and fought. You can see this in many of the way veterans and the war were depicted in the period.

One particularly noteworthy entry was the Paul Hardcastle song “19,” which used sample lyrics, and fit right in with early hip hop used for breakdancing. The song went to number one in the US and UK and carries an important message regarding our Vietnam Veterans; they suffered considerably, and the average age of those experiencing casualties was only 19 years old.

PurpleAmerica’s Obscure Fact of the Day

When the Vietnam Memorial was first in 1982, it was roundly jeered by the media. It didn’t have the grandur or fit in with how the other monuments on the National Mall looked. Architectural critics called it cold and out of place. It didn’t have anything significant standing out on it either, just black granite walls and the carved names of the 58,000+ soliders who died over there.

You know who didn’t jeer about it though? Other Vietnam veterans and the families of the fallen. Remembering their loved ones. Often leaving flowers, cans of beer or mementoes at the base of their friends’ and families’ names. Getting rubbings of the ones they knew and lost. Since then, it’s become one of the most appreciated and emotional monuments in Washington. When I lived in DC, I never once went by the Vietnam Memorial without seeing someone crying. It’s a wrenching experience.

The last time I was there, a woman asked a park service official where her son’s name was. Without hesitation, he walked her over to the pane, and pointed to the name high up on that wall. He had memorized EVERY person’s name on the Memorial. When it proved too high for her to reach to make a rubbing, he went down on all fours and had her step on his back to do so. I’ll never forget that moment. He wanted to make sure nobody ever forgot anyone on that wall. God bless that man.

PurpleAmerica’s Final Word on the Subject

To those who served and didn’t come home. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.

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Footnotes and Fun Stuff

1. Which is too bad in my opinion. So many graduate from college with huge loans, non knowing what they are going to do next in their lives, completely lost. Military service is a great way to find direction, discipline and a path in life. When you get out, you get the G.I. bill and can go to college without the debt. You get lifetime health care benefits too. I genuinely wish more young people would consider the Armed Services as a start for when they get out of high school.