Stray Thoughts on the War

By Lex, on Thu – July 14, 2005

I wonder how, many years from now, all of this will be remembered: How will those who fought for us remember those for whom they fought?

But especially: How will those who chose to stay on the sidelines of this fight remember it? And how will they think of themselves?

In World War II, the war of the “Greatest Generation,” people volunteered or were drafted and went off and fought. It was the unifying element of their time – people who did not go were either physically unfit or in a line of work considered critical to national defense. And to my certain knowledge, many of this latter group later on regretted it, the opportunity lost. Regretted too, perhaps, their survivor’s guilt. Four hundred thousand of their generation who answered the call did not come home alive.

There was still a draft on for Korea, which was, in itself, a kind of second harmonic resonance from World War II generation – many of the kids who bitterly regretted the fact that they were too young to fight on the beaches in Normandy got their chance to test their mettle at Chosin, for better or worse. By the time that Vietnam came around, the draft was still on-going of course, but the culture had already shifted and many chose to fight against the war – either as conscientious objectors or as draft evaders. In time, many of the latter convinced themselves that they had as much a right to honor for their flying from the fight as those who flew to fight it. In time they convinced themselves that resisting their country’s call to arms and duty was as noble (dare we say it: more so?) than answering it.

Not all of us agreed.

But now the volunteers fill the ranks and fight the war, while most of their generation stays behind and pursues the everyday fruits of freedom. And these selfsame fruits are purchased in the currency of the their peers’ sacrifices, while those who stay behind remain unencumbered by any obvious sense of personal responsibility to the nation’s service, or any apparent sense of obligation to renew the ownership of rights passed down to us in trusteeship from our progenitors. Oh, the best of them will cheer the soldiers in a muted way, hoping in vague and general terms for the best, while others excuse themselves by saying, “Not this war, I will wait for some better one,” or perhaps “Why bother? All is lost in any case.”

But no better war offers itself up, and even now all is not by any means lost. This is our time and our trial, and there stands the foe afield in all of his proud power.

And some day it will be over, and all of this past us: What if we, in time, win through? What if we succeed at bringing freedom and prosperity to a part of the world that had only ever known grinding oppression, and in doing so augment our own security? What then? Will those who stayed behind congratulate the returning heroes for their historic role in the advancement of human liberty? Or will they, envious of the soldiers contributions and accomplishments, while saddened at their own forfeited opportunities, look to minimize the accomplishments of the victors? Will they say, “It cost too much,” without ever saying what it might have been worth? Will they carve out for themselves a conviction that staying home was as noble (dare they say: more so?) than going to the front?

What does your knowledge of human nature lead you to believe?

Do not mistake my meaning – Every citizen must honor their own conscience, and I do not advocate: I would not serve with anyone who would not willingly serve with me. Neither would I have on my conscience the death or maiming of someone who read these words and based on them alone decided to join the fight.

But this will end some day, and in the long thereafter, all of us will have the opportunity to ponder what we did. One way or the other.

These are the nature of stray thoughts.

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