Those of you who have been here for a while know that on I always make some kind of a post on the real important holidays of our nation: Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. And guess what today is?
If you guessed Veteran’s Day, this picture is for you.
For those of you who don’t know (as disgraceful as the requirement of that sentence implies) Memorial Day is a holiday dedicated to remembering the fallen, amongst the military. Those who have served and failed in the most important mission – coming home alive. Failing doesn’t make them losers – serving makes them winners. I am proud every moment I get to stand in the presence of those who have served honorably and returned home.
A lot of folks don’t make it home, though. They most often honestly feel they are doing the best for their nation when they go overseas, when they hop aboard ship, when they snap down the visor of an pilot’s helmet, or when they have to give someone 20 pushups and they can only count to 19 thirty-five times.
“I said twenty push-ups Marine! 17…18…19…19…19…”
As far as I’m concerned if you’re willing to sign those papers, you’ve got +1 Karma in my book. But I’ve seen my share of people in uniform who, like people out of uniform, are genuinely terrible people. Some of them are affected by war in an irreparable way and come home to become shitty people because we can’t get them the help they so desperately need. Some of them were shitty people before they left home and putting them in a uniform just gave them a superiority complex (they’re called officers). But many of them are good people, good people who wear that uniform and should fill anyone near them with pride because somebody like that defends their homeland and their people.
Not all of those people make it home, but many do. Sadly, sometimes home is more dangerous than warzones. Take for example a little train in Portland where a psycho terrorist attacked two young women. Several fellows stood up to the man to get him to stop, but the terrorist pulled out a knife and stabbed three of them before fleeing like a coward. Of course before he ran away some witnesses claim he said, “This is a Free America; I can do whatever I want.”
The terrorist was eventually tracked down and arrested. He is awaiting trial and to find out whether or not they can classify the stabbings as a hate crime.
Unfortunately two of the three men who were stabbed have died, the third is – thankfully – expected to survive as of writing this. One of the dead was Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23. A civilian that, judging by his actions, I would have been proud to stand in a shield wall with.
The other was Rick Best, 53, who served in the Army. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was a local government official and even ran for public office at one point. He made it home safely, but when terrorism struck his home he stepped up – underequipped and underprepared and paid the ultimate price for his bravery.
2nd Lt. Richard Collins was and airborne-certified soldier about to start a prestigious career in the Army. That is until a terrorist approached him on the street – targeting Collins because he was black and stabbed him in the chest. Once again, these ‘brave American heroes’ as each terrorist likes to refer to themselves as committed their crime, then bravely fled the scene as fast as they could.
Collins didn’t even get the chance to leave home so that he could make it home safely.
And not to mention the millions of homeless veterans who don’t have a home to make it to.
When we remember those who failed to make it home safely, we must also remember those who made it home but not safely.
Three heroes died recently. Remember them, veteran or not.
~RCS
Richard C. Shaffer 