Thursday, January 25, 2018

Herein lies what I currently find offensive

Fellow members of "my" organization has consistently complained about a few of us who attend not in uniform. Being tall and bulky I stand out. So the organization bought us all what we needed as gifts. Mine was for a couple of years of service not just because I was out of uniform.

So my uniform showed up and I was happy until I looked it over, then I got angry. I hate any thing, person, or group that limits my options. I define who I am by my actions, I'll rage against the machine that pre-defines me in any way, shape, or form.

To safely explain, I now have a t-shirt that I "should" wear for all meetings. This t-shirt is in the organizations colors, has the organizations name boldly printed on it, (so far so good right?) and has my current job title on it. CURRENT!!!

See, volunteer would be fair - janitorial volunteer is not. By placing "janitorial volunteer" upon it does this mean I can only be a janitor? Or if someone else rises to that position should I give them my "gift", oops, t-shirt.

And putting job title on the t-shirt is almost always a personal choice, one people make for themselves. Someone else made this decision for me, and just me!. They chose to pay a little extra for this to happen but only for me of the group so lucky to receive such a gift.

Now I'd like to speak up but am I being whiney?

Of course I don't think so, I'm offended that this happened. I feel it's a gesture of disrespect as I held a much more significant job than janitor let me tell you. Just because I stepped down to janitor, it does need to happen!, doesn't mean that is all I am now, all I've contributed, or all I may contribute from now on.

And therein lies what I find offensive.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

I have a story to share with two topics.

The first topic dominates the story but is not the primary story that is being told. It just creates the situation for a bunch of young men to live through. And they did live through it, continued on to ripe ages, and inspired some of those around them.

The Vietnam War happened, there are many opinions that can be expressed (some of them my own as well), but the simplest statement is: It happened. It required more personnel than was currently available, or motivated to be available, so the Selective Service was activated and many people were drafted to serve.

This greatly effected 3 young men. Now specific details are not available to me nor do they really matter. What day someone got their draft notice is not exactly relevant to this story. What is relevant was that 3 brothers served during that time period and the choices made from that complicated scenario is the point of this story.

The oldest brother went first and to the honorable U.S.M.C.. Which was a damn fine choice because I can only describe him, yes I know him intimately, as a warrior, a never ending warrior ready for anything life threw at him. Made him difficult to live with, yes, but made him something of an Idol to me. So much so I followed his example later on in my own life.

He went to Vietnam and survived. That was not easy for new troops! What people don't get is no amount of training, NONE, can prepare you for that moment. That moment when combat starts and people start dying around you. Usually in gruesome ways with unpleasant noises. Some of them you know and like, others you have no idea and maybe even hate as those are the enemy. So novice troops have a high casualty rate due to lack of experience. He successfully transformed from a novice to a living warrior.

When his service time was coming to an end, he was eager to go home and stop being attacked, when he found out that his younger brothers was drafted. He choose to be an impediment to his brothers being assigned in Vietnam, as novice troops!, by staying in Vietnam until their enlistments were completed. So his service lasted many years much to the dismay of his family and, more importantly, to his brothers. The one brother completed his time in the Army but the younger brother was still enlisted in the Marines.

To remove the motivation for his older brother to keep in Vietnam the younger brother made himself a problem child. Problem children are quickly dealt with in many ways but the leaders of that time took the easiest route to address that behavior: Misconduct Discharge.

When that happened, the oldest brother came home and the family renewed their intense bond. So much so at several points of their later lives these brothers lived with each other even though wives and children were involved.

The example set by the older brother inspired me to do something similar when I was called upon for Desert Shield/Storm. I had been out of the military for almost a year when that started and I got a phone call from the Army. "Would you be willing to come back?" I was asked and immediately I thought of my brother who was serving as an Infantryman at that exact time. "Yes!" was the answer that I said and I spared my brother, not so in his words I should add, combat service. But I honored family history with that choice.

And that is the key element of this story. That warrior Marine was my uncle, the youngest brother is my Dad. I choose against the Marines due to the way the Marines mishandled, in my opinion, my father's honor and integrity so I joined the Army. But serving is built into my family, men and women alike(!), so when those moments came upon me I always think of what would Dad do?

That Bad Conduct Discharged Marine has been the guiding angel of my life. Uncle Marine inspired the warrior heart of me but Dad, who later became a minister, guided this mind to understand the power of peace and love. So much so that my initial thoughts on any situation are peaceful and helpful. Never violent until that option is chosen by someone else. Considering the skills and heart that the warrior cultivated in me I regularly suggest people to NOT choose that option.

But at the end of this tale we come to the place where I share my primary thought for sharing this gem of family history. Dad has entered the final stage of his wondrous life. While I am sure that I will not accomplish my goal within the time frame involved but I have for many years thought about this goal. With this point approaching I am going to make this goal a goal in my life.

Addressing my Father's discharge upgrade should have been done many decades ago. And the upgrade will have zero financial effect to anyone involved. However the emotional effect will be tremendous. It will be something of an after effect recognition of his honorable choices, one of which I am. I can't imagine how uplifting this would be to my family, immediate and extended.