Cromey Online

The writings of author, therapist, and priest Robert Warren Cromey.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Pacifist Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Dear Nick,

You are the only person I know that lost a beloved family member in the Vietnam War. Your brother Spike lost his life as a pilot in that awful conflict. You remember him often and by name but especially around Memorial Day. Some years ago, Ann and I went to the black, shiny curved wall Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. and sought out the name of your brother. It was a moving experience for us. He was among the 58,220 American military who died in Vietnam.

On this day I pray for and think of the men and women who died in our wars. I hope they felt like they died as patriots and in service of our country. We are urged to remember them so that they did not die in vain. The Vietnam War and the Korean War earlier sadly were wars of vanity, fear, greed and self-delusion. They were examples of the U.S. government’s self-righteous desire to meddle in other nations’ business. The communism of Russia and China was never but a perceived threat. Both those country’s power was taken up with their own internal problems of famine, poverty and economic failure. So, the mighty U.S. powers sent troops into those tiny countries of Korea and Vietnam to “halt the spread of communism.” The countries were ravaged by bombs and Naplam, millions of civilian and children were killed, thousands of U.S. soldiers and unknown millions of “enemy” soldiers were wiped out. 33,668 American military died in Korea.

The results were divided countries, international tension, bereaved and haunted civilians and the families of the war dead. There were no winners, only death and destruction. Of course, we are proud of the military who served their country and especially those who died.

Today we are at war in Afghanistan and Iraq. There are no figures on the number of the U. S. dead military that I could find.

I remain a patriotic pacifist. I think war never wins anything but death and destruction. Yes, even the Civil War and WW2 could have been prevented by serious negotiations. I want to be part of a movement that is so against war the arrogance of government is curtailed by the fact than many enlightened, loving and caring people will not fight in a war.

Love,

Robert

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