Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Anthony Bourdain in Beirut, Memorial Day and why we, as Americans, should honor those soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice
What I learned in Officer Candidate School was that the heaviest decision to make was to send soldiers into battle, knowing that some would not come back. Knowingly putting people in harm's way is hard, haunting, and not for everyone.Anthony Bourdain's Beruit episode was interesting to watch, especially the last 20 minutes because it was Anthony Bourdain's first experience & encounter with US Marines, and he was very gracious in his praise when he described their compassion, their kindness, and their willingness to help others. It is an episode I highly recommend watching.
The Gist of It: Anthony filmed it during the time when Hamas killed and captured Israeli soldiers and was there for Israel's response. The Marines had no training and no preparation for their rescue mission, which was to get Americans out of Beruit.What I know about Marines: whatever it is that they do, they do it at 125%, and it doesn't matter if they are at a bar drinking shots, on top of a library tower like Charles Whitman or they are pulling people off of a beach and away from the bombings.The other week, I was at a Chevron cleaning the front windshield when this total stranger asked me if I was still in the Corps. I told him that those days are long behind me, and then he thanked me for my service to our country. No one ever said that to me before, so I was completely off guard in my response. After he left, I got a lump in my throat and took a little time to re-compose myself. It's ironic because I didn't join to be thanked by strangers, but it was nice to receive kind words from a stranger.This upcoming Monday is a holiday, Memorial Day. It is a day honoring those soldiers who died for this country. Whether it was WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo, Iraq, Afganistan, Honduras-these people suited up, stood in harm's way and took an oath to protect this country with their lives if necessary. We are lucky that we have a day off where we can race our bikes, enjoy an outdoor BBQ with family & friends, or do whatever it is that we choose to do.
