Memorial Day~

He performs a deep cleansing breath prior to extraditing the military plane. His body and soul consumed with the horrid and callous images of war. At long last, in an upright position he props himself on the cane at the peak of the stairs determined to descend autonomously. He vacantly gawks out at the nameless faces displaying patriotic signs that welcome home those remaining in his troop.

Absentmindedly, he reaches down to touch the leg that is no longer there. Medical personnel who led his nine month rehab had termed them phantom pains although the indignant remembering’s were anything but ghostly. Recollections of that gloomy day driving the Humvee invaded his thoughts. He and the six men accompanying him had been conducting monotonous combat operations; the ever present jokes of the enemy attempting to lighten the atmosphere.

The abrupt strike by indirect enemy fire explodes in his mind recurrently as demons of regret attack and take up residence. The final acceptable image is that of his best friend in war with a far-reaching smile though his eyes unoccupied with the effects of warfare. Those cinemas are hastily swapped by the blood spattering rain as loss of life and limb exist permanently in the interior.

He’d been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for rescuing one of his men from the burning vehicle but what hero leaves most of his men scattered across the adversary terrain of Iraq?

As he moves his remaining leg to inaugurate his descent of the flight of stairs, he apprehends that over time, his awareness of the opponents has changed; the enemy is no longer the Iraqi soldiers but the enemy is within.

As you and your loved one partake in all the activities of this Memorial Day weekend, remember to pause and give thanks to all those who gave their lives and fought for our freedom.

"Freedom isn't free"

by Anonymous