IN HONOR OF UNIDENTIFIED VETERANS

There are two types of veterans. One is a very special type of person. There are those who have been in the military but have never been on the receiving end of incoming fire. In addition, there are those who have been shot at and know the fog of war but that is the limit of their experiences. Finally, there are those I want to describe which is a large number of small groups of veterans who interacted as a unit to kill and be killed depending on the circumstances.  Those not in these groups are veterans to be sure, but these are the real war veterans. I sense it is difficult for them to explain the feelings that binds them to the group, which perhaps, is why they stand silently by or even avoid ceremonies meant to honor them. They know they are different but can’t explain why.  It is a fraternity that people who want to be heroes lie to join but can’t. It is a fraternity that everyone who puts on a military uniform wants to be identified with, but aren’t.   No one willingly chooses to be part of such a sub group once they are initiated. It is an impenetrable fraternity.  It is the message delivered in the title, Band of Brother but those of us who are nonmembers have to try to understand to feel it; for it to be meaningful.

I put on a uniform. I was away from home for four years. I was shot at, but was never anywhere near being in a “Band of Brothers”. I hope the message of this blog is that when I salute veterans today, it is not for people like me, it is these small groups of men and women I am honoring—no one ever really identifies them nor should they—even those sleeping in the embrace of a sidewalk grate in Washington D.C. away from the heat of battle, to keep warm.