I had to blog on another site about a topic. This is what I chose, and I thought I'd go ahead and transfer it here!
I am a product of Generation X. I grew up loving on my Cabbage Patch dolls, watching "Saved By the Bell" on Saturday mornings, and playing Super Mario Brothers on my Nintendo Game System. When learning about wars in my history classes, it never interested me much. Ok, so some people fought, they died, blah blah blah. Yet as I have transitioned into adulthood, I have began to see things about the past from a different angle.
My husband introduced me to the History Channel, which made me realize that I didn't know anything about history. I am actually embarrassed at what little I know. But when I think back on it, I never made it past WWII in any of my history classes! We always ran out of time. I decided to add this to my to do list: restudy history, especially post WWII.
Little did I know a series of events would peak my interest more and more. In April, Junior class students began reading "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brian. Students remarked on how interesting it was. I decided to add it to my to do list: summer reading of "The Things They Carried".
In May, we had a special event come to our hometown. It was a traveling Vietnam War Memorial. It is a replica of the one in Washington D.C. and an additional Sept. 11th. memorial. It was a 3 day event that included vigils, music, and special presentations. The weekend it came, we just happened to show up at the time all the army helicopters came in for a landing. I was amazed at the size of the Apache and the Chinook and could envision men jumping out and going to duty for their country. My toddler son got to sit in the cockpit of the Apache and toy with the instruments as he wore his puppy dog backpack. A part of me laughed, but then behind me I saw the Vietnam War Memorial. The list of names behind me on that wall were all someone's babies. I had to take a closer look.
I couldn't believe the amount of names on that wall. I even double checked that I wasn't mistaken. I remarked, "So are you telling me all these people died in the Vietnam War?" "Yes, honey.", my husband said. At that point I realized that I had no idea of the magnitude of wars. It was time to check in with ones from that generation, my parents.
My father was 18 when he was drafted. He said he and many of his classmates loaded up on a bus to a nearby town for physicals. Everyone was eating 3 or 4 candy bars on the way to raise their blood sugar...anything they could think of so they wouldn't have to go. Thankfully, my father's football injury from the year before is the one thing that kept him off that road to Vietnam.
Now on my to do list: Thank God for all those who served and bless the ones still serving.
I am a product of Generation X. I grew up loving on my Cabbage Patch dolls, watching "Saved By the Bell" on Saturday mornings, and playing Super Mario Brothers on my Nintendo Game System. When learning about wars in my history classes, it never interested me much. Ok, so some people fought, they died, blah blah blah. Yet as I have transitioned into adulthood, I have began to see things about the past from a different angle.
My husband introduced me to the History Channel, which made me realize that I didn't know anything about history. I am actually embarrassed at what little I know. But when I think back on it, I never made it past WWII in any of my history classes! We always ran out of time. I decided to add this to my to do list: restudy history, especially post WWII.
Little did I know a series of events would peak my interest more and more. In April, Junior class students began reading "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brian. Students remarked on how interesting it was. I decided to add it to my to do list: summer reading of "The Things They Carried".
In May, we had a special event come to our hometown. It was a traveling Vietnam War Memorial. It is a replica of the one in Washington D.C. and an additional Sept. 11th. memorial. It was a 3 day event that included vigils, music, and special presentations. The weekend it came, we just happened to show up at the time all the army helicopters came in for a landing. I was amazed at the size of the Apache and the Chinook and could envision men jumping out and going to duty for their country. My toddler son got to sit in the cockpit of the Apache and toy with the instruments as he wore his puppy dog backpack. A part of me laughed, but then behind me I saw the Vietnam War Memorial. The list of names behind me on that wall were all someone's babies. I had to take a closer look.
I couldn't believe the amount of names on that wall. I even double checked that I wasn't mistaken. I remarked, "So are you telling me all these people died in the Vietnam War?" "Yes, honey.", my husband said. At that point I realized that I had no idea of the magnitude of wars. It was time to check in with ones from that generation, my parents.My father was 18 when he was drafted. He said he and many of his classmates loaded up on a bus to a nearby town for physicals. Everyone was eating 3 or 4 candy bars on the way to raise their blood sugar...anything they could think of so they wouldn't have to go. Thankfully, my father's football injury from the year before is the one thing that kept him off that road to Vietnam.
Now on my to do list: Thank God for all those who served and bless the ones still serving.
1 comment:
Yes...Don was one of those not so lucky to avoid the Vietnam draft...very little accurate info was on TV or in the news....Don was there as a Navy medic stationed w/the Marines for 13 mos. Watch "Born On The 4th of July"...he said it as realistic movie of the war...he still talks very little about those 13 mos. At least this war there is e-mail, coming home often, calling...I had none of those. A letter was 6wks. or older..never knew where he was...just that I was terrified as a newly married 19 yr. old ....I pray your children nor our grandchildren has to fight for our freedoms...but thank God for those that do....
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