Old Warriors

For those who look askance at the ones we call "Old Warriors", I'd like to give you some food for thought.



Imagine that you are just getting out of high school, and you've got plans to go on to college. But, before you can get accepted to the university of your choice, you get a letter in the mail. Uncle Sam has tapped you on the shoulder and said it's time for you to change your plans. So, you go off and get selected, go to training in a manner that doesn't really even seem civilized. You are shown the mechanical skills needed to kill another human being, you are sent to church services on a weekly basis that tell you not to use those skills, and then you get shipped to another part of the world to carry out your duties, which include using those skills. These are the basics. This is the part that can cause confusion, if you think about it, for everyone. So, for all of you out there who always wondered, here are some of the things the Old Warriors don't talk about:



Blood has a very specific and unforgettable smell. When you have had blood on you for an extended time, the scent is burned into your brain like an electric tattoo. It's something you never forget, no matter whose blood it is.



The human body is an amazing machine, and sometimes you get to find out just how hard it is for someone to die. Like sitting quietly somewhere listening to the screams of someone wounded, or being tortured, knowing you can do nothing to find them or help them. At those times, you can only pray their pain ceases, even if it means they are dead whenever you find them. And sometimes, the only thing you can offer them is vengeance. It's also evident in those desparate moments in close combat. There are a lot of moments captured in film about knife fighting. Believe me when I say that they all pale in comparison to the real thing.



Digging graves is something they all have done. Our comrades from home are shipped home. But when a local soldier or civilian lays down their life for you, the grave is yours to dig.



And, sad to say, there's some funny shit out there in all that grimness. I won't go into great detail here, but there's a thing called "The Juggler" that many of us have seen. It has to do with catching the enemy with his pants down...literally. You toss him something hot and pandemonium ensues. Later in life, we get to think about how cruelly we have treated our fellow man. Then, we get to feel ashamed for laughing about something that was really, really funny at that moment between sanity and madness.



Then, we age, and we look at the folly of youth in fond remembrance. Sometimes, we're told, "You just don't know what it's like today. People say things that hurt other peoples' feelings, and life is so hard. Why, even the other day, my cell phone wouldn't pick up in the elevator and I missed an important call." "My (boy/girl) friend doesn't understand how they hurt my feelings the other day." The list goes on and on.



Young people, try one from a member of my generation: A few years ago, a friend of mine and I were sitting in Starbucks. He said quite casually, "My wife moved out in the middle of the night. She'd gotten up to go to the bathroom, and when she got back in bed, I was pointing a pistol at her face. I don't even remember doing it, but I can't blame her for leaving." All I could do was agree with him. For the young man who feels heartbroken about saying something unflattering to his girlfriend, let's try that one on for size.



The Old Warriors aren't looking for pity, forgiveness, or even respect. Often, they just want people to know that some things are better left unsaid.



And, for you young folks. There's a little something else you should remember.



Remember that once, we were young. We have known love, heartbreak, joy and sadness, and known them all at levels you might not ever believe was possible. We don't give short measure to your feelings, we just know that many of the things you are going through at this point in your life will become much smaller in the grander scheme of your life.