There
is a sense of community that resembles no other when you enter a Veteran
Hospital. You see old people, young
people, people from all kinds of ethnic backgrounds and some with limbs others without.
Simply stated, you see an amalgamation of folks waiting to be seen by the
doctors. What never ceases to amaze me
is how these great men and women recollect the past as they interact with other
soldiers.
Some
of these great soldiers were in the military prior to July 26, 1948, when Harry
Truman signed Executive Order 9981 Desegregating the Military. They experienced
the transition that took place in the military where all men were supposedly
treated equal. Some may have been a part of a faction that still disobeyed that
executive order and treated other soldiers indifferent. Some may have done harm
or even killed another soldier because they had different ethnic backgrounds. Others dealt with the Jim Crow military
because of their devotedness to their country.
Nonetheless, pain has a way of being the equalizer from such misdirected
thinking.
Once
these great soldiers get out of the microcosmic world known as the military,
they enter into the real world. In this real world they do not have the stripes
or the uniform to hide behind so they have to be authentically human. No longer
are their military codes to back your decision, you must deal with people on
their own turf. Long gone are the days when being in the midst of battle you
can get away with almost anything. Now you are forced to handle situations with
calmness and without violence. Many are traumatized from the continual episodes
of terror experience during their deployments. The battle scars are forever
tattooed upon their flesh as reminders of the horror. Some have lost limbs due
to explosion from landmines, while others deal with the mental aspects of
having to slice enemy’s necks in order to save themselves or their team.
You
quickly begin to see the transformation that takes place as you stroll through
the Veterans Hospital. You get the chance to experience heroism in the midst of
people who are not heroes. They are not idolized in the same vein as Lebron
James for winning the NBA Championship. They are not given fame and fortune for
winning the Super Bowl they are common men and women that took serious the call
to defend their country. They did not have on colorful uniforms with special
powers to fight against the perceived enemy; all they had was the sheer might
and determination to win. Many did not return to a country laced with parades,
they returned to angry mobs that despised what they had done.
Now,
you see these men and women with the rewards of war-pain, suffering, PTSD, and
lost limbs- trying to live a life of normalcy. As these soldiers sit and wait
sometimes 4 to 5 hours to see the doctor, you begin to see how war and the
military crossed the racial lines. You see old white men talking with young
black men. You see young black women interacting with old black men. You see
old black men sitting for hours having conversation with old white women. The Veterans Hospital displays the impact of
diverse community unlike any other thing you can imagine. There is a sense of
brotherhood that surfaces as men remember what they have been through as
soldiers. There is a level of sadness as they return every 6 months for their
check up and learn that another one of their veterans has made their
transition. You begin to see how soldiers of determination and strength process
losing a part of the time. They celebrate by continuing to live themselves as
an honor to the dead. Rather racked with
pain or mentally miserable these soldiers embody the true essence of
community-willing to lay down one’s life for another.
There
is no greater place to visit if you want to experience legacy and honor. There
is no greater place to visit if you want first hand details of all the major
wars over the past 70 years. There is no greater place to visit if you want to
see what love looks like in public and in action. There is no greater place to
visit if you want to see what happens when racism is thrown out of the window-
The Veteran Hospital; A place where real people have no choice but to’ keep it
real!’
Brian Foulks
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