Shadow’s taxicab reports: Marching to the beat of the broken drum.

[shadowknows69]

And the beat goes on
La dee da dee da.
-Sonny and Cher

Three thousand come home, three thousand go off to war and Oroboros keeps eating his tail.

All of the local businesses with the sign space to do so welcome the troops home but never a message for the departing. Departing, deploying, dying, not exactly “customer friendly” words to draw in shoppers looking exclusively for that patriotic company to patronize I suppose. It seems the community loves celebrating homecomings together but the goodbyes are best left between just a few.

Weeping wives, children, husbands left on porches, newlyweds sharing perhaps their last embrace as distance rips a new marriage apart before it’s out of its infancy, fathers putting on brave faces silently praying they won’t have to bury their heirs, mothers saying inconceivable goodbyes to their “babies”, all the lonely constants war brings us but are not seen have been mine to view too much now. I am a professional eavesdropper by simple proximity in this job and it pains me with guilt some of the intimate moments I unwittingly share with people but never as much as with the soldiers.

I’ve met a lot of the “soon to be deployed” over the last few months and I can’t bring myself to ask them too much about their feelings. How do you ask someone if they’re afraid of dying, of course they are, and most volunteer that. When they speak of their impending deployments whether it’s their first or third the vibe is very matter of fact. They’re all still just punching the clock, doing the job, what choice do they have? Most of them also know they’re in an endless war and accept eventual escalation in the Middle East as an inevitable thing. On the subject of Israeli vs. Arab many state that they don’t think we should go anywhere near that mess but agree we probably will anyway.

I’ve been getting brave enough to ask a few their feelings about their commander in chief and although I get few real comments one way or another I get a snide remark or two and even some outright hatred and almost a universal vibe of “rolling their eyes” when I ask, if that makes any sense. The more I look back on my conversations with these dozens and, probably by now, hundreds of soldiers I’ve talked to I’ve literally only had two or three actually say they think Bush is a good President or CIC. 3 out of 100. I know that doesn’t gel with what the media usually reports about our GI’s support for Bush but I’m bound by the fact that I’m only reporting facts, so sue me.

I had the honor of watching many of the newly deployed assembling their gear in the readying areas as I drove by a few times and I say honor because it truly is an awesome sight to behold while being extremely sobering at the same time. Being against this war I feel almost ashamed for the feelings of pride it gave me watching these men and women in full gear assembling for battle. The sense of purpose and the solemn looks, the way they carry their weapons with strength and duty. They make the soldiers wear pretty much full battle fatigues their whole day of deployment which I thought petty and kind of cruel at first, let the guys and girls dress down for a day for Gods sake! When I saw the assembly I understood better. Despite our feelings on the war and even many of the soldier’s feelings this is the suit they wear to work. It is the costume that triggers the mind to turn man and woman into man killer and warrior. It is the mind they need to be in to survive the coming year. Carry our spirits with you brothers and sisters in green. We at home will try to stop this madness and bring you all home to dress and live and love as you see fit, with no interruptions. Always tip your driver. Shadow out.

[Mandate My Ass]

1. 3 out of a hundred

That says a lot. That's supposedly Bush's base but I totally believe you. Who could face what they have to face and listen to Bush blather about not changing a thing even though the whole war has turned into a chaotic bloodbath without end in sight?

K & R.

[annabanana]

2. They are brave.

It is not their job to second guess the leaders we have put over them. It is OUR job to police the leaders, and we have been failing them badly.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. I f*cking hate these posts of yours!

You always make me cry. I feel like I'm in the cab with those kids.

I thank God everyday (even though I'm agnostic) that my kid has not been deployed. Everyone in his unit is green, no combat experience. Whatever the reason, I'm thankful!


On edit: That "change" when they put the uniform on... I've seen it. It's like he grows up 5 years, and regresses when he takes it off.


You are going to turn these posts into a book someday... right?

[shadowknows69]

6. You're probably not going to want to read the next one Viva

Coming soon. Talked to an E7 last night whose story will make us both weep for a while.

[NJCher]

4. dichotomy

What an irony that you felt such pride in our military while deploring the war. I totally understand that. I, too, have had such conflicting feelings.

bush and cheney have so defiled the mission of the military. It is hard to see people who have put so much on the line be subject to the corruption of these evil individuals.




Cher

[wakeme2008]

5. Tour 365 is my Welcome home booklet from Vietnam....

Unless you were a lifer, one tour is all you HAD to do. Also I made E-5 in 18 months.

I am seeing troops on the multiple tours still at E-3...

Not only are they sending them over more, they are cheap on promotions.

[Generic Other]

7. They always are full of spirit when they march to war

It's when they return that they drag their feet like walking dead.

[shadowknows69]

8. I wouldn't call these guys "full of spirit" anymore

They're punching the clock. They'd all rather stay home at this point. 90% anyway in my small experience.

[shadowknows69]

9. one kick for the night crowd

n/t