All for Nothing

My cousin Ronnie was 19 years old when he died in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. He arrived there in August 1969. Forty five days later he was dead, drowned in a rushing river while trying to cross it with a heavy pack on his back.

Recently I checked for Ronnie's name on www.VIRTUALWALL.org, where names and basic information are available through the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It shows, for example, that he was in the 11th Infantry, his body was recovered, he was a ground casualty, he received a posthumous promotion, and where his name can be found on the Wall in Washington, D.C. All of this is informative, but it doesn't help to bring back the cheerful, intelligent boy I remember so well from the many times we visited him and his family on their Wisconsin farm.

I ask anyone to tell me why he died so far away from home. Does anyone remember why the U.S. went to Vietnam? Why we stayed there? Why we allowed the years to go by as young men died and were maimed by the many thousands? When anyone can answer those questions truthfully, I ask why we went to Afghanistan and Iraq, why we stay there, and why we allow the years to go by as young men and women die and are maimed by the many thousands.

Ronnie would have been 60 years old this year. He did not die to defend our country. He did not die to protect his family. He did not die working on the family farm like his uncle Jerry did. He did die to protect the military industrial complex. He did die to protect politicians. He did die to protect oil interests. He did die to satisfy old men's fantasies. My cousin's death, all for nothing.

Ronnie's mother died a few years after her son, at age 48, a heart attack, they said. We all said she died from a broken heart.

Simple Gifts

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be.

-- Simple Gifts (1848)

The ways we Americans can honor and support our troops are nearly beyond counting. Care packages, letters, military family support, gift certificates, books, DVDs, groceries, cell phones, clothes, rehabilitation programs, blood, scholarships, vocational training, videoconferencing facilities -- there are literally hundreds of ways to volunteer time and donate money, goods, and services to the military and their families.

The Military.com Web site provides a huge list of organizations that need everyone's help. You'd be surprised just how easy it is to give something -- even if you're low on cash or time.

Do you have an old cell phone you don't use anymore? There's an organization called Cell Phones for Soldiers that needs used cell phones. CPS pays for calling cards for the troops -- a great idea (www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com).

You can give blood at the American Red Cross Armed Forces (www.redcross.org/) or the Armed Services Blood Program (www.militaryblood.dod.mil/).

Give something. It's easy -- and it helps. Every little bit helps the people who spend months away from their families and friends stateside.

See www.military.com/benefits/resources/support-our-troops for an extensive list of volunteer organizations.