Old books and the plight of American veterans

Yesterday I picked up an old book from a box of old books that had been rescued from an old farm out building, a corn crib to be exact, that was due for demolition.  My wife, ever industrious and thrifty, was given the opportunity to salvage the wood from this century-old structure for re-use.  Since many of these older farm buildings here in the Olde Dominion were constructed from virgin timber and rough milled nearby to where they were constructed, such opportunities are hard to pass up.  The old corn crib timber was used to construct a hen house that may well last another half century or more.  But I digress.  Inside the old corn crib was a treasure trove of neat old books, secured within a large cabinet.  The last owner of these books had been a history teacher in Stafford County and shared an interest in American history with me.  Had Stephanie not rescued the old books they would have been burned with the remnants of the other old farm buildings to make room for the new construction that was going in.  Unfortunately, "rescue", for most of these books, was defined as a box in my old garage.  So they went from one old farm outbuilding to another.  Some of the more interesting books that caught our eye came quickly into the house to sit on the shelves with other books, both old and new, but most languished outside unnoticed unless or until a reason to root through a box presented itself.  I love old books.  Call it a sickness.  Walking into a library or a used bookstore reflects a element of heaven for me.  I'm sure the streets of heaven are paved with gold and lead to libraries full of ancient manuscripts and cartoon books of Calvin and Hobbes.  I enjoy the musty smell of old books.  Like I said, it's a sickness.  The one I picked up is a perfect example.  It was published in 1947 (third printing), its dust jacket is best described as tattered and worn.  The pages are all intact and the very edges are yellowed from the many years of storage in corn cribs and garages.  It is complete, clear, readable, musty, and very enjoyable.  A brand new printing of the same book would not bring me nearly as much joy.

The book I picked up is book by Bill Mauldin, the WW2 cartoonist for Stars & Stripes, the US Military newspaper.  Mauldin's characters Willie and Joe are depicted throughout the stages of their induction, training, overseas combat tours and, eventually, through the reintegration and discharge process at the end of WW2.  Mauldin's dry, irreverent sense of humor speaks to today's military generation just as it did in WW2.  The first page I flipped open to has a cartoon drawing depicting a newly discharged GI standing by the side of the road with his thumb out.  Two cars are shown.  One zips past the GI without pausing.  That car is labeled, "John Q Public", and the other is an old jalopy driven by an older man who stops, opens the door and says, "Hop in, kid. I'll take ya any place ya wanna go," and is labeled " Professional Veterans Organizers". 

As a veteran of Iraq I stopped and stared at this depiction of theWW2 veteran's plight in America.  Even the Greatest Generation, the WW2 vets who fought the evil empires of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, felt as we do.  I have often regarded the complete lack of participation by "John Q Public" in the wars we are fighting and have been fighting since 9/11.  No doubt, we are fighting the evil empire of Global terrorism and Islamic extremism.  And yet, the recent elections brought clearly to light the fact that the average American is not remotely involved or invested in the wars we are fighting, in spite of the lives lost and damaged by these conflicts fought on their behalf.  Those who are invested either are in the military or have a loved one in the military.  Most of us have experienced multiple deployments to war zones.  Yet the average American is not more concerned about the war than they are about the daily events in their lives.  The left will always have an excuse to blame the wars for the national debt while ignoring the failed tax and spend policies that put the debt out of control long before 9/11.  Those on the right, while looking to reduce the national debt, are pondering the costs associated with veterans' programs and see them as a fiscal burden along with Social Security and Medicare.

During WW2 American households suffered and sacrificed to support the war effort.  The country's industrial base was turned from consumer goods to war material.  IBM manufactured small arms, GM and Ford manufactured tanks and military trucks.  The textile mills of America focused on producing uniforms and tents.  Gasoline was rationed and cars could only be driven on "A" days or "B" days.  Meat, milk and cigarettes were in short supply.  Victory Gardens were the standard for American families looking to supplement the food on their tables.  The draft took every able bodied male into military service.  American housewives went to work in the factories and government offices.  In short, life was hard and not just for GIs and the ones they left behind.  Everyone felt it and the average American was motivated to see the war come to a successful end, not just take the fiscal monkey off their backs and get back to consuming Chinese imports.  There were drives to collect scrap metal and rubber to be recycled into war material.  Being fit and not serving in the military was a disgrace.  Being unfit and not serving was still a disgrace.  Many men would lie about their age and their fitness level so they could serve.  Today, 1% of Americans serve in the wartime military.  Employers fire their Reserve and National Guard employees who get deployed.  There is a cottage legal industry that teaches employers how to do away with the positions of mobilized reservists so the government cannot sue the employer.  There are no rations of gasoline or "A" and "B" days, but the price of Middle Eastern gasoline is a major point of discussion and frustration while the wounded warriors among us go largely unnoticed.  Some Americans sacrifice by spending a couple of dollars on a bumper sticker to support the troops.  The American government has done a piss poor job, as have the various veteran's organizations, of telling the American people HOW to support the troops. 

I guess my point is that few Americans seem to be involved in the war effort or care about the troops, in spite of the rhetoric.  For all of those who do care, I thank you.  Your prayers and support are felt.