Fallen soldier memorial a metaphor for the war
Originally published in the Park University Stylus in Nov. 2012.
By Andi Enns
Editor
On Nov. 15, the Park University Warrior Center for veteran student services held a reading of the names and branches of fallen US soldiers in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. From the picnic tables by Thompson Student Commons, volunteers read the names with respect and dignity, and a PA system broadcasted their quiet voices across the upper deck of campus.
No one sat down to watch the four hour memorial.
Barely anyone even took notice of the reading as they walked by.
As the volunteers intoned the names, almost like a religious chant, students walked past, laughing and talking about their lives.
It struck me like a metaphor for the war itself. Men and women are over there risking their lives and sanity while we carry on like it’s not happening. When they come home - sometimes missing limbs or their sense of safety and trust - we tell them that we don’t support the war instead of asking if they’re okay. We buy holiday presents and watch trashy TV and worry about homework, and completely ignore the lives lost in a war we easily forget.
Take time this holiday season to remember the soldiers. You might not support the war - I don’t - but remember the soldiers risking their lives in a land far away from home where people don’t speak the same language. Some are the same age as traditional college students and instead of partying or completing core assessment projects, they’re risking everything, often because of the promise of a college education later. No matter how you slice it, these men and women deserve our compassion and respect.
The Park University Warrior Center is hosting a charity drive to send holiday packages to the soldiers. They need travel size toiletries, toothbrushes, winter hats, socks, chapstick, dry snacks, paperback books, disposable cameras, and pocket warmers. Many items can be found at the dollar store or in bulk at wholesale outlets. They’re also collecting holiday cards and letters to include in the packages.
I urge you to donate. When my cousin served in Afghanistan, he said the charity packages were the only gifts most soldiers received for the holidays.
The donation deadline is the first week of December, so don’t delay.
By Andi Enns
Editor
On Nov. 15, the Park University Warrior Center for veteran student services held a reading of the names and branches of fallen US soldiers in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. From the picnic tables by Thompson Student Commons, volunteers read the names with respect and dignity, and a PA system broadcasted their quiet voices across the upper deck of campus.
No one sat down to watch the four hour memorial.
Barely anyone even took notice of the reading as they walked by.
As the volunteers intoned the names, almost like a religious chant, students walked past, laughing and talking about their lives.
It struck me like a metaphor for the war itself. Men and women are over there risking their lives and sanity while we carry on like it’s not happening. When they come home - sometimes missing limbs or their sense of safety and trust - we tell them that we don’t support the war instead of asking if they’re okay. We buy holiday presents and watch trashy TV and worry about homework, and completely ignore the lives lost in a war we easily forget.
Take time this holiday season to remember the soldiers. You might not support the war - I don’t - but remember the soldiers risking their lives in a land far away from home where people don’t speak the same language. Some are the same age as traditional college students and instead of partying or completing core assessment projects, they’re risking everything, often because of the promise of a college education later. No matter how you slice it, these men and women deserve our compassion and respect.
The Park University Warrior Center is hosting a charity drive to send holiday packages to the soldiers. They need travel size toiletries, toothbrushes, winter hats, socks, chapstick, dry snacks, paperback books, disposable cameras, and pocket warmers. Many items can be found at the dollar store or in bulk at wholesale outlets. They’re also collecting holiday cards and letters to include in the packages.
I urge you to donate. When my cousin served in Afghanistan, he said the charity packages were the only gifts most soldiers received for the holidays.
The donation deadline is the first week of December, so don’t delay.