Jose Narosky wrote, "In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” This Memorial Day, perhaps we should consider not only the fallen and those who still serve, but those who have come home suffering. Journalists covering the war have written about those who come home with afflictions ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to lost limbs; from suicidal tendencies to an inability to re-acclimate to the "peaceful" world: today's soldiers face a new sort of war and new kinds of suffering. Back in The Civil War, Clara Barton (founder of the Red Cross), suggested that those who were not soldiers should be prepared to minister to soldiers. Of herself, she wrote, "I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them."
Perhaps in light of the new ways of warfare, we will find new ways to honor those who give of themselves.
More ideas can be found at this Memorial Day site.
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