Bring All Our Children Home

“Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.” The phrase was new to me tonight when Tommi shared it in light of the support she’s known both from Ken and from Randy. It helped to make a lot of sense for me of the homecoming she’d received in Dallas, New Jersey, and Montevideo, Minnesota. I am moved by their remembrance, their faithfulness, and their tenacity. I am grateful.

Tommi is home, and so many of you have written shared joy for her safe return, but I remain torn. I hear the sense of “years” casually overlaid on the continued U.S. involvement in Iraq, and I think of the other women and men (daughters and sons) still there, still going. I wish it were not so.

The tension of conflicting points of view is captured in this December 27 NYTimes story about a Duluth, Minnesota veteran. Scott Cameron’s storefront sign tallies the count for dead and wounded from the Iraq war and is juxtaposed to signage from the local army recruiter next door. The story reports more on the clash of perspectives here and in other parts of the country.

For me it brings to mind the undercurrent to my joy for Tommi’s safe return: there are yet others remaining, and my rest will be fully realized only when all of our children are home – safe, whole, healthy, and for good.

technorati tags: Iraq, war, Scott Cameron