1. Wow, Travis. I’m sorry for your loss. I know that may seem cheap or too easy. . . but it is what it is. Thank you for your service, as well. I honestly don’t think I would be able to handle stuff like that.

  2. Teish says:

    I’m so sorry for your loss Travis. It must have been hard to write about, but thank you for sharing.

  3. Very good article, very to the point. I am sorry for your loss. My best friend, Pvt. Larry Newberry, died in Vietnam, so I know the grief of losing someone to war.
    —-David W. Landrum
    3rd Infantry Division, 1970-1973, Schweinfurt, Germany

  4. I’m very sorry to hear about your friend and your son 🙁 I don’t really know what to say, but thank you for being willing to discuss this with us. I know that it can be hard to think back on these things.

    As for what you said about fiction…one reason I like Fate Zero and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is because, although there is a lot of war and bloodshed, they discuss a lot of philosophy on the subject, there are plenty of characters that are struggling against the hardships and genuinely want peace and happiness. Naruto Shippuden delves very deep into that, in fact. It does make stories more meaningful that way. The chars mainly just want peace and happiness, and what peace and happiness they do have attains far more meaning because the chars know exactly how precious that peace is. I agree that we do need more stories with peace loving warriors.

  5. notleia says:

    Good time to break out the WWI poetry, if you ask me:

    ‘They’ by Siegfried Sassoon

    The Bishop tells us: ‘When the boys come back
    ‘They will not be the same; for they’ll have fought
    ‘In a just cause: they lead the last attack
    ‘On Anti-Christ; their comrades’ blood has bought
    ‘New right to breed an honourable race,
    ‘They have challenged Death and dared him face to face.’

    ‘We’re none of us the same!’ the boys reply.
    ‘For George lost both his legs; and Bill’s stone blind;
    ‘Poor Jim’s shot through the lungs and like to die;
    ‘And Bert’s gone syphilitic: you’ll not find
    ‘A chap who’s served that hasn’t found some change.’
    And the Bishop said: ‘The ways of God are strange!’

  6. Steve Courteol says:

    So sorry to hear such losses… You spoke so eloquently. If I may attach a coupleof verses I wrote to the tune, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.”

    Eternal Spirit Who has made,
    The home to build and not the blade,
    Give courage when the battle’s call,
    Shall bring us out to give our all,
    Oh, hear us when we pray to Thee,
    In falling tumults, soon to be,

    In muddy fields of foreign lands,
    By sea waves washing bloody sands,
    From air to fall, or lost at sea,
    The keeper of their souls shall be,
    Oh, gracious Father, welcome home,
    Our fallen heroes ne’er alone,

    Where e’er is honor in the fight,
    When courage rises in the night,
    When darkness blocks our vision clear,
    Let none despair tho’ foes be near,
    Let none retreat from blood-bought ground,
    By risen sword peace shall be found,

    When Heaven’s dawn at last shall rise,
    And light shall brighten crystal skies,
    Be Thou our portion then, as now,
    As we before Thy throne do bow,
    And crowns before Your feet do cast,
    When days of blood and wars are past,

What do you think?