Eating My Words with a Side of Humble Pie

So, yesterday a co-worker, who is also a Vietnam Veteran, comes and asks me how I feel about the Matt Maupin funeral and the amount of coverage it has received. Apparently some people feel that the Army and media have spent too much time recognizing him and not enough recognizing other soldiers who were KIA. Interestingly enough, I had thought about this exact thing while watching the ceremony on tv, Sunday, but after giving it some thought, I realized that Matt Maupin's situation was significantly different than most KIA soldiers. He was MIA for 4 years, his parents started a HUGE network to support the troops called the Yellow Ribbon Support Center, the community has been very invested in his story, and the Maupin's have been very persistent ensuring that the Army bring Matt home. Also, his parents reached out to the families of all local soldiers who have been KIA and to the family of the civilian contractor who was also captured at the same time Matt Maupin was, and is still MIA. So, with all that being said, I think that allowing the community to be a part of Matt's Celebration-of-Life ceremony was fitting.

Ok, let me get back on track. After we discussed this, I told my co-worker that I feel like most people are fair-weather patriots (present readers excluded). It really annoys me and I have a pretty jaded opinion of these people. I told him that I think about how most people would still not care that soldiers had volunteered to serve our country if it weren't war-time. I have heard the counter argument, that it is not as risky to serve in peace-time, therefore, the sacrifice is not as big. My counter to that is, when you enlist, you do not have a caveat in your contract that allows you to gracefully decline service should a military conflict arise. My conversation with this co-worker left me feeling a little guilty for not only having these opinions, but expressing them. And then karma kicked me in the ass.

I recently answered a Craig's List ad for a Large Little Tikes Climber for $35. Through email, I asked if the set disassembled so that I could put it in the back of my SUV. She told me she wasn't sure, but that it would fit in a pick-up truck. I rarely advertise that my husband is deployed, but I mentioned that it would be difficult for Casey and I to transport it if it did not disassemble and asked if she could deliver it for a fee. She graciously said her husband would drop it off without a delivery charge.

Cut to last night. The husband of the seller shows up and drags the thing into the backyard. He asks me all about Matt and how I am managing. He tells me that they have 2 little girls and are trying for a 3rd and that they really appreciate all that our families endure. And, he refuses payment for the item. I adamantly insisted he let me pay, ESPECIALLY since he had delivered it. He said that he and his wife had discussed it and they felt it was a small way for them to give back, in light of our sacrifices. I thanked the man profusely and sat down on the swing out back to think.

I felt guilty for judging the motives of others and realized that I should be thankful that our society embraces soldiers of our era, considering the way the Vietnam Veterans were treated. I can't say that this situation entirely cured my jaded viewpoint, but it certainly made me sit back and re-evaluate my stance.