In honor of Memorial Day, I wanted to highlight this editorial by fellow writer and blogger K.B. Schaller, author of Gray Rainbow Journey and Journey by the Sackcloth Moon. While we often think of the war dead as casualties of conflicts from long ago, this piece discusses Lori Ann Piestewa, a member of the Navajo Nation who was the first female troop casualty in the Iraq War. Despite the oppression and degradation suffered by Indigenous Americans, they have been loyal to the United States and served in all branches of the armed forces with a higher percentage – given their small population – in comparison to other ethnic groups. They’re certainly braver than the sorry-ass draft dodgers who got our nation into the Iraq War in the first place. For better or worse, this is the country we have and it’s still a work in progress. We should all realize that freedom truly isn’t that free.
Tag Archives: Iraq War
Quote of the Day
“It’s pretty cool to see our country doing things like this.”
– Army Sgt. Shawn Hudson, upon returning to Fort Bragg via Dallas / Ft. Worth International Airport
After 8 years, the “Welcome Home a Hero” program ended last week, as the last troops returning from Iraq passed through DFW. During that time, some 10,000 volunteers greeted thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen. Many of the volunteers were military veterans, including Vietnam combatants who never received such a greeting.
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