Fort Hood

With tomorrow being Veteran's Day and today being the day of mourning for those killed and injured at Fort Hood I just wanted to express my deep sorrow at this. Every single time you turn on the TV something bad is happening - but when our own military and civilians that work on the base at Fort Hood, if you can't feel safe there then where are we to feel safe?

My brother served 8 years in the USAF and was a medic/firefighter. He saw first hand the side of war that many of us will never know. He keeps it all inside - where I believe it festers like an old wound that won't heal. I remember many times the talks we had after 9/11 and after he came back from either Kuwait or Iraq - I would threaten to call someone in the military and tell them that he needed help. He said they frown on that - you aren't supposed to need help. You are a soldier. It would make me so angry. Why would the military want someone who is suffering so to fight for our country. Who was going to fight for him?

He got married in 2008, left the military in July of 2008 and now has a wife and baby to look after. He is safe. But is he still part of the walking wounded? Yes, 100%. I see it in his writing, I see it when I see a photo of him holding yet another beer in his hand, I see it on his face that looks way older then the 29 years of age that his body had lived.

And now more people are suffering. People I do not know - but people I care about. I hope justice is served. I wish our men and women would come home - every last one of them and I wish there would never be another mass murder and I know my wishes, my prayers will not come true. They can't. This is the world in 2009.

Tomorrow I will thank the veterans I see, I'll contact my brother and see how he is and I'll remember those that are living over in Iraq and Afghanistan and pray they stay safe.

Til next time.

Kris