The Face of Our Enemy

Who is this American soldier? He is obviously American born. He was raised in the USA with running water and electricity at his fingertips. He attended school and graduated from his local High School.
After high school graduation he chose to join the military.
Most enlisted men and women join the military for personal advancement. Either to gain skills or paid college education afforded by the GI Bill.

The lack of high quality American jobs makes joining the military more attractive to today's generation. Certainly most Vietnam era soldiers were drafted at a time when good jobs were plentiful to the High School Graduate.

He attended Boot Camp where he was instructed in all things military. He is told his Country needs him to fight an enemy without a flag or country. He can see there are no weapons of mass destruction and the enemies only weapon is terror. The weapon of pure fear itself. He battles a coward who's military strategy is killing innocent women and children. His opponent believes their Jihad of killing innocent people will lead him to grace with his Deity. This American Soldier had no idea his youthful decision of personal advancement will affect millions who benefit directly from his rights to chose.

The child he holds is not his. She does not speak his language. She is raised without running water and knows nothing of electricity. Education is not only unavailable but also against the law.
He wonders why his life was so privileged by comparison to the child in his arms.
He must realize his privilege was a gift to him from another soldier just like himself.
A soldier who stood in the face of tyranny, placed his life in harms way so that people he would never meet could live in his freedom.
He works for the only military in the history of the world who leaves schools, running water and electricity in their wake.
He does not pillage plunder or take what is not his. He and now the child are both privileged. His gift to others who he will never meet. His obligation fulfilled to a soldier he did not know.

It is the spirit of our American Union. The essence of our Constitution. The binding obligation that stitched Americans as one, long before there was government, congress or presidents. The pedigree of The United States of America passed to each generation

The military will ordain soldiers with ribbons, medals, buttons, hearts, crosses and stars of various color for bravery and valor. It is truly shameful there are no Congressional Medals awarded for humanitarian gestures seen in the above photo. America would be better off if we recognized soldiers for selfless acts of kindness.

He knows this is the only way to victory. Kindness is more powerful than any warhead invented. The dead are free. The bombed are more vigilant. We learned it the hard way in Vietnam.
Written 7/20/10