Freedom is not free
Evan Helmuth
Issue date: 11/9/09 Section: Forum
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I also enjoy all the fruits of living in what is, by far, the wealthiest large society in all of human history (a nice car, plenty of food, a comfortable house, etc.).
I live secure in the knowledge I need not fear for my personal safety and, if I am accused of a crime, I am guaranteed an elaborate series of rights to protect me from arbitrary treatment by my government.
Some people exercise their First Amendment rights more frequently than others.
And we all enjoy varying degrees of affluence - though pretty much everyone in America is wealthy in the extreme compared to most of the world.
Everyone at UMKC and throughout the United States enjoys these and a myriad of other rights and benefits associated with being an American.
Unfortunately, even though all of us enjoy the fruits of America, few of us really stop to consider the sacrifices required of others in order for us to live the way we do. Even fewer of us ever actually volunteer to defend our country.
Recently, I had an opportunity to at least do the former by interviewing a number of local World War II veterans for a class paper.
They told me stories of flying long combat missions filled with flack over Nazi-occupied Europe and of being cramped aboard a small destroyer for over a year of boredom, punctuated by terrifying combat.
My grandfather frequently told stories about his three years of Pacific Island combat against the Japanese - stories of malaria, constant discomfort and unbelievably brutal combat.
My conversations with these veterans offered both humorous anecdotes and incredible insights into the massive physical and emotional hardships they endured for the country.
All the men I spoke with offered strikingly similar views of their own time in the military.
Each one was proud of his service to the country, but none thought of himself as having done anything extraordinary or particularly praiseworthy.
They each simply said they were doing their job like millions of other men of their generation.
They were typical of other World War II veterans in that they balked at being labeled heroes.
The veterans I spoke with would rather be emulated than idolized.
Instead of the flowery speeches and editorials that usually accompany Veteran's Day, we civilians should do two simple things to honor those who have served.
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