Luke Smith: The never-ending sacrifice
12:00 AM CST on Sunday, November 30, 2008
Luke Smith is a junior at Liberty Christian School in Argyle and a Student Voices volunteer columnist. To respond to this column, send an e-mail to voices@dallasnews.com.
A small veterans hospital in Waco houses about 200 mentally impaired veterans, mostly men who fought in Vietnam, but some young enough to be Iraq veterans. Like any other nursing home, there is not much to do during the day, and, since many of the residents are mentally ill, most do not even talk with one another.
The first thing I noticed when I entered the lobby occupied by about five men was the silence. I wondered what they were thinking. I wondered if they knew I was there, as none of them seemed to acknowledge each other or me.
The nurse pointed out a man who she knew as sociable, and I promptly struck up a conversation with him. He wanted to go to a nearby building so that he could buy some ice cream. I wheeled him there and back, all while asking him about his war stories, his thoughts on the election and the war (he didn't know much about either and didn't seem to care), and other basic things concerning his current situation.
My day at the VA hospital went by quickly, but as I left I could not help but to think about what every day must be like for those men. They only leave their campus for weekly trips to Wal-Mart. Time makes no impact on their lives because nothing ever changes.
How different it is for my generation. We move so fast that we never notice what's going on around us. The man I visited with and the rest of the residents at the Waco VA hospital exhibited that a soldier's sacrifice to their country does not necessarily end when the war ends. Many soldiers have paid the ultimate price for our freedom, and we are all grateful to them and give them our utmost respect, but these men who struggle daily with the trauma caused by the war pay an even greater price.
When these men entered battle, I am sure they thought of the possibility of death or some life-altering injury, but they could not have imagined this. I saw an entire building replete of cases like this – people who will not see the glory of victory or even the recognition that goes to most injured warriors. But I thank them for their unique sacrifice.
So this weekend, I thought a lot about the sacrifices others had made for our country. I am thankful today, not just for their sacrifices, but for the worries that come with a jam-packed busy day. The veteran I visited and his companions do not have that luxury.
Thank you, soldiers, for everything – even the things that I haven't thought of yet.
Luke Smith is a junior at Liberty Christian School in Argyle and a Student Voices volunteer columnist. To respond to this column, send an e-mail to voices@dallasnews.com.
Luke Smith: The never-ending sacrifice
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I hope this young mans parents are proud of him............
Sunday, November 30, 2008
thoughts from a teenager
