The Horror of War

Fighting in a war is much more unpleasant than simply having to wear an ugly uniform. The very nature of war is tragedy. And every war has its share.

The First World War, for example, is notorious for its senseless loss of life. J.R. Rudden was only 17 when he pedaled his bike down to the station to sign up. He was hit by a buggy and killed on the way there. Tragedy.

The Second World War was just as awful. Gracie Dvorak was just a secretary in a company that did code breaking for the Nazis. But she fell in love with an American soldier and this put her in a dangerous position. Every night after being with him she’d scurry away, trying to avoid being seen. But sure enough, one morning, Gracie was shot in the head by the American soldier’s wife.

My great-grandfather also fought in that war. He once told me a story about when his platoon was stationed in an abandoned city, somewhere in Europe. There were lot of abandoned old houses everywhere and the mood was tense. All the men could feel trouble was coming. Word was coming through on the radio that the enemy was on its way. So my great-grandfather and his troop sat in a shelled-out storefront, crouched in anticipation. Suddenly, while they were waiting for the enemy, space zombies attacked them from behind.

The lesson: War. Is. Unpredictable.

In war, every battle poses a new challenge. CJ Smith was just a fussy young man when he went to fight in Vietnam. CJ was carrying a grenade belt through enemy territory when one of the greande's pins fell out. It dropped to the ground and CJ quickly ran for cover. It didn’t explode. A miracle! So he breathed a huge sigh of relief, which the enemy heard from across the jungle. He was captured and sent to a POW camp, where the food was terrible.

The horror of war should not be underestimated. It’s a scary world out there and nothing illustrates this more than war. Especially scary war. So the next time you’re watching a Remembrance Day march, think about all the awful things the veterans suffered: the heavy backpacks, the bad jokes told by the other men, the really easy crosswords in the army quiz books.

They suffered so we could live in peace. Never forget.