Honoring Our Veterans / Working For Peace

Honoring Our Veterans / Working For Peace

Twenty years ago I was driving across northern France in an area near the Somme River.  It was an absolutely beautiful spring day under a blue sky with breezes that passed gently over the fields of grass.   I recalled a lesson from my college ROTC military history class about the Battle of the Somme that occurred during World War I in which the British Army suffered horrific casualties (over 60,000 young men were killed or wounded during the first few hours of the battle). 

It was difficult for me to imagine such carnage until I saw in a small corner of many of the fields, the beautiful well-cared-for cemeteries that were the final resting places of soldiers from that battle.  (During this war in which an entire generation of young men was sacrificed, over 116,000 of our fellow Americans were killed and more than 205,000 were wounded.)

At the conclusion of World War I, November 11^th was designated as Armistice Day (later noted as Veterans Day) to honor those in the military who had served their country so valiantly.

In today's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our young men and women are encountering the danger and stress of having to serve multiple tours in a very hazardous environment.  It is so very important to show our deployed troops that they are in our thoughts and prayers.  "Care" packages and cards and letters can be sent through the Red Cross (www.redcross.org/holidaymail) or one of the veterans' organizations (e.g., American Legion, VFW, Vietnam Veterans of Michigan).

Another way we can support our troops is by trying to create a world where we address the causes of war.  Pope Paul VI stressed that if we want peace, we should work for justice.   Father Thomas Merton cautioned that if we only see our enemy as absolutely evil, we will never be able to find the grounds for a dialogue that can avert war.  However, when the enemy is seen as human, everything changes.

There are many ways to become involved in addressing the causes of war.  In my case I pray for guidance and I get involved with groups such as Catholic Relief Services and Doctors Without Borders, as well as volunteering with the St. Francis Peace and Justice Committee and other organizations that work on projects to address issues related to war and human suffering.

                     Dick Brown, St. Francis Peace and Justice Committee