"Sometimes I wish they would do this for us when we come home alive."
That's what one sailor said, watching the procession, and crowds, that gathered to mourn the loss of another sailor, killed in the line of duty as a corpsman in Iraq, supporting Marines in combat.
Think about that for a second.
Why don't we?
Aren't these our heroes?
Aren't these the bravest, most dedicated, most honorable of our young people?
Why DON'T we do this when they come home alive?
Why aren't there parades for living armed forces personnel? Why don't we call out the whole town to see our kids come home?
Why do we only bring out the ticker tape and confetti, the marching bands and police escorts, to bring home their bodies?
I ask, because I, too, once wished they would do something like that when I came home alive, and when my friends did.
Why do we only recognize the contributions of the dead? Are those brought home still living not equally responsible for the good we accomplish?
