InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Tweak!"

Hemingway. (ernestoic) wrote in compass_network,
@ 2013-11-12 11:48:00

Entry tags:

jake sully, ~jason murphy, ~peggy carter

They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason.

Hit in the head you will die quickly and cleanly even sweetly and fittingly except for the white blinding flash that never stops, unless perhaps it is only the frontal bone or your optic nerve that is smashed, or your jaw carried away, or your nose and cheek bones gone so you can still think but you have no face to talk with. But if you are not hit in the head you will be hit in the chest, and choke in it, or in the lower belly, and feel it all slip and slide loosely as you open, to spill out when you try to get up, it's not supposed to be so painful but they always scream with it, it's the idea I suppose, or have the flash, the slamming clang of high explosive on a hard road and find your legs are gone above the knee, or maybe just a foot gone and watch the white bone sticking through your puttee, or watch them take a boot off with your foot a mush inside it, or feel an arm flop and learn how a bone feels grating, or you will burn, choke and vomit, or be blown to hell a dozen ways, without sweetness or fittingness: but none of this means anything. No catalogue of horrors ever kept men from war. Before the war you always think that it's not you that dies. But you will die, brother, if you go to it long enough.

[ooc- copyright, Ernest Hemingway, 'Notes on the Next War'.]

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	puddlejumppilot 2013-11-13 08:28 am UTC (link)
	Uh, not sure what you're reading, but I didn't agree with your view on how they die, not the fact they're dead. Brought home too many bodies from battle, or just patrol even. And you need to meet a few of the folk we were protecting. I reckon they might have a different view to you too. They at least appreciated our help. For the most part. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ernestoic
2013-11-13 09:30 am UTC (link)

My job during the war involved mostly picking up the dismembered body parts that were everywhere, not only of soldiers but of women and children who had got in the way. There is nothing glorious about being blown to piece by shellfire. And no, there is no good reason for their deaths. As I say, I don't criticise the soldiers work, but the governments who send young boys there before they can even vote.

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puddlejumppilot
2013-11-13 08:05 pm UTC (link)

Guess I can understand your opinion, but it's like trying to describe a horse when all you've seen is the horsecrap, and where it comes from. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying war, or fighting is in any way glorious or magnificent, or to be commended.

But the men and women who fight and die? They are. Each and every one I've ever served with have been magnificent, and courageous and given their all to defend those who needed it, regardless of what the government said. And in my case, in spite of what it said.

And saying there was no good reason for their deaths is degrading their sacrifice. And belittling our work. So instead of bagging it, why not write something about the people who did give the ultimate sacrifice? We don't need to be reminded of all the bad - we lived it too, at the same time as wondering if we were next, some of us for years. We just want to remember those of our mates who didn't come back, and have a beer in their memories.

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