By Robert Seibert
Guest Writer
I stood in shock. The jacket was in a pile of things being thrown away. It was the dress coat of a former Army service member. What did this jacket do to deserve such a dishonorable ending? I wondered about the story this jacket could tell.
Maybe this was the jacket of a soldier who fought in Vietnam. A dress jacket would not have been needed there, so maybe it was left behind to make the pack lighter, so Joe Soldier left it in his closet at his parents’ house. Joe probably never gave it a second thought. Little did he know; he would never put it on again. At first, his mom couldn’t bring herself to open the door of closet. As time passed by though, it became a comfort to her. From time to time, she would open the door and take the jacket out. The routine was always the same, dust it off, try to smell Joe and not the moth balls, then grab it tightly in an effort to never let him go. The problem is Joe’s mom kept aging and eventually died. Now the memory of Joe is gone and the coat means nothing to others.
Maybe, this was the jacket of a soldier who went to Afghanistan. Jack made it through two deployments. It’s amazing how bad things have a tendency to remain in our memories more than good ones. Jack was back home, but bad memories kept coming back. He had seen death close and personal. Friends had been blown apart or shot up when they were standing next to him. His family, especially his wife, noticed the change and wanted to help, but didn’t know how. Jack struggled, afraid to be labeled as weak or of no use to the military if he sought professional help. His struggle strained his relationship with his wife, which caused him more pain. Now, Jack only wants one thing, the end of his pain and in an instant, he decides to end it. Now the war has come home and the wife can’t stand the pain of being reminded of what happened to her husband and is ready to throw out the memory.
Maybe, this was the jacket of a soldier who left immediately after graduation for Army boot camp. Jeff served his time in the Army, receiving his GI Bill for education. After leaving the Army, Jeff enrolled in a college and proceeded getting his degree. Over the next couple of years, professors pounded the idea in his head that America was an awful country and we should be apologizing to the rest of the world. He left college with the idea that there are better countries to live in, but neither his professors nor him were willing to go live there. Instead, they want to change America. Ashamed that he served to protect and preserve a country he no longer holds the values of; he tosses the jacket in an effort to cleanse himself.
Maybe, this was the jacket of a soldier who married his small-town sweet heart and the two couldn’t wait to get to a bigger city. Military life is never easy. A deployment here, a temporary assignment there, meanwhile the spouse is left behind and mostly alone. Don’t worry, there is always another man looking to “care” for them while their soldier is away. Jim was caught off guard when he returned and found some other man has been driving his mustang and spending time with his wife. He was even more confused when she kicked him out of the house. In the rush, he left behind the jacket and she didn’t care about the jacket any more than she did Jim.
We don’t know the story of the jacket, but we know what it represents. Maybe it doesn’t deserve a dignified ending like an American flag, but it represents someone willing to sacrifice their life for our way of life. Was a sacrifice made by whoever the jacket belonged to? Absolutely. Not all sacrifices end in death, but they are sacrifices. John Maxwell Edmonds said, “When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.” Whoever wore the jacket, did just that.
American Legion members are all veterans who know these stories too well. As the largest veteran organization in the United States, we strive to support veterans, their families and active duty in a variety of ways. We also place a great emphasis on patriotism. George Lee American Legion Post 532 in Hayesville invites all veterans to come and join us as we continue to serve God and Country. For details email: alpost532.adj@gmail.com.