Burnout in the trenches...

[turnpike boy]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

This to shall pass... it won't be that way for the families who lost relatives. A lady friend of mine lost her husband in Vietnam, heli pilot. He remains missing, her anguish continues to this day.

Yep. And life goes on. It's a choice you have to make - do I stay depressed with all that I saw and did, or do I defer it to some other time and learn life really IS for the living?

The single biggest disservice anyone can do for a loved one is send them off without a clear understanding that the government DOESN'T give a rats a$$ for you, in or out of the service. Never has, never will; recall Hoover City? Only about 80 years ago now. This list - and attitude - is endless, and will forever be.

Profiteering was practiced by the Romans, too. That customer doubtless heard that war is good business; now he's seen the truth in that statement. Most of us go in with visions of near-holy intents, and get brought back to earth pretty quickly. Morale-killer? - you bet. But it does serve to make you want to stay alive a whole lot more.