THE HIDDEN TRUTH I miss him. Most days are extremely difficult, but some days are bearable. I try to hold myself up most of the time, but sometimes that is not enough. I try to hold on to better thoughts, but sometimes the negative thoughts are more dominant. My mother told me, “Maria, the best thing to do when you're in pain, is to look above, and put all your trust in God, for He has a plan”, but sometimes those kind-loving words are not strong enough to numb the excruciating pain that feels like a hit to my heart. *** “Maria, Happy Birthday, my beautiful angel!” My mother’s precious arms encircle me restricting me from air. I chuckle lightly and return her precious hug. She glances at me with her deep turquoise eyes, which resemble …show more content…
I wish Dad could have been here.” I notice her sweet smile turn into the slightest frown. I come to understand the pain my mother has been enduring considering my father’s absence. I notice the effort she has been putting into smiling and talking to me more often, but I know beneath her radiant smile, her devastation and tears are existent. My father had left us, or did the war take him from us? I begged him not to fight in the war but his motive remained the same exactly like his response, “Maria, how do you expect me to sit here and just watch all the men fight and take their part in the war?” No matter how hard I tried, his decision was as firm as a tree and its roots planted in the deep firm soil, unchangeable. His absence is more painful than I expected. His empty seat on the dinner table creates a void in the room, resembling the void in my chest. It hits harder when he isn’t here to accompany me on my lonesome walks to school, or not being able to hear his ridiculous stories. The worst thing of all is knowing deep down that the War has taken him from us. I believe it’s a terrible concept, a revolting one. Who could think of such a cruel idea of where men are obliged to kill each other on a battlefield, risking their lives and placing all their loved ones in such pain and
i. Difficulties faced by soldiers due to the nature of fighting in the Vietnam War - Personnel had difficulties with transportation supplied with adapted vehicles back seat faced rear to provide additional fire power (Source A) – It appears as if the government didn't worry enough to supply men with safe and capable equipment - Threat of traps led to fear as vehicles had to be parked on street at night (Source A) o Check for traps each morning became a daily ritual particularly in fuel tanks (Source A) o A request for a locking fuel cap was denied because weren’t entitled to one” (Source A) • What circumstances would have needed to arise for them to be entitled to one? The Offensive full guard was set up (24hrs a day), personnel got no sleep and were constantly on alert (Source A) – How significant would this have been in the personnel’s mental frame of mind?
In the story “Home Soil” by Irene Zabytko, the reader is enlightened about a boy who was mentally and emotionally drained from the horrifying experiences of war. The father in the story knows exactly what the boy is going through, but he cannot help him, because everyone encounters his or her own recollection of war. “When their faces are contorted from sucking the cigarette, there is an unmistakable shadow of vulnerability and fear of living. That gesture and stance are more eloquent than the blood and guts war stories men spew over their beers” (Zabytko 492). The father, as a young man, was forced to reenact some of the same obligations, yet the father has learne...
When people think of the military, they often think about the time they spend over in another country, hoping they make it back alive. No one has ever considered the possibility that they may have died inside. Soldiers are reborn through war, often seeing through the eyes of someone else. In “Soldier’s home” by Ernest Hemingway, the author illustrates how a person who has been through war can change dramatically if enough time has passed. This story tells of a man named Harold (nick name: Krebs) who joined the marines and has finally come back after two years. Krebs is a lost man who feels it’s too complicated to adjust to the normal way of living and is pressured by his parents.
As evidenced by his words, it was not simply a matter of going over there at the age of seventeen to fight for one’s country. Rather, it was a matter of leaving behind the safety and security of the home to which you were accustomed, with little expectation of returning. At a time when these ‘kids’ should have been enjoying, they were burdened with the the trepidation of being drafted.
Today in America, people see the war zones of Syria, Iraq and Turkey with all the families torn apart and do not think twice about it but for those in the war zones the struggle to keep a family together is hard. “You don’t involve any more Meekers in this terrible war,” (Collier and Collier 149). Mrs. Meeker has already lost half of her
“ I joined the Army when I was fourteen because, one, I was persuaded that the only way to get my parents back or to stop that from happening was to be apart of the Army and kill those people who were responsible for killing my parents. But, you see, the thing that is very disturbing about this thing is that once I joine...
Every sense I was a little girl my grandfather would tell me about his experiences during WWII as, Elie Wiesel did in his essay “A God Who Remembers”.My grandfather would tell everyone his story his grandchildren,friends, family and our neighbors(even if they didn’t understand him). I remember one day my grandfather asked me to sit down with him, he wanted to tell me his story. Even though I 've listen to his story many of times, I had this feeling that I should stay and listen to him. While everyone else was downstairs and playing I sat with my grandfather and listened diligently. This was the last conversation I remember having with my grandfather before he wasn 't able to speak anymore, because of his sickness. He told me about how he had to hide, so that the Germans would not find him.
The air was warm, the beams of sunlight shined on my skin, and the sweet laughter of my daughter came as she ran about. I could hear the bark of the neighbor’s dog in the distance, the scraping sound of a jogger's sneakers on the gravel sidewalk and I could smell the sweet aroma of the ripening peaches coming from the tree in our backyard. It was a brilliant summer day just like any other. My husband, Matthew, pulled in. Our daughter ran to him as he walked up the drive, “Daddy, Daddy,” she shouted as she wrapped her arms around him, embracing him with love. My husband sat beside me and began to speak. My heart began to beat slowly and erratically at first, my eyes began to burn in their sockets and a lump rose in my throat. The hair on my arms stood on end as my eyes began to fill with tears. “I got orders babe, I’m going to be shipped out in eight days.” These words my husband spoke would be the begging of a whole new life, a whole new fear. This day my life changed forever. On this day I learned my husband was going to be deployed.
It was the evening of Christmas, 1776. The voice of an army sergeant shouted, “Everybody, up this instant! We’ve got a battle to win!” George Washington’s order awoke us soldiers, and we prepared for a rough night, as General Washington knew it would be more than strenuous to get the Continental Army, made up of 2,400 men, across the Delaware River especially in such harsh weather conditions. The plan was to attack in the morning since the Hessians would be celebrating Christmas tonight, they will hopefully be too tired to put up a fight tomorrow morning. The cold, brisk air intruded into the tent, as the rest of the soldiers arose from their slumber, not knowing what the day would bring them, or should I say, night.
The Vietnam War is one of the most important wars that America has taken place in especially since the United States had to draft over a million Americans citizens to fight Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Cong. The draft caused many citizens at home to become angry, therefore they began to protest against the war forming anti war movements which college students mainly participated in. The war had several different names like the American war and the Living Room War, since many families watched it on their televisions in their living rooms. In every war, both sides will have severe casualties, including the Vietnam War.
My uncle is about to be deployed back into the Middle East, and while I know it is his job, I am afraid. I am afraid for what all the troops deployed around the world face. While, I choose to believe that most will return in one piece, no one really knows how hard it is to survive being a soldier. The mental and physical hardships faced by soldiers worldwide are unimaginable. The bombing of Syria, and the terrorist attacks today makes this world, a very dangerous time indeed. Even though, we may think life is tough, being a soldier is just as challenging. As a result I wanted to share this eye-opening poem as a way to show my gratitude and to spread awareness. Because, American veterans and active soldiers today have faced excruciating obstacles for our freedom and yet those who do get hurt are not helped. I personally would be livid if my uncle or my father did not get the help they deserve for serving our country and us. The freedom that America has is because of its soldiers and this poem expresses a side of war that I hold to be important to understand and to share.“Where Broken Soldiers Go” is a saddening poem about a man recounting his military
The war in Vietnam got a lot of attention – mostly negative attention. Veterans were not welcomed back in the country; instead, they were treated as outcasts. There is one thing and one thing only to blame for this. The media. The media gave the war terrible press and soon the citizens began to believe everything and anything they heard or saw. Thanks to CBS and other news sources the Vietnam War was the most hated war in American history.
War, huh, ya. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. That’s right, especially for Vietnam’s case. Vietnam has struggled mostly because the effects of war.
Vietnam was a struggle which, in all honesty, the United States should never have been involved in. North Vietnam was battling for ownership of South Vietnam, so that they would be a unified communist nation. To prevent the domino effect and the further spread of communism, the U.S. held on to the Truman Doctrine and stood behind the South Vietnamese leader, Diem.
It was June 6, 2011. I remember taking my mother to the County Hospital’s emergency room. She seemed extremely exhausted; her eyes were half-closed and yellow, and she placed her elbow on the armchair, resting her head on her palm. I remember it was crowded and the wait was long, so she wanted to leave. I was the only one there with her, but I did not allow her to convince me to take her home. I told her in Spanish, “Mom, let’s wait so that we can get this over with and know what’s going on with you. You’ll see everything is okay, and we’ll go home later on.” I wish then and now that would have been the case. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to many parts of her body including her lungs and kidneys. The doctor said to me not considering that I was a minor and my mother’s daughter, “Her disease is very advanced and we don’t think she will live longer than a year.” With this devastating news, I did not know what to do. I thought to myself that perhaps I should cry, or try to forget and take care of her as best I could and make her laugh to ease her pain.