Fallen soldiers

Let me say before I get to far into this that I have nothing but sympathy for all the families that have lost loved ones and will lose loved ones in the current war in Iraq. But something that has been going on the past couple days bothers me.

It came out a few days ago, maybe even yesterday, that Matt Maupin's remains have been located and identified. The man has been missing since 2004 if I recall correctly and I can completely understand the sadness, but likely relief to know the truth for the first time in years, that his family must be feeling right now. We all want our loved ones to return to us safe and alive. But the outpouring of support and love for this one family seems, and I might get flammed for this, unfair. What about all the other families that have lost people that are just as important to them? Are there flags flying at half staff for them? Are there these huge memorials and thousands of yellow ribbons tied to telephone poles for them specifically? It seems to me the answer is no. Let me say again that I understand that the Maupins have been waiting for years for the news that their son has been found, dead or alive, and the fact that their community has come out to support their son, a true hero (like every other soldier), is wonderful. But in the end it seems like it short-changes everyone else that has given their life in the name of freedom in the exact same war.

Let me step to the other side of the line now though. It's wonderful that we live in a far different world now than when my parent's generation was going off to Vietnam. Young men who were literally forced to go off to war were treated as pond scum, called baby killers and far worse things. Today, people have learned to not blame the soldier who is simply following orders and go after the people that sent him there in the first place. I think it's wonderful that even when many don't support the war people are still calling people who have returned from Iraq, dead and alive, heroes. I think that's a wonderful thing.