Ron’s Time Tunnel: Written In Stone

On By ronbrownxIn Ron's Time Tunnel

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When Gramp started to get old, she started to lose her short-term memory.  We didn’t know exactly what it was at the time, but looking back, I suspect that it was Alzheimer’s disease or Organic Brain Syndrome. In either case, it resulted in her experiencing a loss of her short-term memory. She could remember stories and events from decades before like they happened yesterday, but, she couldn’t remember yesterday.

Late one evening, I returned home on leave from the military. It was my first trip home since joining the Air Force in July of 1979. I knocked on the door. The porch light winked on and Gramp’s familiar old face appeared at the door.

I said, “Hey Gramp!” to which she cheerfully replied, “Hey there!”

But, she didn’t let me in right away.

So I asked her, “Don’t you recognize me?” to which she responded,

“Of course!”, but she still didn’t let me in.

So I asked her if she knew who I was and she answered,

“Yes! You’re my nephew Jack Mitchell!”

“I said, No Gramp, I’m your grandson Ronnie.”

Suddenly her eyes brightened with recognition and she said joyfully,

“Oh yeah! You’re the one in the Army! Come on in boy!”

In those days and in this part of the world, every military serviceman or servicewoman was in the “Army”, no matter what branch they really served in.

The point of this little story is this; In spite of health issues which impaired her memory, with a little prompting, Gramp could remember that her grandson was a military serviceman, even if she did have the wrong branch of service. That’s more than I can say for the United States Government and the politicians who, MIS-manage, MIS-lead and MIS-informs its citizens.

These so-called leaders have conveniently forgotten or broken the promises made to the U.S. serviceman and servicewoman throughout the years; promises that were written on paper, in the hearts and minds of the citizenry as well as IN STONE; promises inscribed in stone because of its proven durability; promises inscribed in stone because of its hardness and toughness.

Stone monuments, like the pyramids have endured for thousands of years. God even wrote the Ten Commandments in stone. Things are inscribed in stone so that we might never forget them and so that we would have constant reminders for eternity.

We have constant reminders of the sacrifices made for these promises in the Gardens of Stone like Arlington National Cemetery, and Andersonville.  A stone wall in the Lincoln Monument bears the following inscription from the Gettysburg Address; “BUT IN A LARGER SENSE, WE CANNOT DEDICATE-WE CANNOT CONSECRATE-WE CANNOT HALLOW-THIS GROUND. THE BRAVE MEN LIVING AND DEAD, WHO STRUGGLED HERE, HAVE CONSECRATED, FAR ABOVE OUR POOR POWER TO ADD OR DETRACT”.

It is important to note that President Lincoln did not forget the LIVING in his panegyric. The stone Tomb of the Unknowns bears the inscription, HERE RESTS, IN HONORED GLORY; AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN ONLY TO GOD.

The WWII memorial inscription, written in stone, says, OUR DEBT TO THE HEROIC MEN AND WOMEN IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY CAN NEVER BE REPAID. THEY HAVE EARNED OUR UNDYING GRATITUDE. AMERICA WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR SACRIFICES. The words, DEBT, EARNED, GRATITUDE, NEVER FORGET and REPAID, stand out here.

The Viet Nam War Memorial is inscribed with the 58,286 names of the men and women who died or went missing in action to EARN our GRATITUDE. The stone wall of the Korean War Memorial simply states, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.

We have memorialized the fallen servicemen and women in stone but some among us have forgotten the promises made to the living. Each year the once concrete promises made to our living, active duty servicemen, servicewomen, and vets is being chipped into dust. When I joined the Air Force, we were promised free medical care for life if we served twenty honorable, faithful and dedicated years. Well, now we have to pay for this service.

I’m not complaining…much; because the price I pay is meager in comparison to the civilian rates. But, it’s not free, as was promised.  Retirement pay, which once was considered sacred, is becoming an option on the chopping block of the politicians. What about the recent VA debacle, which saw veterans die while waiting for the PROMISE of medical treatment, EARNED in battle? We have memorialized the fallen but our political leaders have forgotten the living.

The word NEPENTHE refers to a legendary potion purported to have existed in the olden times of Greece.  This potion causes forgetfulness.  It would seem that our political leaders have become drunk on the “NEPENTHE” of power; of riches; of fame and of vanity, for they have conveniently forgotten the promises made in STONE and replaced them with promises written on glass and with invisible ink; promises that disappear or are easily broken at the whim of privileged civilians, who have never served a day of military service in their lives, for political gain and hidden agendas.

I’ve made this forecast before but I’ll make it again. As long as the benefits of choosing a military career balance with or outweigh the risks, the ideal of an “all-volunteer force” is secure. But, once the risks begin to outweigh the benefits, people will be less inclined to volunteer for military service and so consequently, recruitment will go down. When recruitment goes down, military readiness will suffer; when military readiness suffers, these same leaders will begin to explore other options to increase military readiness.

These options will be the death of the “all volunteer force; mandatory service obligation (the draft) will be at the forefront of the solution to the manning problem; then EVERYONE can lace up their boots; Simple logic, simple math.

This forecast may NOT BE WRITTEN IN STONE but the WRITING IS ON THE WALL!

26 thoughts on “Ron’s Time Tunnel: Written In Stone”

  1. Ron – your writing is very eloquent and at the same time visceral. It cuts when it needs to and you have done a fine job with this Time Tunnel. My father and uncles served in WWII. They were very proud to have been in the military. It irritates me to no end that our servicemen and servicewomen do not get adequate medical care. You and countless others have put your lives at risk, knowing full well what could happen while we are able to live our lives knowing that someone is keeping watch. Thank you, Ron not only for this piece but for your service to our country.

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  2. Hey Ron. Thanks for a thought-provoking piece again. While I can’t relate to the military duty in our country, your point about Freedom not being free is so on point. In our country many lost their lives for freedom and 20 years later many remain in the shackles of poverty, poor education and many other social ills despite their contributions and the sacrifices of many lives. I guess the big question is whether we as citizens can ever have more sway to hold our leaders to account and whether we can chase freedom without conflict and warfare.

    I guess we just have to keep working on that collective consciousness and the ballot boxes!

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  3. Ron,
    It is shameful how Veterans are treated. My father was a veteran of the Korean War and although he did receive VA benefits for medications, I spent the last year of his life and most of my savings waiting for the VA to approve his “Aid and Attendance” benefit. He never received it, but by the guidelines, he qualified for it. We provided his care regardless, but I think of so many who would not have been able to do the same.
    And I agree…the writing is on the wall.

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    1. ronbrownx

      Thanks Tessa! So sad to here about your father’s trials and tribulations. Heroic men like him, my father, my stepfather and many, many others, should not have to deal with these types of issues, nor should their loved ones.

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  6. Woebegone but Hopeful

    Amen to this Ron!! You speak with dignity and authority.

    The British Poet; Rudyard Kipling wrote some which would not fit in today’s world; but he had a knack of portraying the mindset of the ordinary British soldier; the classic one for me being ‘Tommy’ (the old nick-name for the British Soldier)…..google it- you’ll find it in many places: Here is the last verse; even during the late 19th century & early 20th century some folk knew the score:

    “You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools an’ fires an’ all
    We’ll wait for extra rations if you treat us rational
    Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
    The Widow’s* Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
    For it’s Tommy this an’ Tommy that an’ Chuck him out the brute!’
    But it’s ‘Saviour of ‘is country’ when the guns begin to shoot;
    An’ it’s ‘Tommy this an’ Tommy that an’ anything you please;
    An’ Tommy an’t a bloomin’ fool – you bet that Tommy sees!”

    * The Widow= Urban slang name for Queen Victoria

    Keep posting Ron.
    Let your eloquence soar!!
    Roger

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      1. Woebegone but Hopeful

        I’m not usually much on poetry, but that one is a stunner!
        Kipling fell out of favour back in the mid 20th century as an ‘imperialist’ but is being re-visited these days.
        The poems he wrote in the ‘ordinary’ soldier’s vernacular will tell you a great deal about the life of the soldier

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    2. ronbrownx

      Thanks Roger, that’s awesome. I was exposed to Rudyard Kipling at an early age by an “ambitious” English teacher. She actually thought that 6th graders in my school would get enjoyment out of reading “Gunga Din”. Many did not, but I, however, did. I loved the rhythm of that poem.

      I’m going to Google “Tommy”, from the excerpt, it should be good.

      Thanks again.

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      1. Woebegone but Hopeful

        Hello there Ron.
        There’s something compelling and still fresh about Kipling’s “Barrack-Room Ballads” although distinctly British Upper-Class and an Imperialist he seemed to hit the spot with this series. The poem relating the execution of a soldier for murder… “Danny Deever” is chilling.
        Gunga Din’s final line “You’re a better man than I am Gunda Din” was pretty edgy for those days.
        As you say there’s that rhythm!
        Thanks for your views Ron.
        Best wishes
        Roger

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  7. Unfortunately, all governments appear to suffer from the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease when memories of the past, present, and any possible future is totally erased. A little prompting does not help, There is nothing there to recover. We see promises to the citizens are also being rapidly erased. Older persons cannot get good care with Medicare, and after many years of rumors, it would appear that the Social Security System is also facing problems. As citizens, we continue to hope and pray that soon their will be a cure for Alzheimer’s.

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    1. ronbrownx

      Your statement is soooo true! The only cure for that state of Alzheimer’s is death. Of course I don’t mean kill anyone but, but their career’s as politicians need to be terminated.

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  8. Oooh Ron! You ain’t told nothing but the truth with this one cuz! I wish everybody could read it!
    Very nicely done and it needed to be said.
    If you hadn’t posted it here I would have reblogged it! LOL!!!

    Yes baby, let’s see what happens when we all have to lace up boots!
    My cousin is a Geeeenius!!!!!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. ronbrownx

      Thanks for the wonderful accolades Cuz. You’re right, I wish this message would spread. But, even if it did my ultimate fear is that only deaf ears await on “the Hill”.

      Liked by 2 people

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