Nov. 11, 2012:   Remembrance Day / Veterans
Day...red poppies and yellow ribbon to honor
those who served and continue to serve,
acknowledging far-reaching casualties seen
and unseen.

Remembering and re-membering (as in pulling
together those scattered parts of our souls
to make whole again).  With his permission,
I wanted to share a thoughtful Facebook post
from October 13, 2012 by Garnet Rogers:

"Was talking with a couple of friends last night
in Roanoke VA.  Both did hard time in the federal
penitentiary system as conscientious objectors
during the Viet Nam war.

They, along with tens of thousands of other
young men, were placed in an untenable
position...either to serve in what they felt (and
history has proven to be) an illegal and unfair
war, or flee the country and be labeled cowards,
or to get tossed into the prison system and
be labeled a coward AND a criminal.

Those who went over, served their country as
best they could in their own way and we have
come, in time, to properly honour their service
to their country.  One of my veteran friends said
to me he was overcome with emotion and
gratitude the first time someone (another
veteran) said "welcome home".

I wonder if it isn't time to say publicly as well to
these other men, the objectors, "welcome
home"...and publicly honour the service and
sacrifice they made, at such great cost.
They too are part of the cost of that war,
and are also among the hidden victims.
Anyway...to my friends Gary and Tom...
welcome home....and thank you for
your service."  ~ Garnet Rogers