History Making

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

 

Fighter jets over the orphanage

I've never been in a country at war.  Yes, of course I am familiar with the Gulf War, Iraq, and countless other fighting, but those are far off places and even though I am friends with people who went there and fought, I think even they'd be the first to say how very different war is in your own country. Imagine if Mexico invaded Nevada.  If Mexico invaded Nevada.  Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?  We can't even picture it.

 

Donetsk is ten hours from here.  It would take me longer to drive to Northern Nevada than to drive to Donetsk.  So when they say they are sending their soldiers to the front, they mean a days drive.  Yesterday four fighter jets flew over us while we were at the orphanage.  Now  I live near a huge air force base and it's actually been odd to not have military planes flying over me at any given hour.  However I am fairly confident those planes are not at risk of being shot down within just a few hours of me seeing them.

 

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

 

Today we had the honor of going to the World War Two Museum.  Something I've been wanting to do since before I left home.  My own grandfather landed on-and survived- the beaches of Normandy and proceeded to fight his way through Europe as a Tank Commander in the Army.  I took pictures of Soviet tanks used by Ukrainians in World War 2 and wondered just what they've seen.  I think it's hard for most Americans to imagine the devastation in Europe wrought by their Great Patriotic War.  Exact numbers are hard to come by but estimates show a loss of 8-10 million lives.  That's every single person in New York City.  Gone.  A generation of men.  Gone.

 

And  all because one man was egotistical maniac.  And all because one country followed him to their demise.  And all because countless other countries refused to stand up to his madness.  Until it was almost too late.

 

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

 

Soviet tanks used by Ukrainians in
The Great Patriotic War

Nowadays we like to think we're better than that, we learned our lesson, history will not repeat itself.  Well, on that scale, we're probably right.  But what scale of human life is deemed an appropriate loss?  Are you familiar with the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances?  No? Interesting, I am slightly surprised yet not at all really, that I have not seen any of our fine politicians commenting on it recently.  It seems to me they have some BS, I mean justifying to do considering current events in Eastern Europe.

 

Ukrainian Soldier over the crushed
Nazi Eagle

You see, my son was born into a country at war.  A country fighting the ludicrous yet dangerous ambitions of a cruel man who cares nothing for the children of his own country, let alone the world. And although it is beautiful here and I feel very safe and I am eating lots of chocolate, war is a constant reminder, storm clouds on a sunny horizon.  And not just because the man driving me could be drafted to the front lines.  Ten hours away.  And so I pray for his birth country, for peace and for strength as they stand up and fight for their freedom.  But I also pray for his adoptive country.  For integrity and wisdom, to stand up and fight for freedom-that they swore to protect.

 

Some day I will tell him about his great grandfather and great uncle, who died in World War 2.  And I will tell him about his other grandpa who fought for freedom on the beaches of France. And he will be proud.  Then I will tell him about this war, how I was here and I saw it.  I just hope that we can both be proud of the ending.

 

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

 

 

Protecting the Motherland

After leaving the museum, where she saw more death than life, Cecilia commented, "I don't want to destroy things, I want to help them when I grown up."  With her brother, a new generation.

 

I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one