Cost of War!

[SASless]

Fort Hood was the scene of a mass killing by a Muslim Psychiatrist named Hasan who was a Officer in the Army. Fort Hood, near Killeen Texas is home to the 1st Cavalry Division which has seen many deployments.

This photo appeared in the Newspaper there.......



https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1531845_10201960744233000_1802763279_o.jpg

[Dash8driver1312]

I can't help but wondering if it's a misprint...home to more women than...than what?

There's a clause missing there.

My thoughts go to all those touched by war anyway, especially at this time of year with Lennon's Christmas song filling the airwaves.

[Heathrow Harry]

SAS- we've had our differences of opinion but that is both a terrible and also a most moving photograph - thanks for posting it


One to ponder at this time of the year

[SASless]

I consider "Saving Private Ryan" to be a typical Hollywood war film.....one that could be a genuinely great film but winds up just being really hokey.

There are a couple of scenes in the film which are so very well done as they show what War is really about.....and explain the true cost of War.

The one scene is when Ma Ryan sees the Army Staff Car enter the Farm Lane and she knows what it means....and she collapses knowing one of her Son's is dead. It doesn't matter to her which one....just that she has lost a Son.

How many times has that kind of thing happened over the ages.

The other scene that just breaks my Heart every time I see it.....is Old Private Ryan and his extended family entering the Cemetery seeking the Captain's grave.

Every single one of those Grave Markers represent one of those families that could have been but were not.

That to me is the true cost of War.

We are seeing the same thing today but fortunately on a much smaller scale than in some other Wars but that doesn't diminish the loss our Military Families suffer when it happens to them!

We pay respect to our Men and Women who are killed and wounded.....but we should also remember their families as well.

[54Phan]

Agreed, SASless, a very compelling picture.

[Dave Wilson]

The one scene is when Ma Ryan sees the Army Staff Car enter the Farm Lane and she knows what it means....and she collapses knowing one of her Son's is dead.Beautifully shot and probably the most moving moment in cinema history to me. I've shed a tear or two watching that scene.

Very poignant photo SASless.

[walter kennedy]

I can't get over what happened in WW2 - in the late 30's I think about 35% of Americans were ethnic German; further, a large percentage were descendents of folk from the British Isles and therefore arguably of similar Anglo-Saxon stock.
If you also consider the cultural similarities ... well it goes on but to put it as simply as possible and bluntly, we had Anglo-Saxon Christians slaughtering Anglo-Saxon Christians, the bravest and the best young men.
And look at the make up of those "nations" now.
No wonder few dare question the propaganda that justified it..
We paid a terrible, terrible price for dragging Germany back under the financial yoke.

[SASless]

One figure given states approximately 2.5% of the World's Population were killed during WWII.

That puts things into perspective a bit.

Our own Civil War resulted in approximately 600,000 dead out of a population of 40 Million or so.

Seeing Memorials to the WWI and WWII Dead in villages and towns all across the UK and visiting so many Cemeteries in Europe brought home just how many military personnel died during those two Wars alone.

Perhaps we are too fond of it, those who don't pay the Butcher's Bill.

[Dave Wilson]

I don't think it's a matter of that, more that war tales are written by survivors, not the dead.

I remember at school being taught that the English Civil War killed a higher proportion of men than any other war. 10% of the male population were lost.

[teeteringhead]

How sad - but true - that both UK and USA (and probably lots more countries) killed the most fighting their own kith and kin. :(

[NutLoose]

Ww2 all true, however I look at on it sometimes as if it never happened how would the world be now population wise, in a way war and disease controls that.

The Save the Children fund are doing their Christmas advert blitz saying 19000 children die a day, sad as it is, but if they saved them all that would be 137,700,000 new mouths to feed over a twenty year period in Countries that struggle today, and that doesn't account for their offspring.

[Courtney Mil]

I suppose there must be some understanding for using the Mil Av forum as an anti-war stage, but you all seem to be lumping a lot of disjointed issues into one thread here. Yeah, war is a bad thing, but we all belong to countries that have fought them, usually for compelling (I did not say good) reasons. And most folk here at some point in their lives signed up to do the unthinkable when called upon so to do. Many of us have parents/grand-parents that fought in the World Wars. If you wish to have a go at the people that sent them/us there then fine. But do make that clear.

Like most here, I wish peace for the world. In the mean time I salute the people that stand ready to step in when that doesn't work.