I'm sure Korea was no different than any other "conflict" (it was never officially a war) but unless you were at one time or another on the front and at the thick of things, you will NEVER realize that in war you kill things before they kill you. And when you are 19 the power to live is rather strong. Therefore, you kill things. They may be animals who make the wrong kind of noise or they may be people. And believe me, at that moment you DO NOT check their ID to see if they are military or civilian. Instead you do what you think you have to do to stay alive. Then you find out you shot 2 soldiers and a ten year old kid. Do you really think you are ever going to share that bit of information with anyone?? Do you ever wonder why some ex GI's are drunks?? Can you really blame them for being angry for doing the dirty work of national leaders who got them to join for God and Country and then found out those were code names for the very rich?? Do you really think the people who got this country involved in the wars give a good goddamn about a few of the poor "lower class" that died??

And when you get back "home" you have two choices. Let it destroy you and those around you, or bury it so deep it NEVER comes to the surface, not even to one single other human being, and live your life as though you never served in the military.

Except when you can be anonymous on mudcat.