You Can't Go Home

--Europa, Martin Sutovic (Slovakia)

Old man, look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were
--Old Man, Neil Young

[I] am learning to shoot, beat, stomp and bayonet
another human being
--Elevich's letter to his mom, Letters Home

When you finally go back to your old hometown,
you find it wasn't the old home you missed
but your childhood
--Sam Ewing

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
--The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost
______________________

Final thoughts on my letter for Ron Moor (Letter to a Young Man):

Ranger recently met with fellow ROTC '68 classmate Dick Gill while in Ohio. We mused upon the fact that we all had the luxury and good fortune to have a few good years at college before being thrown into the mix.

Former Lt. Gill made the poignant observation, when asked about his faith, "How could I go back to being a good Quaker after killing so many people?" One can't go back, which is my point. Unless quantum mechanics proves otherwise, we move from this point forward.

Ranger suspects men like himself, Gill and Moor would pick up a rifle to defend the U.S. if we were threatened by a credible existential enemy. Problem is, good enemies are hard to find these days, and terrorists must serve as stand-ins. The Army should not be a make-work program.

This, is not worth one American Soldier's life.