This is an easy question to answer, but sometimes we draw lines that arent really there. There are people in this world that are innocent and others who follow the sinful ways of true life. Now, when we think of men, we think of leaders, who are strong people and they can protect the weak and the innocent, from those who are sinful. When we think of women, we tend to think of the nurturing that helps raise children to love. Think about the awful things that happen during war. Each person who is born in the world has to have a mother. The mother teaches her child to love and to cherish life and people.
Then why do they let them go to war? The horrors of war and the meaningless behind it show up in the Vietnam War. United States Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force, and other forces as well, must keep this country alive and fight for its freedom. Without these fighters the world as these people know it, would end. There has to sacrifice right? Well, two Vietnam veterans and their mother will tell you their stories about how and what went through their minds, then and now. Good Evening. My name is Ron Kovic, and I am, or I should say, was a marine in the United States Marine Corp.
I served my country and I realized that I dont know what to feel for it any more. I had lost faith in my religion, my family, and myself. It has been rough times to think about what had happened over there, but it bothers me to this day. Oh Ron, please dont lie to the people like this, Rons mother said. Mom, why would I lie about the truth? I dont know what happened to you over there, but you have gone nuts. Are you on drugs? Am I on drugs? Mom I am your son, how can you say that Im on drugs! I wasnt saying, I was asking you. Youve changed a lot from my little boy, I once knew. Did it ever occur to you that Im not your little boy anymore?
For goodness sake, Im almost thirty now. I had one hell of a time out there and all you can say to me is, Are you on drugs? Maybe you should think about what I did, what happened to me! You act as if you dont care! Im in a goddamn wheelchair! Why the hell dont you come to your senses? War is real. It kills people. Innocent people, Mom! I killed innocent people! I never raised you to do that. Thats your fathers doing, not mine. Dont blame me for that! Oh bull! You told me to go! You told me you had a dream. Now your dream has become a nightmare. You cant face the facts mom. Your little boy is dead!
Not dead as in dead, but dead as in gone. Im lost. What I did in Vietnam made me see the real world! I killed someones sons and daughters. I killed them! They arent alive anymore! And for what reason, huh? Why? So I could come home and you could boast about me being a hero. Im not a damn hero! Im not your little boy! I shot one of my own men. I shot a freaking marine! What for? Whyd he have to die? Im a lost cause! Im a failure! Youre not a failure, a small voice could be heard from the corner of the room. Victor Marquez and his mother, Angelina, enter the room. Ron and Victor were war buddies in Vietnam.
Ron recognizes Victor immediately. Its not your fault you killed those people. It is my fault and it is my problem that I have to live with for the rest of my life. Yea thats right, lucky me! I have a life to live! Sure, why the heck not. I live in pain and suffering of what I saw and did and my own mother, my own freaking mother cant see eye to eye with me! Why go on? Why didnt I die? You killed innocent people. So did I. I burned bodies and whats worse, I loved it! I loved what I did for my country and Id go back in a heart beat. Yea, it was tough. But get over yourself. Whats done is done. Move on.
You killed people so that we can have the freedoms we have today. Without those freedoms, we can not fight, we can not stand up for our beliefs, and we can not live. Youre a sick man, you know that, Victor. You piece of crap (Ron starts to tear up and lose control. ) Angelina Marquez stands up and says, Mrs. Kovic, you have to understand what these boys went through. They killed and slaughtered innocent people. Yes they were fighting for us. Thats me and you, Mrs. Kovic. Our boys fought for us and there is nothing that would make me happier than to have a boy grow up and save us from the evils of this world.
If my boy had to kill millions of people just to eat, then so be it. Our boys are alive; cant you be happy about that at least? Cant you see that your son put his life on the line for you? I have lost my faith in Jesus and in god. I have realized that people live and die. There are no reasons, they just happen. Wars are fought because people disagree, not because god told them to do it. You have to understand that people have minds, and that life is not given to us, or taken from us, life is death. To be alive is to die, and to die is to re-grow as grass for the world.
There is nothing more than that, Mrs. Kovic. There is a saying in the military, There are no atheists in foxholes, now that might be true before you die while at battle, because you want to be somewhere else, but that fact is if you live, you lose all hope. You cant think god will save you. Why would he? You killed people. Isnt one of the commandments, though shall not kill? So why have war? Why fight? Ron said. Ron, you are my son, but I cant have you not believe in god, for the better of our family. You show a bad influence to your brothers and sisters. I cant think that I raised you to be this way. Ron, you have to understand why I feel this way.
I feel this way for the better of our family. So they dont see the realities of the world and how horrible it is. I look at you and see a disaster. I dont want my family to think that that is what life is like. Not all lives have to be happy, some arent. What you have realize is that its better to be ignorant than unhappy. Mom, I am your son. Ive seen the real world. Ive seen what can happen to, even the best of people. I dont believe in god, because I see too much evil the life. You must understand that I am alive and because I am alive, you have to believe that god saved me. Thats what you think, that god saved me. Did he?
I feel that god saves no one. No one can save anyone. If I could save anyone in my life, Id save myself. Not you, not dad, not my brothers or sisters, or my damn country! Id get rid of the horrors I saw and the horrible things I did. Then maybe youd be in your own dream world and we can all be happy again, but life is a bitch and death is its mother. The group continued to talk and it seems that no one will ever get the upper hand. It seems to me that what people see, hear, and do make a person who they are. If you are one way, the only way to change that view is to see it, but sometimes you cant prove it, you just have to believe.
