A Meditation For Japan & The Pech River Valley

Two weeks ago, Jennie led our group in a meditation. And so today, I am doing the same.
To the people in Japan, let us bring peace to...

• Those missing family, jobs or shelter.
• The 400 men and women working tirelessly at the nuclear reactor.
• The work done by a volunteers, who go out each day and bring home lost, weakened, and homeless pets.
  
• The Japanese Self Defense Soldiers --many of whom lost their own homes and family members, who have worked tirelessly helping the living, and finding bodies and burying them.
• The American troops who are there doing the same.
  
• The Search and Rescue Teams, who only recently returned from New Zealand, only to turn around and go to Japan.
  Send them light, compassion, love with the hope of a safe harbor ahead.

To the Afghan people of the Pech River Valley.

So many of our armed forces lived, fought and died there, in many instances bringing a glimmer of the future to those who lived there. Children went to school. Agricultural projects were started. After pulling out of the Korengal Valley, and the Pech River Valley, the Taliban overran them both, and now have control.

Send them light, compassion, love with the hope of a safe harbor ahead.

Man Crush Certified: Battle L.A.

The scenario: Marines, Aliens, Los Angeles. Now, we know only one thing could happen, and it's not going to be Aliens forming an alliance with the Marines to make Santa Monica and West Los Angeles a place where both are accepted and loved unconditionally. No, what it will take to endear the Marines to many will be a cause, and sorry, no --the aliens will have to die. Why? Because people in that part of Los Angeles love causes, from giving safe harbor to Code Pink to outcrys over fossil fuels while maintaining one of the worst parking situations anywhere. A good cause would be if some Aliens came by to interrupt their day.

And so it is in Battle: LA, the Marines are faced with a formidable foe --nameless, faceless, ruthless and effective technologically advanced killers, aliens whom we never learn anything about. But we don't need intel on these clanking heathens... this isn't a movie about COIN. It's about the power of teamwork, brotherhood, keeping the pledge and honor of The Marine Corps to overtake a seemingly impossible enemy, doing violence on our behalf, and ultimately vanquishing them. "That's the way to kill 'em!" (Shout OORAH now).

Look, I'm not going to do a snyposis or a review. This is a fun movie, though I have to warn you that it is very intense. It caused a fifteen year old girl next to me to sob uncontrollably during some of the fighting scenes. Okay, well, she was a teenager. On the other hand, our daughter the military brat, just sat through the scenes thinking "This is way too loud. My head hurts. Hand me another Raisinette." Go figure. I see the daughter one day staying cool and munching on Raisinettes as she slays the fools who think she's a pushover.

If you like Marines, Aliens, and you don't mind seeing the city of Los Angeles get a leveling, go see it. This is a film where men will develop a man crush, and women will pump their fist in the air as they watch the female Marine. We can only hope in the sequel, America's 1st Sgt will be cast to slay Zombies.
Over and out. Done. Blammo. Go see it.

Learning To Be At Peace In The Landscape Of War

I don't like war anymore than the anti-war, pro-peace crowd. However, my stake in a positive outcome is personal. When I hear a tirade about the military war machine, have figures from iCasualty presented to me via the papers, or hear justifications on why nations hate us, I know there's a distance between the person ranting and the war. Because what's missing in their rhetoric is any sense that they care.

Being able to learn to accept the state of war has brought me an unusual peace. Inner peace leads to the inevitable questions: How can I help? What can I do to show I care? After long examination, I've come to the conclusion that I am not pro-war or anti-peace. What's sad about me having to clarify this is last week in Washington D.C. a member of Code Pink lobbed the pro-war label at a group of friends of mine. They're pro-troop, but pro-war? Absolutely not.

They know how complex both war and peace are, and understand the political, historical, cultural, geographic factors. But all too often, both obvious differences along with the nuances are ignored in favor of the shorcut of polemics. I have little time for polemics, as I have someone on the front lines combat. There are also those who exist alone as caretakers of children-- and sometimes a spouse. They are more deserving of my time than to be pulled into self-serving debates. And by the way, no one likes to think of themselves as a victim, so obviously, we roll up our sleeves and get to work.

There are no shortages of opinions, or how to help veterans. But more self-examination needs to be done while proceeding along the path. I came across Claude Anshin Thomas, a zen Buddhist priest who is a combat veteran from the Vietnam wars. His life makes for compelling reading. I highly recommend it, especially for anyone suffering from extreme PTSD, which greatly (negatively) affected his life for 30 years after he had been discharged.

"For more than a decade, Thomas has participated in meditation retreats with veterans and their families in the United States and Europe. He is often asked "what can we do to support those who are coming home?

Thomas responds: "Wake up to the roots of war in you. And, allow them to be your teacher. Because we can't do anything for them, not really, unless they ask us, unless they want that. But, we can't hear what they're saying, we can't hear what people are saying, unless we're willing to wake up to our conditioning. Because it was my conditioning, it was the karma that I inherited, and then the karma that I was creating that kept me deaf. I couldn't hear. I did not have the gift of Avalokiteśvara, of kanzeon, bodhisattva. I didn't have the gift of hearing. I couldn't hear the sounds of the world."

I don't think one has to have the knowledge of all those long names. But one has to be willing to check in with oneself, and ask if what they're doing is for self centered reasons. Is the soapbox they're standing on helping or showing people they care on an intimate level? More to the point --is it making them feel better or worse about themselves? Is it shaping their view of humanity in a positive or negative way?

War is a complex, nasty beast. But there are people who have studied it, and try to make sense of it. I'm especially grateful for new friends like military historian Thomas Wade, Tim Lynch, America's 1st Sgt, photographer Tim Hetherington, and writer Sebastian Junger for helping me find my way past some equally nasty rhetoric on both sides. Understanding war in its broadest sense is like trying to study a moving picture. One part is brought into focus long enough to comprehend ...and then the lens moves on. Focus, take in. Move on, refocus. Try to understand again.

But studying is the long road to understanding. It's the only way I've been able to sidestep the polemics that sometimes used by individuals for their own political gain. We have done loads of scholarly reading, and my friends aren't prone to taking short cuts like those on both side of the political divide. The landscape of war is vast, and there are human beings to care about. I'm grateful to have figured out how to be at peace with myself while negotiating this rocky terrain, because when I find a long smooth verdant path --it makes the landscape that much more interesting.

So, are those who scream at us --are they bringing themselves and others peace? Are they aware of roots of war within themselves that are causing them to castigate others? Peace in the most commercial sense (and ironically the most accepted sense) is where everyone throws down their guns, joins hands, stuffs daisies into guns and makes a Coca Cola commercial . The problem is this fantasy is a deal breaker. Acceptance of it as the ultimate goal is an impossible pinnacle that mankind has never reached. That's why I don't invest a lot of time into this generic variety of peace.

Far from it. What I think most people seek is the type of peace that helps them be more comfortable with themselves. We seek peace to help us accept our own experiences, and those of others --even if their points of view might be very different than ours. It's the peace that helps a veteran go through his combat experiences, and emerge able to live with wounds, able to transform them into a memory that compels them to help others.

That's the kind of peace I'm always reaching for.

A World of Strange Bedfellows

Sorry I didn't share this earlier, last week was nuts. One of the best articles I've read in regards to Libya is Zenpundit's post, "Libya Shatters The Partisan Divide." Ah, the irony.
We're full up with wars, with the two that have resembled repoussé and chasing for 10 years, and many of us are closely following the brutal drug wars in Mexico. My only response is maybe everyone should listen to Black Eyed Peas.

Getting Ready For The Big One, and A Local Hero In Sendai

Mollybot's painting came in the mail over the weekend
Last Thursday, we were all pretty focused in on the misery shaping the lives of the citizens of Japan. I was glad to be able to help Mollybot raise over $600 for the Animal Refuge Kansai. I am always happy to help, but I also knew there was plenty to work on at home to prepare. Perhaps military families new to California will heed these words.

Like many Californians, I always put my shoes next to my bed. The bookcases are bolted down, and I try to make sure all the cabinets are closed before I go to bed. Everyone here knows how to shut the gas, water and electrical off. We have always had earthquake supplies, but I've decided to move everything. They were in the basement, which upon looking at the photographs of Japan, realized it was a stupid place to put things. (Honestly, in their situation with the tsumani --there wasn't anyplace good). Tomorrow, everything is being placed in a new garbage can with wheels, and it'll be on the back porch where there is plenty of room. It's also better than the garage, since it gets horribly hot in there. I'm tossing in an extra leash and a collapsible cat carrier. I'll just put a bunch of potted plants around the base of the garbage can, and it'll look okay.

For years, I have annoyed my family by carrying around a bunch of junk in the trunk of my car. Extra shoes, a backpack, a change of clothes, snacks, water, maps, hats, socks, paper and pen, a marker, flashlight, and other things. It's there because it's an earthquake kit! Yes, my biggest fear is that I'll be transitioning from the 10 to the 405 South...and the big one hits. Well, if I live through it, I'd like to be able to grab the backpack and hike home. I figure it would take a lot of time, but hey... at least I'd be able to give it a go.

I've also for the first time, reviewed all the CEA information and have decided to buy an earthquake policy. Only 12% of California homeowners have them --mainly because the deductible is so high. But if they'll pay everything over it, then that saves me a heap of money. Our homeowners policy doesn't cover any earthquake related damages. A friend lost their chimney --and the cost to replace it was around 100k. They couldn't afford to rebuild it, so they tore it all out.

There are very good links for earthquake preparedness, even books to download for free. If you haven't done so, here is one place to start: Putting Down Roots In Earthquake Country.

I wanted to close with one of many heroes. Most of the time, I feature soldiers. But this week it's Dr. Sasaki, a veterinarian from Sendai, Japan. Dr. Sasaki lost family members and friends, but has worked tirelessly to help the lost, injured, and abandoned animals in the region. He must be exhausted and heartbroken. I'm grateful to him, and may good karma revisit him throughout his life. The World Veterinary Association is now backing him up. Dr. Sasaki is the epitome of someone who puts their own self interests aside to work for the common good.
You can follow him (and thank him!) as well as the Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue & Support page on Facebook.

My New Cool Bag

If you're like me, you've got a lot of those little cloth shopping bags stashed in your car for grocery shopping. It's weird. They multiply like tribbles. But the one I use the most these days is this tote, ordered from Near Office. I like it because of the side pockets, and also this Horky family thing. I don't know what the Horky Family is, but when I was a kid, we had a pin the tail on the donkey set (that we kept for years), which had this exact donkey. Anyway, this was probably a Golden Book, and I just loved those stories. They were always so happy. And that's what's needed these days. Earthquakes, wars, struggles, strife, economic downturns --sometimes it all gets too much. So the least I can do is stop, meditate, send out good wishes, and then pick up this little red bag and take on the day. Anyway, check them out. Near Office has a bunch of hilarious "Engrish" totes --definitely not PC, and guaranteed to make you smile.

Basset Hounds Running and Other Animal Updates

First, have a good laugh at this.

Bassett Hounds Running
"Hi, I'm Mil. This is my kid sister Kook."

Wanted to update you with the results of the fund raising drive for the Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK). Mollybot has raised over $200, which is just super. ARK is making room for an anticipated influx of animals. They are thinking they might even have to build some new facilities, and they're also trying to figure out the logistics of transporting animals from the ravaged areas to their facilities in Kansai, which is south of the Sendai. Click here for the drive.

Food and water are in short supply, and many in the affected areas have no fuel or resources to get around. Fortunately, three organizations closer to Sendai have banded together. The Japan Cat Network, Heart Tokushima, and Animal Friends Nigata have formed the Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue And Support network. They've already made one trip from Nigata to the affected area of Sendai. Please read more here on how to donate. The group delivered water and pet food to owners who have stayed with their pets --often in less than ideal conditions. The shelters won't allow the owners to come in with their pets, so many --if they have a place left, stay in it despite structural problems.

Fuel is scarce, and food and water are in short supply. The volunteers from the 3 organization are helping all they can. All three are no-kill shelters. Follow them on Facebook. They are on the road today with a veterinarian from World Veterinary Association.

What's interesting in Japan is apparently 70% of all pets sent to shelters are euthanized. The adoption rate of animals is fairly low because of a cultural stigma in Japan against anything used or second hand. Click the link above to read a fairly disturbing article.

Whether or not this attitude will change after the tsunami is yet to be known. We can only hope the earthquake & tsunami survivors will appreciate these homeless pets and see them as brave survivors like them, not as just second-hand pets.
One thing for sure, everything will change again in Japan.

The Gratitude Post: In Tragedy, A Time For Giving (Animal Refuge Kansai)

Text "Redcross" at 90999 to give a
$10 donation to the American Red Cross.
To save a pet, please keep reading.

I'm grateful for soldiers everywhere. Here, a member of Japan's Self-Defense Force carries an elderly man out of the rubble. The above is from the Los Angeles Times.

The Los Angeles Fire Department's California Task Force Search & Rescue Team has reached Japan. They've landed at the Misawa Air Base and will be taken into the stricken areas soon. This is the same team that just --along with many teams from other nations, returned from New Zealand. Read more about it here on Stars & Stripes.

The Animal Refuge Kansai is preparing for a large influx of homeless pets. They learned that this happened the last time there was an earthquake in 1995.

Here's where it gets tricky. If you push on the pay pal button on their site, it takes you to the Japanese paypal site written in Kanji. Mollybot has put together a nifty photo tutorial on how to get around the site and make a donation. Here's the photo tutorial, you can also see it at the bottom of this post.

The other option: Angry Parsnip's daughter Mollybot, who lives in here California, has set up an easy way to give through her etsy site. A minimum donation of $12.50 or 1,000 yen will not only be sent to the Animal Refuge Kansai, but will also garner you a cute little thank-you poster like the ones here. There's a $1.25 handling and shipping fee for the poster. Mollybot isn't making any money from this. She's just making it a lot easier for you to give.

The earthquakes both in New Zealand and Japan make me pause and reflect on how fortunate we are to be able to give.

The fat lady hasn't sung yet. There is always more to do.

Again, Mollybot's etsy store link is right here.
And don't forget you can hop onto paypal too!
The tutorial to use the Japan paypal site

Fire Their Asses: The Air of Indifference That Fueled Maj Hassan

This week, 9 officers were ordered to be reprimanded regarding Maj. Hassan, the murderous doctor at Ft. Hood. In January 2010, I wrote about flaws in the Army Medical Residency Training, as well as about the lacksadaisical attitude that led to the keeping of Maj Hassan within the medical corps even though his performance was noted as poor starting his internship year. AMEDD (Army Medicine) repeatedly turned a blind eye to not only performance issues, but also increasingly erratic and beliefs that justified radical Islamic actions. It would seem there were no set standards being enforced by the senior physicians or leadership. The only standard they had was to "turn medical students to doctors" regardless whether or not they were fit. This constituted a breach of public trust.

"The entire physician-patient relationship is based on trust. The decision to keep Hassan constituted a breach of public trust. It's imperative in any training program to cut undesirables out early. Anyone unable to make the grade is an uneasy prospect to imagine with patients either in the military or on the civilian side."

In other words, the decision not to cut someone who does not prove themselves worthy of the title "physician" has lasting ramifications for years. What they do each time they refuse to cut someone is make a conscious decision to unleash a public menace onto unsuspecting and trusting patients not only in the Army, but also in the civilian sector --where the majority of the doctor's career will be played out.

There were plenty of other signs as well. Not only did the Army pay for his medical school, give him double a usual university resident's salary, they also paid for him to get a Master's in Public Health. A classmate in 2007-08 reported:

Both men were getting a master's in public health at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, but Finnell says Hasan was always focused on another subject.

"He would frequently say that he was Muslim first and an American second. That came out in just about everything he did in the university," said Finnell. "We questioned how somebody could be an officer in the military and swear allegiance to the constitution to defend America against all enemies foreign and domestic and have that type of conflict."

In the case of Hassan, they didn't have to wait for him to enter the civilian world of medicine for disaster to strike. The disastrous results came to fruition during in processing at Ft. Hood in the Fall of 2009. He murdered and wounded professional colleagues all bound to provide medical care in Afghanistan. To date, he has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder.

Yesterday, it was announced that 9 officers were being reprimanded for leadership failures. It did not say whether or not the officers were from AMEDD. One can assume, given the long history of overlooking Hassan's faults, this is from where they come.

"The officers — all lieutenant or above — will receive punishments ranging from an oral reprimand to the far more serious written letter of censure that is considered a career-ender." --AP

As far as I'm concerned, they should all be fired. These guys will go out and find jobs in the civilian sector --no one needs to be concerned about their welfare. However, if their attitude remains lackadaisical, then pity the poor patient on the table. "Whatever" was
the attitude exhibited by these officers. Either they're going to decide to change, or they ought to get out of the game because the stakes in civilian medicine are high.

One thing that isn't being written, although they may get a letter of censure ending their career, these same doctors can be hired back by AMEDD as contracted physicians. They should not be given this courtesy. A breach of the public trust has already occurred. Do not insult the taxpayers by hiring them back.

In addition, the Army Surgeon General Eric Schoonmaker has been ordered "to review policies and procedures for training, counseling and evaluating medical officers." Schoonmaker should remember what I wrote in January 2010:

"Just because the military pays someone's tuition, shouldn't guarantee entry into or completion of internship or residency. To be a soldier/doctor is a very high order. If the medical student gets poor grades, or doesn't pass stringent reviews as an intern or resident, he or she should be cut --just as they would at the best training programs in the U.S. The money provided to them for their medical school tuition and living expenses would then convert to a loan. Just like their civilian counterparts."

In other words, it's more than just training a person to be a doctor. They're being entrusted by the public to adhere to very high standards. Every graduating medical student should also go through The Match. More details on that in the post as well, and I hope he and his staff reads it. But as important, he needs to decide if we really need to keep pouring resources into training programs. My gut instinct is that we do not --especially if we're allowing them to treat it like a country club as Hassan did. We should let the universities and the other training programs train the doctors. The residents will come to us when and if they complete their training.

I've seen health care go through many reincarnations in our 23 years in medicine. It's time for the Army to change as well --in major ways. It is inevitable that military medicine will have to be smaller, work quicker, be more adaptable, and regularly fire the deadwood.

Combat Theater On The Stage: Sophocles' Ajax Plays At Harvard For the Military Community

“Smile — our veterans also needed us
to love them, laugh with them and understand that
while war is hell, veterans also
have many good memories of their work and lives."
-Imelda Fisher, Army Community Service, Ft. Devens,
speaking as a panelist to an audience after a performance
of Sophocles' Ajax at The American Repertory Theatre

No wiser words have ever been spoken. This reminder was given to an audience in Cambridge, MA last night, one filled with veterans, active duty, university students as well as the community at large. They came to see a production of Sophocles' Ajax, produced by the traveling Theater of War. Theater of War professionally stages productions of Ajax and also Philoctetes, which both speak to the timelessness of the effects of war. Though written in the 5th century BC, the emotions and experiences of our present warriors are the same ones that have passed through generations of those who have experienced combat.

Theater of War takes their productions to military communities. Last night's production at American Repertory Theatre was situated at Harvard. The production was followed by a panel discussion of veterans. Note that this week, Harvard gave a tentative greenlight to the establishment of the Military Sciences at the university.

• Read more about The Theater of War
• Read the review in the Harvard Arts Beat by Alicia Anstead of the production of Sophocles' Ajax at the American Reperatory Theater last night.
• Read Sophocles' Ajax

The Clarion Call: Snyder vs. Phelps (Westboro Church)

This week, in the case of Snyder vs. Phelps (Westboro Church) the Supreme Court ruled in favor of upholding the Constitution and the right to free speech. It was not a move to promote the beliefs of the distorted Westboro Church, nor was it a sign of disrespect to those who serve. While the 8-1 vote by the justices evoked sadness that such a state of indecency exists, it was also the right one. The Constitution must apply to everyone equally, or justice is not served.

The journey to the Supreme Court by the lawyers and family of the late Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder was not in vain. The Snyder family has performed a great service by giving exposure to Westboro's practice of invoking the name of God to promote hate. It is a clarion call to get involved. The military support community will continue to make Westboro's experience at funerals so fruitless that no one bothers to join them. We are strong, we do come together, we will continue taking the higher road. The Patriot Guard Riders provide a peaceful, non-confrontational shield at funerals between family members and miscreants like the Westboro followers. The PGR is detailed in the 12-minute video below. Those who join PGR must be committed to upholding its non-violent, non-confrontational missions.

Donations are being accepted to cover the $100,000 of legal costs for the Snyder family.

The Kitchen Dispatch Wins the Patriotic Website Award

Like many writers, I just write and write. I never know who is reading --if anyone. But writing is something I've always done, an extension of myself. When I came up with The Kitchen Dispatch, it was to explore all the aspects of a world I knew very little about. The military.

I came here from the civilian world, a middle aged woman bruised from the health care wars. This world of war, things that go boom, individuals with a colorful vocabulary seemed so mysterious and at times even daunting.

I still don't know 1/100 of all there is to comprehend. Most likely, I never will. But I've had incredible teachers and role models. The military spouses, veterans and those on active duty who are selfless in sharing bits of their lives on their blogs and emails.

It is with great humility that I announce that VA Homes Loans.net has named The Kitchen Dispatch to its list of 20 best military blogs on the web for 2010. The Patriotic Website Award is a special honor, and I greatly appreciate their noticing me. They especially liked the coverage I gave to RESTREPO, but as I told them in my thank-you letter, it is but one story of many. I hope this blog acts as a bridge between those looking in, and those living the life of military service. And I hope it can serve as a wellspring for creativity and wellness for those who are weary of war.

The Kitchen Dispatch is built on the efforts of all those who came before me, their generosity and patience.
So to all, I say thank you very much.
I'll keep writing.
It's the thing I do best.

The Gratitude Post: The Paratrooper's Garden

Yes, get out your hankies...
People who truly possess a green thumb, usually live life with a full heart. The late SGT James Nolen of the 2/508, 82nd Airborne had one, and anticipated gardening at his house near Ft. Bragg, NC when his deployment ended. His wife Rachel writes:

"When we moved into our new house before James deployed all he could talk about was how much he couldn't wait to plant trees, have nice gardens, and a beautiful yard. James had a green thumb so there was no doubt that he would have done it. But unfortunately things got so busy before he deployed we never got to begin his gardens."

His plans were never realized because her husband was killed in Afghanistan in November 2009. He died shortly before his and Rachel's first wedding anniversary. In addition to leaving behind Rachel, there was also his 7 year old stepson Will, and his daughter Jamie (who had yet to be born). No doubt, the garden he planned would have been a place for the children to run, pick flowers, climb trees, and find shade on hot summer days.

Still, every home needs a garden. People with a green thumb leave their imprint on those they love. James' garden never left Rachel's mind. The yard was beckoning to her. She writes:

"So James' memorial garden began with the tree we planted in memory of him on his 26th birthday. Two months later when his brother and dad were visiting they helped me to begin the garden I dreamed of. So over the last year I have slowly been adding to and improving James garden. I have an album of photos of the garden. It may be a small garden but it holds so much meaning."

It may be small, but all yards need tending. The mowing, edging, pruning and weeding can be an awful big chore when you have two small children you're raising alone. So this week, Rachel decided to hire a gardening company to help tidy things on a regular basis. What happens next is nothing short of remarkable.

"This afternoon the nicest thing happened to me. Over the weekend I signed a contract for lawn service with Gellen Lawn Care.
Well, today, Patrick (the owner) came to cut my lawn. He noticed James’ memorial garden. After telling him all about James he thanked me for his sacrifice. Then he gave me back my contract and offered to cut my lawn for free as long as he was in business.
It truly means so much to me that a complete stranger would be so nice. I know James is smiling down from heaven. I’m telling you it’s the little things that mean so such."

Beautiful. Amazing. An affirmation of the goodness of people. An inspiration to us to remember that we're all capable of extending such kindness.
Patrick's company Gellen Lawn Care will make sure James' children have a beautiful garden in which to grow. James' garden is not only a memorial, but a sign of life and renewal.

SGT James Nolen, with his son Will, and wife Rachel shortly before deploying
My Garden
by Emily Dickinson

New feet within my garden go,

New fingers stir the sod;

A troubadour upon the elm

Betrays the solitude.

New children play upon the green,

New weary sleep below;

And still the pensive spring returns,

And still the punctual snow!

Frank Buckles, Last WWI Veteran Dies: A Lifetime Journey Kick Started By War

"I knew it would happen to someone. I just didn't know it would be me."
-Frank Buckles on being the last survivor of WWI

Each year, we attend the local veterans' day activities. We note with sadness that the number of WWII and Korean veterans are fewer. They are old and graying, but when they are reunited, they are eighteen and twenty again, the sea winds blowing in their faces, reliving the days when brotherhood fueled their veins.
But for many, many years, there hasn't been any WWI veterans. Because it's inevitable at some point there will be only one. And truly, it must be an unenviable position to be in.
Seventy to eighty years from now, the same will be said of Afghanistan. There will be only one left. We have no idea knowing who it will be, but perhaps their life will be shaped as that of Frank Buckles' who passed away yesterday. Mr. Buckles was the last surviving veteran of World War I. It was The Great War, the War To End All Wars. More Americans gave their lives than in Korea, or Vietnam.

Frank Buckles died quietly in his West Virginia home at the age 110. In 1917, Buckles was 15 year old. When WWI started, great patriotic posters went up in his town of Oakwood, Oklahoma. He wanted to join. During a trip to Kansas, he told the Marines he was 18. They said he was too young, so they sent him away. It seemed young Frank was determined. After the passage of another birthday; as well as five attempts passing through the Navy and Marine recruiters in two different cities; the simple addition of adding five years to his age; and claiming to Army recruiters in Oklahoma City that there were no public records of births in Missouri --Frank Buckles was accepted into the United States Army. He was sixteen, though to the Army, he was twenty-one.

His memories of the days when he drove ambulances in England and France, as well as when he delivered German soldiers back to their country, were still fresh in his mind. He didn't talk a lot about his experiences until much later. The St. Louis Missouri native believed that his stories were accurate because he had not embellished them over time. His service touched off a lifetime of travels, working for passenger and cargo ship lines. In 1941, while he working as a cargo expediter for the American President Lines in Manila, the Japanese invaded the Phillipines. He spent three and a half years in Japanese prison camps until rescued by the 11th Airborne in 1945.

From there he moved to California. In 1954, Buckles and his wife Audrey noted that it was time to give up foreign assignments and come back to the land. They decided to move to Charles Town, West Virginia, where he became a farmer at Gap View Farm. He noted that his forefather Robert Buckles, had settled the area in 1732. Frank Buckles was a man who seemed to move through times of war and peace with quiet alacrity.

Mr. Buckles will lie in state in our nation's capitol.
The family asks that donations be made to the National World War One Legacy Project to honor Frank Buckles and the 4,734,991 Americans that he served with during WWI. Click on the link to be directed to the page via Mr. Buckle's site.