Kirk Miller

For my generation, which was the largest class of the past century, the Baby Boomers, determining our heroes, was quite simple. We turned to the new device that claimed space in the living room called the television. We tuned in to shows like Combat, Rat Patrol, Bah Bah Black Sheep and even the comical escapades of McHale’s Navy or Hogan’s Heroes. Movies were abundant that featured depictions of the Second World War and had stars like John Wayne, Glenn Ford, Clint Eastwood and real-life heroes such as Audie Murphy. Boys played soldiers with toy guns and plastic helmets. Action figures were G.I. Joe.

Behind the scenes a war was raging in the jungles of southeast Asia. And the television was turned on daily at 6 p.m. to see the latest report from Walter Cronkite about the American progress in ridding the small peninsula of South Vietnam of communism.

But when these men returned from their war nobody cheered. There would be no tickertape parade. Television now aimed at destroying the fundamental feelings of patriotism and success in war. It would seem that the country began rooting for the enemy.

In reality those who protested the war were foremost believers in a nonviolent society. The flower children of the late 60’s and early 70’s sometimes hazed from psychedelic mind enhancements brought a view of how bad wars are to the public on that new device in our living rooms.

When protests became heated even with these peace searching souls, sometimes anger turned to a loss of life as we witnessed on Kent State University May 4, 1970. This proved to have a profound effect on the American public after four innocent lives were lost. Those others opposing the war for different reasons joined in bringing an anti-war sentiment to the media and eventually the branches of government. In 1973 the draft ended and the war in Vietnam was over for the United States.

Along came the 1980s and a new war was brought to the airwaves rejuvenating the ideas from several years prior. We now were engaged in a war with no battleground. It was based on theories and followed doctrines that saw the build up of troops. It saw the creation of new high-tech weaponry and at its height the creation of a nuclear arsenal on both sides that would grow to such threat proportions that it could only be considered as world changing.

Young men in America were now asked to register again for potential draft into the armed services. But surprisingly, the times saw an increase in patriotism, possibly from an idea of us over their philosophy. And the world in every corner became flooded with United States military personnel. Our bases dotted the landscape, and the seas were filled with our navy both above and under the waves.

Our heroes now were made from little incidents where America flexed its muscles to teach lessons to the world in places like Panama, or Grenada. We stood firm on eliminating any threat to our sovereignty and the spread of communism to key locations in our hemisphere. As all this was happening our military took a front seat to assist in the war against drugs and the toppling of tyrannical regimes in the central Americas. And as the 90’s arrived so did the crumbling of our greatest adversary, the USSR. Our heroes now became political figures as the Berlin Wall was torn down to unify Germany and allow brothers and sisters to once again visit freely without having to gain permission. It almost felt like the world would be at peace with the exception of the middle east.

They call it the Peace Time when they classify the veterans of the era after the 70s. It mostly fits the narrative of the times these men and women were in service. Besides the little skirmishes that involved the armed forces of our country, the times were mostly peaceful. That’s how it looked from the outside.

From within it meant readiness training. Because the modern war fighter was now faced with what ifs. Men and women still completed years of service to our country, and some were injured or killed while performing that duty.

As the next generation of soldiers steps up, I wonder who are their heroes? The times of the boomers are over, and soon soldiers will be our son’s kids as the chief warriors for our nation. Boomer kids like me saw their last war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Boys and girls that are old enough to be my own children have volunteered for the fight. In fact, some of the new heroes could be my friends or relatives’ children that have already stepped forward in service. It creates a query about their motivations, in a new world of pushing buttons and watching screens, just what makes these young Americans feel that sense of patriotism? What assigns the Warrior Ethos?

While I was young America was always at war. Heroes were born every minute. If it wasn’t from the current conflict then it was from stories of the past told by our grandfathers, uncles or even our own parents about the harshness of battle and the bravery exhibited by those they witnessed.

Events of such heroics graced the papers and the screen. All these stories were told at the Legion Post Canteen. The pictures on the walls of these places that cover the United States told stories or invoked questions from young boys and girls. I know because I was one of them. As I sit at the canteen of the many Legion Posts, I visit each year I ask myself and my comrades where this will lead. Who will listen to my stories? The newest of our warriors are not joining the club. A long-standing part of almost every community is poised for extinction. Another question is then asked, where did we fail or how can we entice these new young warriors who seem only to care about being left alone. I answer with an acknowledgement that 22 former members of our armed forces take their own lives every day in our country. Many of them are the youngest of our veteran clan that have left the service with belief in a country that would see them through the rough times. A country that would help them with financial woes or provide them with full unbridled medical coverage. Add to this number the spouses and children of those who have served that choose the same fate.

Much needs to be done on this frontier. Provisions for the veterans were supposed to be guaranteed. After all, they sacrificed for our security. These are the 3 and now 1 percent of our nation’s population who are willing to give their life or limbs to defend their birthplace. We in turn should be ready to support them when they leave the service. Our nation could provide the perfect opportunity for each of them. We just need to return our thoughts and efforts towards creating a country that thrives and can sustain itself like it did in 1776, 1812,1861, 1903, and again in 1941. Where we relied on no other nation around the globe for anything, and we instead provided for an entire world, bringing peace and tranquility to al

In those days there were heroes — either on the screen, in your living room or at the American Legion. The last I checked, we all still have TV, usually in our living room, and we still have an American Legion in town. It’s still open and excepting to any veteran discharged under Honorable Conditions.

We need new heroes to keep the doors open. We need more voices to keep the people informed of what the government has promised, and what virtues each past warrior has. The citizens of the nation need to inspire our leaders to provide what was promised to each veteran who swore an oath. And all of us together need to reduce the number from twenty-two to zero.

Kirk L. Miller is Past Commander of Chautauqua County American Legion, 8th District Department of New York