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Ken Williams: Fighting ‘The Other’ Overseas Only to Become The Other at Home
So now John is dead. A Vietnam War veteran, ironically, he finally found peace in a very violent act. His alleged killer? Another war veteran — this one a Marine from Iraq.
According to the suspect’s family, John’s alleged killer was tormented by the war, tortured by the demons that he brought back with him. Again, according to them, he saw the dead.
The dead and those horribly maimed by the violence of war come home with all of us. Those memories become a constant companion to combat veterans, rearing the reality of war to distort our everyday existence.
John and three other Orange County homeless men reportedly were hunted like animals, just the way we were taught to do in boot camp and advanced war training. My generation was taught to hunt the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese army. In reality, we were taught to hunt and hate the Asian — The Other, who threatened the very survival of our country. And, of course, the war was lost. The NVA won, yet we are still safe and free, except for the 58,000 dead and their families. And, there are also the hundreds of thousands wounded — and their family members who carry the war around in their shattered hearts.
Being that the Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian were Asian, we don’t consider the war’s legacy on them: Between 2 million and 3 million dead. Millions wounded, uncounted broken in spirit. Tens of thousands horribly mutilated by Agent Orange — but they aren’t human, they don’t honor life like we do; that is what we were taught.
But they were and are! Human, that is. Regardless of the brainwashing jammed into our minds day in and day out, our hearts knew better. In the end and upon reflection, we came to realize one thing: In reality we were simply taught to kill fellow human beings. But once we came home, we were told no more. We were supposed to lay down our arms, ignore our intense training and go back to our spiritual beliefs of “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” which had become forbidden to practice or even think. But some couldn’t do that. The horrors of war twisted all our minds; in some, it destroyed spiritual selves to such an extent that the rules taught for combat came home.
John’s alleged killer, an Iraq war vet. The killing of a National Park Service ranger at Mount Rainier in Washington, the same. A killing earlier this month in the Midwest, the same.
And where is the Veterans Affairs Department? Losing a lawsuit in federal court brought against it by a courageous group of veterans. The judge in the case ruled that the VA was in violation for not treating in a timely manner (or no manner at all) the very purpose for their existence: damaged and wounded war veterans in need of help.
Two weeks ago I visited one of the saddest places I have seen in a long time: The VA’s Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center in the San Fernando Valley, which services a lot of veterans. The staff was courteous and helpful. But as I stood in line and looked about, a weary sadness came over me. So many veterans from so many bloody wars, all struggling, years and decades later with nightmarish consequences — ones that our political leaders somehow overlook when they rush off to yet another war, or continue a war for strictly political reasons.
The place was captured in quietness — a strangling stillness that had a physical presence, cementing us in barely suppressed memories. But, of course, it had to be that way. Troubled souls of both the living and dead walked the hallowed and haunted hallways. A profound sadness blackened my soul that day.
Now we read and follow the news about a serial killer’s cleansing on the homeless. I wonder what the alleged killer would feel if he were to find out that his last victim was a veteran like him? Would that singular fact cut through his heart, seeing the homeless as the impersonal Other? As an animal that was to be hunted and exterminated?
Or did he fear that the road before him led to the streets, as it has for hundreds of thousands of combat veterans before him. Is that it? Was his murderous rage fueled by fear of his future? Or did he kill to quiet the voices and still the images?
The homeless are such an easy target; one that we can project our worse fears and force a quiet hatred upon. They are the depersonalized Other. In our own community, two troubling deaths await justice. But I fear justice is not for the poor.
If we look honestly and hard, we will also admit that justice is not there for combat veterans. Our political leaders know we will gladly hand over our children to the vengeful gods of war at a snap of a finger. They know that as a society, we are sheep before them — afraid to stand up to those who have never known the fear and hatred of war but are instead captured by Hollywood Myths of Glory.
The very same scandals that welcomed us home from Vietnam welcomes home our Iraq and Afghanistan brothers-in-arms. Forty years later, nothing has changed. We hunted and in turn were hunted by the enemy.
John came home to be hunted and killed on our street — a bitter outcome. He fought The Other in Vietnam, only to come home to become The Other.
— Ken Williams has been a social worker for the homeless for the past 30 years. His writings and opinions reflect only his personal views. He does not speak as a representative for or on behalf of any organization with which he may be affiliated. He is the author of China White and Shattered Dreams, A Story of the Streets. He has just completed his first nonfiction book, There Must Be Honor.
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» on 01.25.12 @ 03:01 AM
Maybe you forgot that everyone who serves in the military since the Vietnam War has enlisted voluntarily. No one is forced to go to war. Also, the fact that our Veteran’s hospitals suck is the same reason why anything run by the govt is a mess. Did you expect anything different?
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» on 01.25.12 @ 09:51 AM
I’m sorry Lou. Just because someone volunteers to protect one’s country doesn’t mean they are somehow inferior, stupid or “asked for it”.
Volunteering to protect our nation is the most patriotic thing a kid can do.
The most unpatriotic and treasonous thing a nation’s leader can do is send those volunteers into a war for profit of their friends. Think Halliburton and Blackwater.
I suppose that you want to get rid of police and the military because they cost too much and no government would do a better job protecting you.
And what have we accomplished in Iraq and Afghanistan?
And how much has it cost us?
How much is it going to cost us into the future to take care of those brave troops?
Ron Dexter
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» on 01.25.12 @ 10:56 AM
Ron and Lou,
There are so many issues involved with this subject, you can’t just put it into a nice neat little box and call it a day. War has had a devastating effect on people, families, and societies throughout history. The simple truth is that whether you volunteered for military duty, or were conscripted in a draft, the impact of participating in war will never be the same for everyone. Just as dealing with personal, family or community tragedy is not experienced or dealt with equally. Some thrive on the chaos of war while others a brutalized by it. The reasons for this are many and varied, but have much to do with how a person was reared, their education and personal belief system.
To Ron—if you place yourself in harm’s way, you are at least partially responsible for the outcome. This is true for all men and women in uniform, whether it be military, law enforcement or the fire services. It is a choice, and like all choices, comes with consequences. Also, if you can’t see past the political anti-corporate rhetoric to the self-evident threat facing the globe from a belief system that considers you its enemy, there is nothing much that can be done for you. The threat is real, whether you believe it or not.
When I joined the military in 1980, the Army was comprised of approx. 1.2 million soldiers. When I retired in 2004, it had been reduced to 476 thousand. During this same period of time military operations around the world increased tenfold. Why would it be a surprise then, that high paid civilian contractors are used to fill the gap created by our short-sighted, politically-motivated Congress? Who else is going to go and work in a war-torn country? The primary function of a government is security. It is not, as many would have you believe, to take care of us from cradle to grave. That is the responsibility of each one of us, not the government. Care begins with family, friends and the community. The higher up the ladder care giving goes, the less humane effective it becomes.
With that I turn to Lou. VA hospitals don’t suck. They are overwhelmed. Roughly 11% of all Americans are veterans. Of those, many have issues resulting from their military service, myself included. The federal government is gracious enough to extend a helping hand, but it cannot be expected to care for so many efficiently or effectively. The real issue concerns Ken’s article. The average citizen today, including families and communities, turn their backs on these issues, transferring the responsibilities of friends, families and communities to state or federal government. Entities that, by their very nature, can never be as compassionate or humane as we can at home. You could make the same analogy with our school systems, where parents have abdicated their parental responsibilities and passed them to teachers, then complain about the results.
And finally, back to Ron. What have we accomplished in Iraq and Afghanistan? Quite simply, that we are ready, willing and able to resist tyranny wherever it exists, no matter what the cost. That is the heritage of America, exemplified by our founding fathers and those that followed. That sentiment continues to be demonstrated by men and women in uniform and civilians today. We have accomplished much and will continue to do so.
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» on 01.25.12 @ 11:24 AM
Ron, did I say our military volunteers are stupid or inferior. All I said is that they volunteered and they knew exactly what they were signing up for. Anybody who went to Iraq or Afghanistan pretty much knew they were going beforehand. Considering how you feel about these conflicts, I would say you are the one who feels they’re stupid or inferior, since in your world how could anybody want to go to war. Don’t project your feelings onto me.
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» on 01.25.12 @ 03:11 PM
I’m Sorry Lou,
I think that Ken’s article is right on. The suicide rate among recent vets and serving military is at an all time high. Something is wrong. Very wrong.
I just get worked up about the “they volunteered” and knew what they were getting into. Some do and many don’t.
Recruiters stretch the truth about where enlistees will go and what they will do in the military once they have signed up. I didn’t enlist to kill North Koreans. I enlisted because the Navy promised electronics school and was lucky to get it.
I was well treated and got the GI bill for school. Today only 11% of the troops that enlisted for the educational benefit graduate some college.
Some recently troops enlisted to protect American from Osama and al Queda.
They knew what they were getting into.
It hurts many of them when they find out the Iraq war was sold to the American public, and to them, with a pack of lies. Saddam, our former friend, was a bad guy, but he did not attack us.
And we have left Iraq in a lot worse mess than before.
Sorry I didn’t mean a personal attack.
ron
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