HCBA Lawyer Magazine Vol. 28, No. 2 | Page 5

E D I T O R ’ S
M E S S A G E
E d C o m e y - L a w C l e r k t o U. S . B a n k r u p t c y Ju d g e M i c h a e l G. Wi l l i a m s o n
All-American Kids
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This is for those who never did come back All-American kids.
while back, my wife an d I had dinner with
friends. As I sat down with the other
husbands in the group, we began talking
about two topics I know something about:
professional wrestling and 1980s baseball.
As the evening wore on, however, the topic turned to
something that I — both fortunately and unfortunately —
didn’t know anything about.
One of the husbands, a naval flight officer, mentioned
some difficulty he had adjusting after returning from
one of several tours of duty in Iraq. To me, it was a
startling admission. Although my
friend doesn’t strike me as some sort
of macho man, he’s certainly a
physically imposing guy. And he
speaks matter-of-factly about things
I can’t comprehend — flying through
a war zone in a single-engine Cessna,
to name one. The other husband, a
mental health professional who has
worked with veterans in the past,
wasn’t the least bit surprised.
What I learned from talking with
my friends is that what is at once a
great blessing to this nation is also
a curse.
We are blessed that our military is
made up of the finest warriors the world has ever known.
And I don’t mean “warrior” in the way athletes do when
they casually throw around the term (“That guy was a
warrior out there today!”). I mean it in the literal sense of
the word. When most of us sense danger, we have two
options: fight or flight (with flight, when available, usually
the more attractive option). Those who serve our country
in times of war, however, are seemingly programmed one
way — to fight. Fight, mind you, for freedom for others
without asking anything in return. These are people who
instinctively run to danger the way most instinctively flee
from it.
But this superhuman quality can be a curse. The
trauma that veterans experience during times of war is
difficult to comprehend. My naval flight officer friend was
asked daily to make decisions that literally determined
© Can Stock Photo / aaronamat
NOV - DEC
2017
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HCBA LAWYER
whether someone was going to
live or die. I can’t imagine the
stress that must cause. Sadly,
the same superhuman quality
that causes our warriors to
literally risk their life for others often prevents them from
admitting the traumatic effects war has on them for fear
they’ll be perceived as weak, not to mention the fear it
might affect their military career.
The result? Untold numbers of veterans return from
combat suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder,
often leading to substance abuse and
other issues.
In his song All-American Kid,
Garth Brooks sings about a typical
All-American football star from Small
Town, USA who spurns college
football offers from top schools to
enlist in the military, serves three
tours of duty, and returns a hero.
Three tours of duty
And a silver star
Brought him back home with
his battle scars
He stepped off the plane
In his combat boots
He saluted the red, the white and blue
And the whole town cheered
And his mama cried
Another hometown boy
Made it home alive
Got his picture in the paper and the headline read
“Welcome Back All-American Kid”
Yeah, this song is for those who never did
Come back All-American kids
I know those last two lines refer to young kids who have
paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country — kids we read
memorials about and honor on Memorial Day. But when
I hear those lines now, I think about our veterans who
have returned from war but will never be the same
because of their (mental) battle scars. Veterans who often
suffer in silence. This is for those who never did come
back All-American kids.
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