I still marvel at the way young men and women stand strong in their military uniforms. A participant in the N.Y.C.W.P class I am taking is wearing a very similar green with beige striped shirt that was once used by our soldiers when they were in jungle warfare. Today, they are more apt to wear desert fatigues because most of American conflict today is focused in the Middle East. If you are not sure about the shirt I speak of, just watch any film about the Vietnam War and you can see exactly what I am speaking of. There are two reasons why this shirt stood out to me. Firstly, because I was a military dependent for the ten years and secondly because it took me back to a time in my life that I searched for the same family values and upbringing that my parents gave me.
My ex-husband would proudly wear his fatigues with a splash of Gardenia. He came from a tradition of military service. His father and four uncles proudly served in the military. I could not convince him not to enlist. I cited all the reasons why he should not. He was attending RPI in Albany New York majoring in pharmacology. His mother sent him to New York from South Carolina to live with his father to go to an excellent college. My plea's landed on deaf ears. Nothing I could say or do would stop him. Before I knew it he was off to Basic Training at Fort Dix New Jersey and there was not a thing that I could do about it. He proudly sent me a picture of him in his dress greens and practice fatigues. I knew from that moment on things would not be the same for either of us.
I am not in anyway a military supporter or even a fanatic. I had to support my husband while at the same time I was just a mere observer of my surroundings and true believer that all experiences and memories happen for a reason and each experience is important. Just as the West African Akon symbol of "Sankofa" we should always remember the lessons and experiences from the past. This will enable us to rewrite for a positive future. Can you imagine a simple military style shirt worn by a colleague could have such meaning and remind me of a simpler time and place.
