I must study politics and war
so that my sons may have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.
John Adams
Defending Bemis Heights
From the very beginnings of our own history, men and women have fought and died for the causes determined by the government to be a matter of national security or in the national interest. Often, when the battles were won, those who have served have not come home to either welcome or recompense or even proper care for their injuries. I'm not an advocate for war - personally, I've not seen in my lifetime, a single war that would qualify as what has long been described as "a just war" - with the possible exception of Gulf War I which lasted only 4 days and for which George H.W. Bush carefully laid out the ways in which the invasion of Iraq by ground forces met the criteria for a "just war". The invasion began on Feb. 24, 1991 and ended with a cease fire on Feb. 28.
Since U.S. troops returned from World War II to huge celebrations and the rewards of lifetime medical care and the G.I. Bill, it's been a different story. From Korea to the present day troops returning from Afghanistan, service men and women have often had to face the hypocrisy of the flag-waving heroes' welcome while enduring deep cuts in care and benefits and the denial of claims for disability. Vietnam veterans didn't even get the heroes' welcome - most were warned not to come home in uniform and to anticipate very negative attitudes by society at large.
I wonder if that kind of reaction greeted the militia returning home after their 90 days of service in the Revolutionary War. Most of these men, too, gave up a good deal, to win independence - and almost all of them had to fight tooth and nail for disability pensions if they lost limbs or other compensation if their farms or homes were destroyed in the fighting.
The image above is a bit of a tribute to the men and women who from the start have fought to gain and to keep our independence or fought because of orders to engage in conflicts in many places around the world. We may differ - and I suspect that we do - about the merits of any particular conflict, whether our actions are justified or in the best interests of the country. But we should not differ in our support of the men and women who do that fighting for us or in our determination to see that they receive the respect and the gratitude they are owed...not to mention care for their injuries, losses or traumas endured. The more complex our world becomes, the more technologically refined our weapons, the easier it is to distance ourselves from the costs of every war. It cannot be just to make young men and women pay the price for our policies and then deny them what they need to get their lives back together after years at war.
This image is a fictionalized image relating to the second Battle of Saratoga during the Revolutionary War. According to Wikipedia, "The Battles of Saratoga" (September 19 and October 7, 1777) conclusively
decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American
War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in
the war. Two battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground,
9 miles (14 km) south of Saratoga, New York..."
The second battle fought on October 7 is called the Battle of Bemis Heights... The American victory is seen as a turning point in the war. News of Burgoyne's
surrender was instrumental in formally bringing France into the war as
an American ally, although it had previously given supplies, ammunition
and guns, notably the de Valliere cannon, which played an important role
in Saratoga. Formal participation by France changed the war to a global
conflict. This battle also resulted in Spain contributing to the war on
the American side."
This digital work is a hand-painted composite of several works in
the public domain courtesy of the National Park Service. The soldiers
are interpreted from early prints in the Library of Congress and
re-enactment photos that show the mix of uniforms from the Revolutionary
War. I've chosen to depict militia members rather than regular
Continental Army.
