War

Recently, I read a book called Word of Honor by Nelson DeMille. It was a very long book, just under 900 pages, but it was very well written and gave me much to ponder about war. Below, in italics, is a summary of the book by the Bing AI.

“Word of Honor” by Nelson DeMille is a gripping military thriller that delves into themes of honor, duty, and the moral complexities of war. The story centers on Ben Tyson, a Vietnam War veteran who has built a successful life as an executive. His past comes back to haunt him when an investigative journalist uncovers a possible massacre committed by his platoon during the war.

As Tyson faces a court-martial, the novel explores his struggle to uncover the truth and clear his name. The narrative shifts between the present and flashbacks to the Vietnam War, revealing the horrors and moral ambiguities Tyson and his comrades faced. The book is known for its intense courtroom drama and vivid war scenes, making it a compelling read for fans of the genre.

In this blog post I want to talk about some of the thoughts and feelings about war in general that came to mind while reading the book. The book itself deals with the Vietnam war, which I remember very little about since I was a youngster at the time, and anything I would have heard, would have been through a biased news cast, or the like. The Vietnam war started in November of 1955 and ended in April of 1975. As such, I would have been 15 years old when it finally ended. Everything I have heard through the years about the Vietnam war, even to this day, is negative. It is apparent that the Vietnam war was not supported by the masses and that it was a war the USA had no business being in. It was also at a time when the younger generation of the time was on the verge of a drastic change in attitudes and perceptions about all manner of things, including politics, religion and many concepts about “self.” People of that generation were not in favor of their government meddling in the affairs of other countries and did not want to be bullied into fighting a war that made no sense to them. Soldiers returning from that war were not welcomed back as heroes, and their treatment by government and society in general reflected that.

With regards to war in general, I am against it in principle. I think that war is an unacceptable form of conflict resolution. When I was younger, I believed that there simply was no excuse for war and that it was an outdated means of dealing with issues. As I got older and realized that the world is not all black or all white, or all wrong or all right, I began to view war in a different way. Yes, I still believe it is an unacceptable form of conflict resolution, but I can see the need for it, if for instance, a belligerent force is invading a country and destroying property and killing citizens. I personally may not like having to fight back, but I bet I would if my beloved Canada was attacked. Ghandi might have had a point in his beliefs about non-aggression, but there is a point, I believe, when one must fight back to defend their way of life. But please, let’s first try to find a better way before it gets to that.

As a Canadian, I have always felt I have been fortunate to not have been faced with war on Canadian soil. As such, war has always been something out there, something others have had to contend with and something I could always choose to view from the periphery, if I cared to at all.

Based on my comment above, I decided to check my facts with the Bing AI about wars in Canada during my time here on Earth. It looks like I was correct, although the last two items that Bing lists, I would not call wars.

Me: Has there ever been any wars in Canada?

Bing AI: Yes, there have been several wars and conflicts in Canada throughout its history. Here are a few notable ones:

  • Beaver Wars (1609-1701): Conflicts primarily between the Iroquois Confederacy and various Algonquian-speaking tribes, often involving French settlers.
  • Seven Years’ War (1754-1763): A global conflict that included battles in Canada between the British and French, leading to British control over Canada.
  • War of 1812 (1812-1815): Fought between the United States and British forces, including Canadian militia.
  • Fenian Raids (1866-1871): Invasions by Irish-American Fenian Brotherhood aiming to pressure Britain to withdraw from Ireland.
  • North-West Rebellion (1885): An uprising by the Métis people and their Indigenous allies against the Canadian government.
  • October Crisis (1970): A series of events triggered by the kidnapping of government officials by the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ).
  • Oka Crisis (1990): A land dispute between the Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec.

These conflicts have shaped Canada’s history and its development as a nation.

After reading the list, I thought that Bing sure had to dig deep to find something that sounded like a war in the traditional sense, but I guess for the people of the times it was serious enough.

I decided to ask about Canada’s involvement in wars occurring outside Canada’s borders.

Me: Has Canada been involved in any wars outside Canadian borders?

Bing AI: Yes, Canada has participated in several wars and military operations outside its borders. Here are some notable examples:

  • World War I (1914-1918): Canada played a significant role, with over 600,000 Canadians serving and more than 60,000 losing their lives.
  • World War II (1939-1945): Canada was involved from the beginning, contributing significantly to the Allied war effort.
  • Korean War (1950-1953): Canada sent over 26,000 troops to support South Korea against North Korean and Chinese forces.
  • Gulf War (1990-1991): Canada participated in the coalition forces to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation.
  • War in Afghanistan (2001-2014): Canada was part of the NATO-led mission to combat terrorism and rebuild Afghanistan.
  • Libya Intervention (2011): Canada took part in the NATO mission to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians during the Libyan Civil War.
  • Canada has also been involved in numerous peacekeeping missions around the world, reflecting its commitment to international peace and security.

I have some knowledge about the first three wars listed above, especially the Korean War, due to the fact that I watched M*A*S*H for all the years it aired on TV. 👍😊 The last four wars/conflicts I have little knowledge about, since I have always avoided news about them, or any other news for that matter. I find the “news” a horrid invention that seems to thrive on the misery of others and which desires to stir up the masses. Too reminiscent of the book 1984, with its telescreens spewing their propaganda.

Reflecting back, I decided that my family, including extended family, has been pretty lucky overall as we have all been born at a time that made us less exposed to war or necessitated our participation in it, but not completely. As I looked back, and confirmed with my mother, there were three relatives that had a brush with military service. The first is my great uncle Paul, my grandma’s brother, on my Mom’s side of the family. He apparently enlisted and was to fight in World War 2, but the war ended before he got shipped out. Very fortunate, in my opinion. One of Mom’s brothers, Uncle Frank, was with the Patricia Reserve for a while before he was married. He was stationed in Edmonton, but never saw action. His military career ended when he had a serious car accident, unrelated to his service. Apparently, he came close to death at that time, but eventually recovered and lived a full life, although he did use up a number of his other 9 lives, as you will hear people say, until the last one finally took him due to cancer in his elder years. Lastly, one of my Dad’s brothers, Uncle Allan, served in the Korean War as a private in the infantry. According to Mom, he was shot in the ankle and was sent back home to retire on a veteran’s pension, or however that worked. Sadly, my first thought when she told me about Allan was that he probably shot himself “in the foot” to get out of the army. He was, like my dad, a full-fledged alcoholic, so the thought is not unwarranted. On the other hand, perhaps I should give him the benefit of the doubt and just say that he did serve. He is buried in the veteran’s section of Woodlawn Cemetery here in Saskatoon, so that must mean something.

There was a time when my brother Dave’s son, Daniel, showed some interest in joining the armed forces. He had been big into creating artistic dioramas, some of which were war scenes with tanks and other wartime paraphernalia, so I believe he had romanticized war and thought it might be cool to join. Although nobody tried to talk him out of it, I know that we all hoped that he would change his mind. As you might guess, Daniel changed his mind, I believe, at the time when he started to date a lovely girl named Olivia. Surprise, surprise! He never thought about the army again as far as I know, but he did go to tech school and became a helicopter mechanic, which puts him face to face with cool boy toys all day long. 😊

When I woke on the morning of September 11th earlier in the month, I noticed that my computer had updated in the night and showed the start up screen where you sign in. Although it was earlier than 9:11 by a couple of hours, I decided to wait to snap a picture until then, so I could show it here. As such, it reads 9:11, Wednesday September 11, 2024. That means it’s the 23rd anniversary of the attack, if my math is right (2024 – 2001 = 23).

9/11 Desktop – Photo by Don Cheke

Although the 9/11 attack was not during wartime, I believe it had the same effect as if it were, and that is why I feel it appropriate to mention it here.

I am reminded of 9/11 so often, when I happen to glance at the clock and see 9:11, be it in the morning or at night. I find it almost spooky how often I will glance at the clock at just that time. Without fail, I give pause to mourn the tragedies of that day, and the changes in the North American psyche that it caused.

I remember that I was getting gas in my car that morning and when I went in to pay, I noticed all the staff and customers staring at the TV they had on the counter. Of course, I asked what was up and found out immediately that someone had crashed airliners into the New York towers. Later I was to find out about the other crashes. I remember feeling completely stunned! I had always felt that Canada and the USA were immune to such things, being so far away from the typical war-torn areas. No, I didn’t think about Pearl Harbor at the time, only now in retrospect. I immediately went to check on Denise and Emma to ensure they were okay. Needless to say, we stayed glued to the TV for the rest of that day and on and off for many days to follow. It was during this time that my hate for the media became solidified. The incessant replays of the tower crashes and the repetitive scenes of cheering foreigners was meant to fuel hatred that would ensure decades of mistrust and continued hatred. The whole ordeal was bad enough in terms of horror and grief, without their beating of the hornet’s nest, for lack of a better description.

If you are like me, one of your initial feelings was rage. I remember thinking that the US should nuke “those bastards.” It was probably a typical response, but I was happy that cooler heads prevailed in the US and no such action was taken, at least on that level. I can only imagine that such a reaction would have led to other nuclear retaliations, and then, possibly, a complete breakdown of civilization. Sadly, I like many others, continue to harbor resentments that are not easily dispelled. Of course, as a reasonably healthy person, I am able to reason things out with myself and can conclude that 9/11 was the result of a radical group, and not an entire race. Heaven knows that I would not like to be blamed for some of the crazies we have here in North America. I guess, if one thinks about it, that is why nations are able to get back on even keel, even after a war. Certainly, we as a nation understand that someone like The Architect of the Holocaust was a tyrant of the worst kind, but the typical German citizen was as typical as we are, but found it impossible to stop him, without the efforts of a world at war that came to be.

This next bit may seem unrelated, but you will see that my mind is quite capable of looking for things that help make sense of, or enhance, some of the things I ponder. Just recently, I watched an episode of Star Trek: TNG called “Darmok,” (season 5, episode 2). In this episode the captain was beamed down to the surface of a planet with an alien from another starship to fight a common enemy, in the hopes of establishing relations between the two species. In this episode, the alien race speaks in metaphors, so even with the use of the universal translator, unless one was familiar with the myths and stories of the alien culture you would have no idea what they were talking about. For instance, we all know about the story of Romeo and Juliet. If someone mentions those two names in reference to a balcony, or lovers from feuding families, we will get the gist of what is being said or discussed. In the Star Trek episode, the alien keeps referring to characters and situations or places, such as Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra, or Kadir beneath Mo Moteh, or Shaka, when the walls fell. Of course, the last one, Shaka, when the walls fell, came to mind when I was thinking about 9/11 and I though, “New York, when the towers came down.” That one line says so much and would conjure up so much in the minds of any North American who heard it.

When the Towers Came Down – Created by Don Cheke

As I further pondered 9/11, I wondered what was sparked in terms of war by the attack, so I asked the Bing AI.

Me: What wars or conflicts were a direct result of the 9/11 tower attacks?

Bing AI: The 9/11 attacks directly led to several significant conflicts:

  • War in Afghanistan: Initiated in October 2001, this conflict aimed to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power for harboring Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda members.
  • Iraq War: Launched in 2003, this invasion was justified by the U.S. on the grounds of eliminating weapons of mass destruction and ending Saddam Hussein’s regime, which was alleged to support terrorism.
  • Global War on Terror: This broader campaign included various military operations and interventions in countries like Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Syria, targeting terrorist organizations and their networks.

These conflicts have had profound and lasting impacts on global politics and security.

Just when you think the world has grown up, being 2024 and all, we continue to see wars between countries, and the havoc it brings all around the globe. I am thinking specifically about the current war between Russia and Ukraine. Please people, find a different way to coexist and thrive. War is not a viable solution to anything, it only feeds hatred and destruction.

So how does one end a blog post where the topic is so heavy? Well, I guess we just acknowledge that there is still a lot of work to be done in the realm of world peace and remind ourselves that we can “fight” back in our own way by being civil and respectful to those around us.

To wrap up, I would like to say that I hope that you are currently living in peace and that you will not find the horrors of war in your backyard, or anywhere close to it, anytime soon. Peace to you all!

Donald B. Cheke – September 30, 2024

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *