With opposition to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq growing each day, support for the armed forces becomes more important and necessary.

These men and women, upholding the prestige and tradition of this country’s military, are not, as individuals, taking part in political maneuverings. Theirs is the dictum of military law – a fact sometimes not realized by the more strident among us.

Support for the military extends far beyond those serving worldwide. There’s another vast army waiting at home. Spouses, family members, friends and relatives, all live with support that is more active and more compelling. Political decisions and confrontation have no effect on such awareness.

The most visible support is flying the flag, posting signage or the familiar yellow ribbon decals on our vehicles. There are a number of sellers offering these items in all sizes and shapes. These retailers, for the most part, are money-making businesses and have no connection with the military they so briskly champion.

Donations to the many emergency services is the better way to support our men and women in uniform, and each branch of the service has its own. These include Army Emergency Relief, Navy/Marine Relief Services, Air Force Aid Societ, and Coast

Guard Mutual Assistance. An online search will bring up further information on each of the foregoing.

The Red Cross and USO work closely with the military and their families. Service rendered by the Red Cross, in times of peace and war, to both the civilian and military, can never be understated. In these days of a multitude of nonprofit charitable organizations clamoring for the donations, a Red Cross donation could easily replace the yellow ribbon decal on many a vehicle.

The International Red Cross was founded out of the International Geneva Conference (Switzerland) of 1863 and established a national committee for relief of military wounded. The American Red Cross was founded by nurse Clara Barton in 1881, mindful of the Civil War’s enormous casualty rate.

The USO, United Service Organization, was founded at the request of President Roosevelt in 1941, to provide leave, recreation and family services for the growing military at the onset of this country’s participation in World War II. Organizations taking part were the Salvation Army, YMCA, YWCA, National Catholic Community Services, Travelers Aid Society and Jewish Welfare Board.

All veterans, of any branch, during miliary service were at one time or another touched by both the Red Cross and USO. It’s a record this country can be proud of.

During the Vietnam War, opposition to the conflict took a more ugly and demeaning turn – against the military itself. Locked in a seemingly endless struggle, service members were castigated and reviled to a disturbing degree, marking a devastating and misguided period in our history. Perhaps that’s why I, as a veteran, have a difficult time walking past the somber black Vietnam Memorial in Washington. These people deserved far better than they received.

Many years ago, as a member of a 24-hour military operation in a French Alsatian village, I, along with others of my unit, met the village priest. Wearing the vestments of his station, the priest had white hair, craggy lined features and hesitant steps that verified age. He spoke a vagrant and halting English, mixed with a Germanic flair, as did others in Alsace.

Ours operation involved ammunition, high explosives for the surging war machine. The priest was cautioned many times to be aware of the never-ending lines of trucks coming and going. As time went on, the cleric was continually near our operations center, even during nighttime hours when long convoys of trucks occupied the street. From the previous service patch on my right shoulder, he knew I’d taken part in the carnage at Ste Die, and thus we had a conversation point.

One cold, spring afternoon, within his halting search for the right word in English, while ruminating over what had taken place in Europe for more than five years, the respected figure stated that sometime the world would learn to live with itself.

Over the years, I’ve often thought of those humble words.

Yet, humanity apparently does not yet think so.

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