An Open Letter to Veterans and Service-Members Everywhere

I should begin this letter with the caveat that the message contained herein is tied to a situation that I have predominantly educated myself on in the last week and a half. That situation is the Hammas terrorist attack and the ensuing war unfolding on the world’s stage. My understanding of the complexities in the region where this conflict is taking place is rudimentary at best. The last few days involved a lot of listening… along with a lot of heartbreak. This letter is not written with the intention of explaining that conflict, or the deep-rooted motivations woven into all sides, as I do not belong to the communities that are primarily affected. Instead, this letter is solely written to comment on the emotion and reactions of a community that I do belong to: United States Service-Members and Military Veterans.

For those of us who served, we all raised our hands for varying reasons. Some of us served to get out of a difficult neighborhood or upbringing, while some served to continue a long lineage of service in their family. Some were seeking an education they couldn’t afford, and some just wanted to fight. But a common thread I have found which connects every single person in this community is an aversion toward injustice. We feel honor in standing up for those who are being unjustly hurt or oppressed. Our community is made up of people from all over the world, and thus we see the humanity in people from all walks of life. And when that humanity is stripped away, we feel compelled to act. To take a stand. To fight and to defend.

The images being seen and stories being heard by the entire world of a terrible situation in the Middle East affect our community in a unique way. Like many of you, when I first heard a father weeping for his kidnapped daughter… I attempted to contain overwhelming sadness coupled with focused anger. I felt an emotional tidal wave. I searched for flights to Tel Aviv. I simply wanted to provide some sort of relief, aid or solace to the human beings experiencing terrible tragedies on the other side of the world. And in the darker parts of my heart, candidly, I wanted to hurt the people causing those tragedies.

I am not Jewish. I am not Palestinian. I am an American citizen of Italian descent who was raised in a suburb of our nation’s capital, Washington DC. But like so many of our service-members, I am also a son. I am a brother. I am an uncle. I write this letter to anyone who has served and who is feeling this deep sense of confusing pain and rampant anger each day another family member loses a loved one in this conflict.

Please know that while our feelings are difficult to decode, they are rooted in that common thread: the respect of humanity in people, and the proclivity for justice for all. Which, at its core, is an inherently wonderful aspect of our lives. A value you should be content with, and want to pass on to your friends and family. Understand that emotions that at the surface appear to be pain and outrage, upon introspection, are rooted in love.

Focus your energy there. Look at the things within your control that can restore some small sense of humanity to a terrible situation. A call to an affected love one. A donation to a humanitarian effort. Channel the deepest parts of what made you serve and share it with those around you. And know that in the most confusing moments of pain, there is a community of men and women who will always take your call. Including me, here’s my number: (540)429-3194.

With Love and Resolve in my Heart,

- A devoted servant