"Put Myself In The Mail"

During a 'tour of duty' yesterday at the US Army's National Museum, I went back to the gallery related to World War One to see my friend Private 'Max.' I first made his acquaintance two years ago when, as a new docent, I discovered a wall of postcards sent by doughboys from the combat theater in France. A number of those cards are displayed so the visitor may read both sides - and when I read the card from Max (to whom exactly we cannot tell) - it seemed obvious why his card was highlighted for attention. In my mind - it has to do with the contrast between what we see of a person on the outside, and what we may find when reading her or his innermost thoughts.

Private Max holds a short cigar in his hand, legs crossed, sitting at an angle for the photographer. We cannot tell his organization, his time at war or his military profession. We only observe a young man, like hundreds of thousands of other young soldiers in that conflict (and millions of others in subsequent conflicts), far away from home, trying to be strong in the face of so many uncertainties while wanting to be someplace else where death and destruction are not ever present.

His hand-written note, on the back of the picture postcard says:

"I hope you get this one. What do you think about it. I would like to be able to put myself in the mail in place of it."

I can't help believe that every person who ever donned a military uniform has not, at some moment in their service, had the same thought. I hope Max finally made it back home safely and was able to live a full and rewarding life. The picture of him is now over one-hundred years old ... and yet as relevant now as then. "We Were Soldiers Once and Young" - no matter when our "once" was.

Best wishes for health, happiness and a safe journey home.