Photos Source:
http://ourwits.com/.../independance-day.html
The recent incident involving wounded Soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq as war veterans only to be denied compensation prompted me to reflect upon a soldier’s sacrifice. Everyday men and women return from the patriotic defence of their country wounded, scarred physically and mentally. Today these patriots are being denied adequate charity for their families, their service and their future due to economic circumstances. This begs one to question whether or not the sacrifices that these soldiers and their families make is truly realised and appreciated.
This scandalous, shameful incident reminded me of a 1916 poem by an anonymous poet called ‘A Pittance’.
A Pittance
The soldier stood and faced his God,
which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
just as brightly as his brass.
‘Step forward now, you soldier,
how shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To my church have you been true?’
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
‘No my Lord I ain’t.
Because those of us who carry guns,
can’t always be a saint.
I’ve had to work most Sundays,
and at times my task was tough.
And sometimes I’ve been violent,
because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a dollar,
that wasn’t mine to keep…
Thought I worked a lot of overtime,
when the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I’ve wept unmanly tears.
I know I don’t deserve a place,
among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
except to calm their fears.
If you’ve a place for me here, Lord,
It needn’t be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
but if you don’t I’ll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
for the judgment of his God.
‘Step forward now, you Soldier,
you’ve borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on heaven’s streets,
you’ve done your time in Hell.’
~1916 Author Unknown~
Taken from http://www.vfwpost1503.org/soldier_poems.html
Within this moving poem the poet expressed the sacrifices of a soldier and the far too often taken for granted patriotism of those serving their countries. The dominant ideology is that a soldiers' sacrificing their lives for their country is the ultimate sacrifice; in protecting their country they must commit acts of violence and put their own lives at risk. Despite this, society is critical of soldiers' service and actions and only truly appreciate them when they are all that stands between the nation and the enemy.
In summary of an article by Aislinn Simpson, it raises the issue of lack of appreciation of selfless patriots. Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter, the controller of the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) was quoted as saying, “once soldiers are discharged from the Army, they are often forgotten”. Having completed their service, many veterans are wounded and therefore unable to commit to other occupations post service. The ABF argues that we as human being and patriots have a moral obligation to support those who have sacrificed so much to support and protect us.
How is it that the majority of our society can be so oblivious to world issues such as war yet so consumed by trivialities such as soap-opera characters or celebrity scandals? Society’s total lack of concern for the people keeping their superficial lives stable is simply appalling. To refuse service men and women adequate pay and compensation for their sacrifices due to economic instability is depravity. If you are not fully aware of what soldiers go through during service, have a look at ‘Saving Private Ryan’, a 1998 Steven Spielberg film starring Tom Hanks. If you are not horrified and afflicted by this movie you are either void of emotion or a sadist.
It is unfortunate that the author of ‘A Pittance’ is anonymous because this stirring sonnet should have earnt he or she much appreciation. The poem recognises the plight of a soldier and depicts it in an insightful, empathetic manner. The emotive contention put forward by the poet is that, in his perspective, the soldiers many sacrifices have earnt him his place in god’s house. This is reflected in the third and fourth lines of the tenth stanza which says, “walk peacefully on heaven’s streets, you’ve done your time in Hell.’ The poet associating War with ‘Hell’ symbolises an understanding or insight into the hardships of soldiers. Specifically, the poet emphasises the “saint”-like qualities and raw honesty of the fallen warrior.
Yesterday, today, tomorrow the plight of the soldier remains constant. They fight for their belief of kin and country, the constitutional right of freedom for all. In today’s society we eagerly condemn others, for example fanatical religious groups such as Al-Quaeda in the Middle East. Despite indifferences, the focus and sacrifice of the universal soldier remains the same, their unwavering belief in the defense of their way of life, outweighing the value of their own lives.
The dominant ideology within the poem is depicted fittingly by lyrics from a Bob Dylan song, ‘The Universal Soldier’.
“He's five feet two and he's six feet four
He fights with missiles and with spears
He's all of 31 and he's only 17
He's been a soldier for a thousand years.
He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain,
a Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
and he knows he shouldn't kill
and he knows he always will
kill you for me my friend and me for you”
A.B.
