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Lessons learned from WHAT IT IS LIKE TO GO TO WAR
A brief reflection on the overarching theme of the autobiographical / historical account of the Vietnam war from Karl Marlantes
I am always grateful for a timely book. Stumbling upon WHAT IT IS LIKE TO GO TO WAR at Lemuria Bookstore is an answer to a prayer I’ve been asking for years to be answered. My immediate family doesn’t have a history in the military, so patriotism has seemed to me a level of spirituality about history that is odd. Growing into adulthood after 9/11 meant patriotism was the answer to the fear of terror.
In the face of such fear, I opted to participate in the traditions of the people around me out of respect for the community. Without community, we lose our sense of belonging. Traditions are good memorials for humans as we are forgetful in general, but they are good for me specifically because I over analyze anything remotely sentimental. There is often a sense of reverence, mystery, and spirituality that is imbued in the experience of a transcendent tradition. What ritual is more sacred and complex than the act of taking a life out of this world?
Karl Marlantes is a veteran of the Vietnam war and author of the book What It Is Like To Go To War. It is not an easy book to read, by any means. Exploration…
