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r/Veterans • … • u/j_middlefinger

Do you think we OEF/OIF/GWOT vets will one day be able to safely go back to Iraq and Afghanistan to get closure, revisit where comrades were lost, etc. the way our WWII, Korea and Vietnam vets do/have done?

I suppose this is a strange question, but having seen so many videos and hearing so many stories of older vets going back to the theater in which they served and seeing the safety and comfort they can expect in places like Japan, Germany, Korea, and Vietnam, it makes me wonder if our generation will ever have that chance, and if so, would we actually want to go back? Would we want to return battlefield souvenirs to loved ones, or does the fact that the “soldiers” on the other side of the conflict aren’t simply following orders but actually deeply believe the highly bastardized, hateful, and radical version of their religion and genuinely want our elimination make it so that this conflict will never be put to rest inside of our hearts and minds?

If there are any psychics among you, great, but I kinda just want to see what people think it’s going to be like when we’re, say, in our 80s. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 20 years since, as a young man, I joined up and watched the towers fall as an E-2. All this time has passed, and there’s little to no sign of things getting better. Is it even possible within our lifetime? Does it even matter, or is this thought just perverse, mental masturbation?

Feel free to tell me to shut up and color if you want.

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