Day 49: The Village

On the Mall in D.C. is a memorial to those who lost their life during the Vietnam War. A total of 58,260 names are on the Wall. Sue and I had the opportunity to visit the memorial many times while we lived in Washington, D.C. It is humbling to see the seemingly endless list of names of those who sacrificed all for their country during this conflict.

Nine of the Marines listed on the memorial died while fighting in a small village described in the book I just finished reading, The Village by Bing West. This book recounts the story of a group of Marines who lived with and died with the Vietnamese in one of their villages. These Marines had a special mission. Their mission was not just to fight--they were there to advise and teach. They were embedded with a local group of police and Vietnamese soldiers and along side them worked to fight and protect the people from the Viet Cong. Upon arriving the local soldiers were more of a hindrance than help. They would run at the first shot fired. However, over the course of many fierce engagements and many months, the locals learned to fight and be self sufficient. By the time the Marines were pulled from the village, they were able to protect themselves. The cost of this mentorship was high--9 of the Marines paid the ultimate price and died alongside their Vietnamese colleagues.

The military is finally remembering some of these lessons learned from Vietnam and previous conflicts. They realize now that the fight can often be "won" militarily, but really "lost" if the minds and hearts of the people are not won and the lives of the people improved. Afghanistan has been racked with war for decades. The quality of life is low and for many day to day survival is a struggle. Adequate healthcare has been one area where their have been major shortages and lack of resources. My job over the next year will be to mentor and advise health care providers with the Afghan National Police. Much like the Marines in the village, my job will be to help teach the local nationals how things can be done and help them succeed in helping themselves. I hope the effort pays off.

The book I am currently reading is Faith in the Service compiled by Chad Hawkins. It is a collection of experiences from LDS service members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thanks mom for giving it to me!