I have family who served in the military, even in war-time, all those years ago, Vietnam; I have a cousin in the Navy now. I considered service as I was finishing high school, even had a path to scholarship, but then decided against it; the chain of command did not so appeal to me.

Considering the purpose of armies and navies and air forces too,

Consider their role in their countries defense,

Consider the sometimes necessary, difficult choice become duty to kill other people,

All this fades to the back a bit as I consider those who were in harms way as a matter of duty become honor become survival or not, and then not to survive,

Those people who paid the ultimate price in service to country, remembering their selflessness, realizing all the more gravity weighing down decisions of armed aggression for political purposes,

All the more critical of those judgements,

Critical that lives should be put in harms way for frivolous political purpose.