White Horses

Seeing TSO’s article from last night regarding the ongoing Left Coast “Saga of Teh Stoopid” reminded me of something I’ve been pondering for a while. So since Jonn lets me wax foolish here from time to time, I decided I’d share it.

Yeah, that means I’m about to ramble “off the res” a bit again. Consider yourselves warned. (smile)

. . .

TSO ended his article with a lyric from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer – ELP, for short. It was thoroughly apropos for his purposes.

But it brings to mind another tune from ELP. And I’d guess that one resonates even more strongly, if perhaps a bit ambiguously, with many of TAH’s readers.

The tune is Lucky Man. For those readers who might be unfamiliar with it, I’ve linked a clip below.

Released in 1970, the song was not written to protest the Vietnam War – though many at the time and since doubtless took it to be exactly that. Greg Lake, the song’s author, wrote in 1959-1960, when he was 12 years old. It sat unrecorded until the sessions for ELP’s first album – and ended up on that self-titled record.

It’s not a typical ELP tune.  It’s written more-or-less as a piece from an English Medieval traveling minstrel, updated to be more modern lyrically.  Lake wrote it on and for the acoustic guitar.

On the surface, the song addresses the futility of war and the waste of life inherent in same. A man who “had everything” goes to war and loses it all when he’s killed in battle. It makes a powerful, if perhaps unintended, anti-war statement.   Many doubtless see the tune as a paean for pacifism.

And yet . . . I think most of us who’ve served may view it a bit differently.

In the song, yes – the main character dies. And he’s understandably sad on realizing he’s about to die.

But consider:  he dies voluntarily. He dies while serving a cause greater than himself. And he dies doing his duty to that greater cause – in this case, his nation.

His nation called. He answered. It cost him dearly.  But he died honorably and true to himself nonetheless.

Each of us who has served has given that possibility some thought. Anyone who’s served and hasn’t (or didn’t) is IMO a complete and utter fool.

And anyone who’s served voluntarily has decided – implicitly or explicitly – “I’m OK with that”.

. . .

Anyway, my take is this: yes, the story is sad. Life is sad sometimes. Not all stories have happy endings.

But in at least one respect, IMO the title is apropos. The man in question’s life was forfeit while serving a cause that mattered. He spent his life willingly. While not perhaps the end he wanted, he went out on his own terms while doing what he wanted to do.  The ending to his life was honorable.

Some aren’t so lucky. They never do anything meaningful in their lives. They never serve a cause larger than themselves.   And whatever they do, it’s about their wants and needs – not about serving a greater cause.

So you tell me: was the man lucky? I don’t know. Everyone has to decide that for themselves. I’ve got somewhat mixed feelings personally.

But on balance, I’d have to say – yes he was. He died doing his duty, voluntarily serving his nation.  He died doing something that mattered.

I’d guess many of our readers feel the same.

. . .

Enough rambling for today.  Heading back to the res.

Category: Military issues, Pointless blather, Veterans Issues, Who knows