Identifying The Veteran

Severo Leonardo Garcia and wife Edelmira Gonzalez Garcia.
My maternal grandfather and grandmother, he in police uniform.
Cuba, early 1940's.

Edmundo Santiago Sr.
My human father in Airman uniform.
Texas, 1960's.

Me age 15 with my maternal grandmother (same as pictured above).
In my Cadet Army JROTC Class A uniform.
1991, California.

Veteran

noun

A person who has had long experience in a particular field.

An ex-member of the armed forces.

This article is not about justifying anything, promoting anything, nor arguing for anything...but to simply explain what may be currently unclear and confusing due to poor political ideology.

I am a veteran, but not in the popular sense of that term's definition.

I was never in any official military position, although I have served in a particular 'army' of sorts all of my life.

The sense of the term veteran is one who has served his country's military, usually identifying a western cultural identity, and centrically attributed to the United States.

I was in Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps while in high school... JROTC for short.

Like many young people in the United States, I grew up with an affinity towards the military.

I think this was due to ideas in the home and also in the media (naturally).

My maternal grandfather served in the Cuban Army when that country was a subject nation to the U.S., many years before the 1950's revolution.

He was in that military for several years, later becoming a police officer in the city of Havana, and then a bus driver when the revolution manifested.

He brought his wife (both at age 42 at that time), my mother (age 16) and her two siblings (two and four years younger), to the U.S. in 1962 after their quality of life was drastically diminished and the future seemed hopeless.

This grandfather's son, my maternal uncle, after becoming of age served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Korea during the Vietnam war.

My father served in the U.S. Air Force, traveling to the U.S. from Cuba at age 17 (year 1959) prior to the ultimate fall of the prior Cuban regime... afterwards pursuing a career in aviation and later working his own small business also aviation related.

My eldest brother-in-law (U.S. born descendant of Italian and Irish stock) served in the U.S. Army.

Through my adolescent years I dreamed of pursuing either a military career or at least some time in the military in following the footsteps of men in my family I admired.

Prior to the political upheaval of rebellion / revolution mid-last century, politically defined Cuba had been a de facto protectorate of the U.S..

De facto meaning a 'fact' defined by reality, not by man's legislated law (the attempt to make real human aspirations written on paper).

In other words; although Cuba was 'sovereign' on paper, the fact of who wielded greater power and influence decided the level of sovereignty and independence.

This has been the way of the world (and continues to be) since man organized himself against another group of men.

Like we see in the news today, the U.S. military is behind many 'foreign' nations where a military or political or social effort forwards a particular brand of law, order, and civilized rule (which can be arguably uncivilized in many respects).

Cuba's military was an extension of the U.S., as was Cuba's political and commercial identity and interests.

Cuba is (or was) similar to Puerto Rico when considering their relationship with the U.S., in that there are less differences when comparing the likenesses between the island nations and the mainland's hegemony.

The language and subculture details may be different, but all other aspects life and lifestyles reflect more similarities than differences.

This can also be said of many other nations / countries / states around the world who may on their surface look different, but behind them they are all very much the same considering the direction they are going.

Although language or religion or political entities may differ, the influence behind the greater apparatus is very much influenced by people and policy elsewhere.

This is why the U.S. is loved and hated, honored and despised, sought after and feared.

The United States of America and its affiliates are today's imperial worldwide hegemony.

This reality has not by accident, but by providential design and expressed in prescient terms...which I may explain in a different article in the near future.

Consider how economic sanctions were brought upon Russia when their military entered Crimea in 2014 after the Ukrainian revolution.

Where military expressions would be destructive to economy and human life (most importantly), economic tools were instead used to influence desired outcomes by a community that is more alike than different, more unified that divided, and more friendly in many respects than unfriendly.

Russian has been on the outside of this community for much of its history (they and some others are the 'east' that is versus the 'west').

When outright rebellion, or refusal to comply with the community's expectations, military might is a last (and sometimes effective) measure.

Consider how power is delegated and shared among the United Nations (a political entity based partly on ideas inspired by the United States federal and state government model).

This is a group that shares economic interests and reflects in large part a similar 'business of life' on planet earth...initiated to keep the peace, and to promote life as modern countries know it.

These are the functions of humanity's management that, unfortunately, includes the backstop of physical force if, or when, necessary.

I don't think force is ever humanly necessary, but the argument regarding an aggressive party and a docile party usually favors the exploits of the aggressor, while the docile are made subjects...or exterminated.

Regarding death, it is a matter of faith regarding who can stay at peace regardless of hostilities towards them, or who is compelled to respond to force with force.

So when one may consider an 'enemy' in a political, religious, economic or other sense, if we are talking about fellow human beings, understand that identity plays a major role in how any individual views themselves and others.

As briefly alluded to earlier, the semblance between Cuba and the United States prior to the 1960's revolution was revealed when refugees arrived and became 'American' or whatever it took in order to continue a particular way of life previously enjoyed.

Today, if it is not the U.S. military (and affiliated mirrored organizations - other militaries working harmoniously with the U.S.) overlooking the world's condition, there would be another world power (or several competing) that would manage the world's commercial transit lanes...and tribute would have to be paid to them in some form and fashion.

Some consider entering the armed forces to be a right of passage.

I did, but somehow God had other plans for me...and I entered the service of a different kind of army.

My rite of passage is the Path less, the road less traveled when compared to the military experience.

Yet every day I am in the battle field and somehow behind enemy lines...yet the enemy is largely unseen.

While always living behind enemy lines, there are friendlies among the enemies.

This is a type of theater of war can be said to have been initiated over 2,000 years ago.

Depending on who you ask, not everyone is able to perceive the physical fruition of these wars.

The effort to bring all things human under a single head was an effort initiated much earlier than 2,000 years ago.

Have you noticed this happening over time throughout the world?

If you are able to separate yourself from favoring one political ideology, or a particular religious identity, or a nationality or ethnic group, you may be able to see what has transpired through varying kingdoms of men to bring forth a kingdom not of this world.

Although the physical treasures are the aim of man's ambition, the spiritual treasure are something not originating with man although some men enjoy them while on earth.

It is no surprise all mankind started as a common family, then were spread apart and became indifferent to one another, only to be brought back (by love or by force) to oneness.

This is not by mistake, nor another example of order out of chaos, but something very much by design to make people acknowledge some One besides themselves.

This is especially true when considering the motivations some men may have in going to war, and the reluctance of others to avoid any violence at all costs and overlooking petty instigations.

Several centuries before the Christ appeared on earth a prophecy about the Messiah declared that someOne would rule with an iron scepter, and the increase of His kingdom there will be no end.

In other words, as the world has realized (although not everyone understands), Christendom has continued to grow and conquer and bring into submission the wayward and lawless.

Even earlier during the time of king David (1,000 B.C.), from a seemingly insignificant group of people (compared to their contemporaries), this was revealed regarding the Messiah:

Why do the nations conspire 

   and the peoples plot in vain? 

The kings of the earth rise up 

   and the rulers band together 

against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 

   “Let us break their chains 

and throw off their shackles.” 

   The One enthroned in heaven laughs; 

the Lord scoffs at them. 

   He rebukes them in His anger 

and terrifies them in His wrath, saying, 

   “I have installed My king 

on Zion, My holy mountain.” 

   I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: 

He said to Me, “You are My Son; 

   today I have become your Father. 

Ask Me, 

   and I will make the nations your inheritance, 

the ends of the earth your possession. 

   You will break them with a rod of iron; 

you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” 

   Therefore, you kings, be wise;  

be warned, you rulers of the earth. 

   Serve the Lord with fear 

and celebrate His rule with trembling. 

   Kiss His Son, or He will be angry 

and your way will lead to your destruction, 

   for His wrath can flare up in a moment. 

Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. 

- Psalm 2