I homeschooled Jonathan and Nicholas from 3rd and 2nd grade, respectively, and one of our favorite ways to learn history is through strategy games that emulated the real world. One game, History of the World, surveys 6000 years of history on era-by-era scale. And up to near his leaving for the Army, we played Line in the Sand, which replicated the first Iraq war under Bush, Sr.
Little did I know he would end up in Mesopotamia (Iraq). Jonathan excelled at this and every tactics and strategy game, D-Day to Axis and Allies or the Napoleonic Era, or the Age of Imperialism. His mind and soul were prepped and naturally gifted to want to make a difference in the world. He and his comrades did, and though I opposed the wars, I understood the need to honor our soldiers and veterans.
22 veterans kill themselves every day. That's 22 families damaged. So many veterans are homeless or mal-treated in prison. The wars must be paid for by taking care of the veterans, and most importantly, making war the very last resort .
Jonathan and his brothers enjoyed a wonderful childhood, and I am confident that the child inside Jonathan kept him going against all odds, as long as he could. But we as a nation ignored his hurt and those of so many others.
