About 6,7 years ago, I don't remember for sure, we were at a resort in Baja.. I was standing out in the surf of the Sea of Cortez with a "dirty monkey" in my hand.. (a drink that is, but that is another story about how many dirty monkeys I have had but I digress. <g>.) (I am also sorry for the attempt at levity during a very trying time but that is the only thing that gets me through life now... And it does enter into what I am going to say).
Anyway, as I was standing there, a nice fellow in his 40's came up beside me. I struck up a conversation because I being that friendly fellow that always tries to find a new story. Well I found one that I will remember the rest of my life...
There was a charter boat fishing service there that ran us gringos out for "sport fishing". They docked nearby where we could see them, bringing in the oiled up loud "shorts" .. I watched and then I asked my "new friend" if he fished.. He said, "No, I can't kill anything for "fun" anymore" . (I don't either BTW but that is not the point). I asked why.. He said he was a reserve medic in the Army, something like that, that was called up for active duty for the first Persian Gulf war....
He had seen first hand after the fact, the so called "highway of death".. At that time, I really did not know much about it, so I had to ask about it.. It had been covered up, (no obscene pun intended) as he told me about it.. The unnecessary slaughter, the bull dozing, the burying alive, etc. of fleeing Iraqi soldiers.
Oh boy, Oh girl, Oh humankind, When do we learn? Here was an Army reservist that got so turned off from what he seen, that this episode that he was not EVEN involved in, so stuck with him, that he HAD to talk about it, in a pristine happy place to a stranger, myself, after maybe five years..
I applaud him, I applaud his conscience.. And I only hope that many like him do NOT have to go through the SAME feelings, the same memories, five years from now, standing in the beautiful surf of the Sea of Cortez..
Having a "Dirty Monkey"
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