The American Patriot

Rob Burroughs, director of Northern California Veterans Museum & Homeward Bound Program for Military Families, spoke to us for an hour. He talked about his family in the military, his father, grandfather. And how soldiers stayed and fought in WW1 and WW2 until it was over. But after those wars things became different.

He told of the preparation for running a convoy from Kuwait in to Iraq. Using all 6 lanes traveling north and that from the first vehicle crossing the border to the last was 45 minutes. They were targets for the enemy. Their headlights could be seen in the early hours before daylight. They took supplies to the Marines staying in one place for a few days and move on to the next. The intense stress of being fired at and trying to keep his men safe. His biggest fear was not dying, but one of his men dying and the letter he would have to write or the phone call he would have to make to the family.

He told about the training. Some soldiers questioned him why they were there. His why was a powerful one and will forever remain in my brain. And I may not repeat it as he did but his why is: A single mother of 3 gets up and feeds her kids on 9-11. She takes them to school and day care, then heads off to work. Arriving at the Twin Towers she goes to her job in an office located high in the building. Then the planes struck and as she is on the top of the building, she makes a choice to either burn to death or jump. She jumps and with one last piece of dignity left she holds her skirt close to her body as she falls. That is the why. For the mother of 3, and many like her that can’t defend themselves.

Many times throughout Rob’s speech he had to stop and collect his composure to continue. At those times it was tough to hold back the flow of tears. I sit here now trying to see the screen; I think I shall have to walk away for a while and dry my eyes.

Rob told us about PTSD and why they continue to have problems after they are home. As they are in it together, in the war they have a support team. When they get home, no one understands why they can’t pick up where they left off before going to war. It is apparent years after his tour he is still emotionally attached as if it were yesterday, telling us it comes and goes but is always there. He told us 95% (I believe his numbers might have even been higher) of people working in the VA have never been in the military. This makes it a difficult task to know how to relate to the vets. There are a tremendous amount of suicides from PTSD more deaths than what the actual war has claimed. A sad reality.

The museum in Anderson proposed date to open is May 18th. One item will be a 1917 Studebaker. Lots of memorabilia will be on display.