The Tattered Heart

I saw something the other morning that outraged many, and was disturbing to say the least.  For the lack of anything better to do, because he was bored, a young man decided that he would upload a video of himself attempting to destroy a WWII-era Purple Heart medal that he had purchased at an antiques store.

Over the course of five minutes the young man, careful to hide his face, used a knife, a hammer and ultimately a blow torch on the medal.  You can see him toiling with the efforts and wiping his brow, every so often he would stop his assault on the heart and pick it up and show it to the camera.  The final shot showed the now, tattered heart, in his hand. Then he flashes a thumbs-up and carelessly tosses the heart into the corner on the floor.

The comments below the video ranged from mild to explosive, most railing against what this young man did, and as I read through many of them, I agreed that this young man is like many in this country that do not truly understand the cost of the freedom that they enjoy. 

My husband is a Veteran; he served his country for 8 and ½ years before he was medically discharged with honors.  He served State-side during the Persian Gulf War, the only reason he was State-side, was because his duties required him to be here and not in battle.  He actually volunteered to go, but was denied.

He and many other honorably discharged Vets have faced an uphill battle with the VA to secure everything from healthcare to housing; vocational re-training to education.  Sure, there are programs out there to help, but when dealing with the VA, you are assured of one thing, to hurry up and wait!

I could go on and on about what my husband has endured, but it is one story in thousands.  What I want to return to is the image of that tattered heart.  While watching the video and reading the comments, I could not help but notice that no matter how the teen tried to destroy the heart, it kept its shape. 

It brought to mind the verses in 2 Corinthians 4:

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

It was ironic really, that no matter how the teen tried, he ultimately could not accomplish his goal of completely destroying that heart.

To me it symbolized this nation and all of the Veterans out there who have been ravaged by war, both here and abroad.  The disdain many soldiers are subject to in our country, in previous generations and even now is heart-rending and yet, their hearts still bleed for the Red, White and Blue.  Their hearts still bleed for me and you.

Recently, I asked my husband, after he faced yet another disappointment regarding the VA, if he felt it was worth it?  I asked him, if he knew then, what he knows now, would he have still served?  His blue eyes took on a steely-look and he said, “In a heartbeat.”