Vehicles and Death

It's funny to observe different peoples' perspectives on military equipment. Consider a convoy loaded with 50 or so HMMVs; I usually think of taxpayer dollars and why do we need so many HMMVs while they're cutting teachers from my daughters elementary school. But most people are impressed and say "oh cool, look at that", kinda like the people who watch airshows thinking how cool it would be to fly a jet at 500mph 6 inches from the next plane. Military equipment can be quite impressive when collected in large quantities or when viewed from a civilian perspective, most people say "cool." Most people probably know the real purpose of tanks and HMMVs and fighter jets. I doubt most are ever really struck with the reality of what that equipment does to people on the receiving end of its intended use. Even fewer are faced with what the reality of what happens when that equipment (and the people in it) is on the receiving end of whatever equipment the opposing team is using.

So today as I was driving we crossed paths with a convoy and a pretty long one at that. Nobody was saying "cool." I actually had a patriotic moment which is a bit unusual for me. There were probably 2 dozen flat beds with all manner of military equipment, mostly tanks and HMMVs. These were not shiny and new however. Some stuff just really needed serious maintenance. Maybe they rolled the HMMV or locals slashed the tires and broke the mirrors off, stuff like that. But more than half of the equipment had been blown up, burnt out or otherwise destroyed. There were more than a handful of vehicles that there is no way the people driving them made it out with all their limbs. Some that I'm sure nobody made it out of alive.

Not really sure where Im heading with this post but its been bothering me for a few hours. I imagine those tanks and HMMVs will appear in my dreams tonight. I wish I could take pictures of this stuff, a convoy of blown up tanks and HMMVs elicits quite a different emotion than a yard full of brand new ones.