Searching for the good

I have a book on my shelf titled Searching for the Good by Thomas A. Brewer. It’s about his journey to war and back during the Vietnam years. Like my son, Thomas Brewer was wounded in action and like me; he endured the vicious heat, monsoons and the oppressive elements of the tropics. I relate to his experience in so many ways, having endured over 21 months as a G.I. in South East Asia and all that goes with it for soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors.

I never saw a bullet fly past me in anger though, but much of what a service member endures is shared by all members and can be quite difficult to bear. Remote assignments, extreme weather conditions, impossible missions and long hours of sometimes severe physical and mental stress are all chalked up as routine duty in the life of an American fighting man or woman.

This book has special significance for me, as it has photos and details about the father of a friend, who was a combat medic in Vietnam and who shares my first name – Bert (Hale). My friend, Adam is a “Marine on stand-by” and a Forward Observer during Desert Storm. Semper Fidelis (always faithful) to all Marines and all of my brothers and sisters in arms who serve or served with honor and to those who spent or spend countless hours praying and agonizing over loved ones in harms way.

Thomas Brewer went off to war in 1967 when most Americans still believed in the mission to stop Communism. He came home with two bullet holes in his body and as support for the war waned, bullet holes in his patriotism. Our current war on terrorism is becoming less and less of a daily concern to most of us, something we wish would just go away and in many ways is today’s Vietnam War. Some of us have given up hope for the future in Iraq.

Like my generation of Vietnam Veterans, I’m afraid the returning Vet will become confused about their service to our country and forget the good they accomplished, after all, for every negative incident reported there are thousands of righteous acts performed and these will go unnoticed to most and probably forgotten.

In my own son, I listen as he reacts bitterly to the way some decisions were handled in Iraq and if Donald Rumsfeld’s name comes up, he gets livid. This is all well and good, as he has earned the right to gripe, but also shows he is educating himself on American military policies and world events. Like Thomas Brewer, Nick has returned from war and enrolled in college to put it all behind him.

Like Thomas Brewer and millions of other veterans I doubt seriously if they will allow themselves to be spit on or derided by those who have ideals, but no military experience. While talking to my son, I’ve encouraged him to lay down his rifle and pick up his books, using his mind and tongue instead of violence to get his point across when faced with the idealist’s angry rhetoric.

For many veterans they will spend a lifetime sorting out their past service, where they did their jobs with honor and will make every attempt to get on with their lives, in spite of possible pain, doubt and torment. They will be looking for the good in life, as they’ve seen and experienced the bad.

Now this column is not really so much about the soldier, or the book, but about our little big city and the way we view it and ourselves while living here. Many of us were born and raised here, or came with the idea that this was the place to be, but along the way we’ve become disillusioned and lost faith and focus about the Baytown area. We’ve bought into the criticism.

When Baytown is mentioned, all we see is the bad; bad leadership, bad business, bad education, air, ordinances, roads, crime and the lists keep growing. I think it’s time to examine what is good about Baytown and put the bad behind us.

This last Friday night thousands of Baytown people gathered at Stallworth stadium to raise awareness and funds to fight the terrible enemy cancer and cheer on its survivors. This morning many Baytonians are pedaling their bicycles toward Austin for the MS-150, a charity ride to help defeat Multiple Sclerosis. My brother Terry is a Ride Marshal and this is his 10th MS-150. Read the Baytown Sun Forum on any given day and you will be informed about a benefit barbeque for someone in need. Baytonians, in spite of our many heated opinions, are caring folk.

Mutual support groups abound in our city and many will join the fight against the barge terminal on Cedar Bayou at Roseland Park May 3rd as Mean Gene Kelton and the Diehards provide a free public concert. We are a vocal bunch politically, but the last time I heard, no one was throwing punches at the town meetings and the Mayor, city council members and city manager are all approachable.

There is plenty of good to see in Baytown. We just have to search for it sometimes.