Dec 27, 2020 · 5 min
Welcome to Why I am antiwar, @antiwarpodcast with your host @mdvet4 This the podcast that shares experiences and stories that lead us to question war or see the value of peace. here is one of those stories As a child I loved all things military in part because I knew My father is a Vietnam veteran. He was raised catholic and was an altar boy. He never raised us in a religion. It was not until middle school I became aware that our families atheism or agnosticism was unusual. I asked my father why we never went to church and he explained rather cryptically that immediately after returning from Vietnam he went to Mass and a fight broke out in the parking lot as people were fighting to leave. I surmised that religion ceased to have the effect it once did for him. I think on some level I knew there was more to the story and it must’ve been more related to his experiences in vietnam than he let on. Later he told me decided it was best to let his children choose their religion (or not) rather than be raised into one. The fact he was a veteran and a DOD civilian employee seemed to foster my interest in all things military and this included every war movie and TV show I could find. I particularly enjoyed M.A.S.H. It was in syndication for most of my childhood and over the course of several years I watched every episode more than once. 8th or 9th grade I struggled with creating a sense of self identity and militarism became a part of of my identity but I also “tried out” catholicism as an identity, so I found the role of Father Mulcahy in MASH to be intriguing. In spite of the very obvious antiwar messages of many of the films and tv shows, Antiwar art often has a reverse effect. The military story lines and likable characters initially only enhanced my affinity towards the military. Unfortunately These stories do not serve their purpose until the audience is ready read hear them. However the Dear sis episode of Mash was an exception that seemed to resonate with me. Most of the story centers around the chaplains search for meaning and purpose in the midst of the war. It comes to a close with a Christmas party and the key characters show their appreciation of the Catholic Chaplain by singing a round of “dona nobis pacem” a latin prayer for peace. I had seen other episodes where the characters want the war to end, or to go home. But there was something poignant in their dedication of prayer to the chaplain and something beautiful about the singing that struck me. For once, it sank in that these people truly wanted peace. I found it odd and at the time just dismissed it as the peacenik attitude of the cast. But still I held on to the moment. It was one of the first time I really considered and realized that those sent to war wish for peace. The tune of the song stuck with me and I never forgot it. It took many more years for me to change my beliefs but that one scene was always somewhere in the back of my mind. Though antiwar art does not always immediately strike the root, I think this scene planted the first seed for me to become antiwar. Hopefully it will for you or someone you share this with too. That was another story from “why I am antiwar” be sure to follow us @antiwarpodcast and follow me @mdvet4. Go to antiwarpodcast.com to find all of our podcasts and show notes For this episode. Bonus materials, such as a full interview and discussion with our guest about this episode are available for supporting listeners.