Valley of Elah-Soldiers and War

They say when David went to fight Goliath he was the bravest of them all. I think he did what he thought he had to but he was scared as hell. I believe many of our soldiers are just in that same situation. We trust our wars to boys, send them out to fight horrible dangers and evils. BOYS!!! How do I stress that enough. Though I dont believe there is ever a right age to send a man to war, it seems so cruel that we send our youngest to fight battles for a nation. We pep them up with talks of heroism and fighting for freedom yet we know we are sending some to die. It seems so cruel doesn't it? To know that not all will come back. To send them facing death. I think the ones that die have found there peace. Its the ones who are still alive and have seen the worst that live in the valley of the shadow of death. We send our boys to kill and to witness things no one would want to imagine and when they come home, we, ignorant for not having been there, dont understand why our boys, now become men, dont want to talk about their "heroic" tours. Some get so engulfed by the ugliness that they become a part of it. Can we blame them? It is easy to place blame when one has not lived the fears. I think back to a couple years back where that scandal came out about torturing the prisoners of war. How some soldiers got court marshaled and what not and though I dont believe anyone has a right to mistreat another human being I can't help but think that it was done out of frustration. When surrounded by unspeakable things sometimes violence is our only way to cope. We become those evils because it is all we know. Of course not everyone goes through that, but it does happen. Do we ever wonder about the neighbors boy, the all-american, bright, popular boy that went off to war and now has come back and has isolated himself from the world. Do we ever wonder what made such a young boy full of life with so many expectaions suddenly loose interest in everything. Do we wonder why there are so many alcoholics and drugs being taken by some of our finest? I wish there was something I could do. To ease the pain. Unfortunatley war is something that will remain till the end of time so there will always be horrors and nightmares, flashbacks, screaming, and vivid dreams so horrible death becomes bliss. Yet it is those that chose to go and accept that their lives will be altered forever that I lay awake thanking God for. They live those horrors so I can live my life without fear. To the ones there and the ones coming home and to the ones that never make it back, I have nothing but humble respect. My admiration, love and respect will be carried through the prayers I send up every night as I lay in bed knowing that I am safe.