Support the Troops, Reprise

Support Our Troops, Maybe? Longmont, Colorado, 2014

Over a year ago, I posted an image and some commentary on this topic. The inspiration was an abandoned storefront in Longmont, Colorado that must have been an armed forces recruiting center.

I happened by the same place a couple of days ago and noticed that it hadn’t changed much. The exception was the poster of the Marine on the left–the elements had degraded it a bit more, emphasizing the contrast between the far left and the center-right sides of the scene.

Why I think this image is interesting is precisely this contrast. You have the two soldiers on the right, smartly saluting the American flag, then you have an apparently ignored and forgotten young Marine on the far left, slowly disappearing into oblivion. For added emphasis, the soldiers on the right, have their backs turned.

What does it mean? Could this say something about the difference between the new, just recruited soldier on parade, smartly saluting the flag, and the young Marine, a forgotten casualty of politics, international events, and war? Does it say something about public attitudes toward the military? What does it mean in light of the recent VA hospital scandal? The most recent intervention in Iraq? Future wars and interventions? Are there other hidden meanings here?

To compare the recent photograph (above) with the same scene over a year ago–and to see what I have to say about the most important way we can support our troops–go to my post linked above in the very first sentence.