war

Memorial Day originated in the years following the Civil War, as a way to honor those Union and Confederate soldiers who died in that conflict. A large collection of photographs of Connecticut Civil War soldiers in the Connecticut Historical Society’s collection recalls the origins of the holiday and displays the pride and determination of those men who were prepared to give their lives in the service of their country.  Over 5000 Connecticut soldiers died in service.  Over 2000 of them were killed in battle. Even those who survived the war are now among the long-dead.

President Obama is on an historic visit to Israel and the West Bank, as Palestinian militants fire rockets out of Gaza into an Israeli border town.

The President spoke of “unbreakable bonds” with Israel, and a red line on nuclear arms with Iran.  Meanwhile another “red line” in the region is fuzzy at best - as the Syrian government and opposition forces trade accusations that the other used chemical weapons in their long and bloody war.

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. Throughout the day, we're looking back at what has changed over the last 10 years both there and here at home. It was a war that cost trillions of dollars and more importantly, thousands of lives.

Do people care about their own history?

Movie box office reports would suggest that they care about vampires approximately three times as much as they care about Lincoln and the end of slavery. Most people in Connecticut, I'm convinced, know almost nothing about the history of Connecticut and can only be persuaded to care by great exertions -- such as the one we're about to make.

But writer Robert Sullivan offers a novel approach. If you really want to connect with history, figure out where it happened, and go there, and have your own adventures.

Roman Baca entered the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000 and was eventually deployed to Iraq. He returned to Connecticut and struggled to adjust to civilian life. He finally found purpose in his life...in dance. Baca started the Exit 12 Dance Company and is the artistic director there. He’s getting ready to embark on a trip back to Iraq later this month where he will teach dance to local children there.

Last month, President Barack Obama announced the U.S. will withdraw troops from Iraq by the end of 2011. 100,000 troops have already been removed and the latest withdrawal will bring the last 40,000 home. Today, where we live, as we celebrate Veterans Day a conversation about the transition from military life to civilian life for the thousands of Veterans who have and will return from Iraq and Afghanistan.