Highway of Heroes
“Brian, come look at this.”
“What?”
“They’re bringing home two dead solders from Afghanistan.” Justin pointed to the TV.
“Yeah, so?”
“They’re broadcasting this on the news. The hearses are traveling along the Highway of Heroes.”
“What the fuck is that?”
“One of the main highways in Ontario,” Justin explained. “It’s been dubbed the Highway of Heroes, and all these people line the bridges over the highway to pay tribute to the dead soldiers as they go to their final rest.”
“Is that right?” Brian asked somewhat skeptically. But he sat down to watch. The camera showed people on each bridge as the hearses passed by. They waved or saluted. They had draped Canadian flags over the railings; some had hung signs showing support for the troops. A few bridges had fire trucks sitting on them with the firemen standing atop them at attention as the hearses passed beneath.
“The announcer said these two soldiers had been killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan,” Justin said.
“Like so many others,” Brian noted.
“One of the soldiers was my age and the other was … younger.”
“Fuck!” Brian reacted.
“How can this happen?”
“It’s war. And all’s fair in…”
“There’s nothing fair about war,” Justin adamantly declared.
“Yeah,” was all Brian could think to say. “Do we have to watch this?”
“I think we should,” Justin said softly. “When our dead soldiers come home, it’s like nobody even knows.”
“The government didn’t want us to know.”
“Yeah, but Bush is gone. How come Americans don’t do something like this?”
Brian shook his head. “How the fuck should I know!” He started to stand up.
“Sit with me until this is over,” Justin asked.
Brian looked into the sad blue eyes and sat back down. “You don’t have to watch.”
“I feel like I do.”
Brian’s arm went around Justin’s shoulders and pulled the slender body against his own. This wasn’t how he had planned to spend alone time with Justin on his business trip to Toronto, but Brian knew Justin needed him. He could watch this solemn procession a little longer if it helped Justin. He sighed sadly as the cortege passed under another bridge full of flags and people.
Fucking war!
If you’d like to see more about the Highway of Heroes, one of these Youtube pieces can fill you in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1R8qLAmkLU&feature=related