A Different Sort of War
by Frances Sandiford

I can still remember as a child seeing and feeling the effects of World War II on our local communities. To begin with, almost all families had at least one member in the armed forces, or knew other families who did. Women who had never worked outside their homes took the jobs that these men left behind. Everything was rationed, from food to clothing to gasoline. My mother made soap and grew vegetables. My father, a few years too old for the draft, was part of a home brigade that spotted airplanes in the evening skies. Everyone sacrificed in some way, and everyone was in general agreement about what they were doing.

Today, our country is involved in another war which has lasted longer than World War II. The nightly TV news shows graphic photos of fighting soldiers and roadside bombings. There is talk of the high price of gasoline and home heating oil, and the rising cost of food, all of which are attribu- table to some extent to this current war, which affects everyone. But how have our local communities of Milan, Tivoli, Red Hook, Rhinebeck, and Clinton Corners, been specifically affected? From interviewing numerous residents, and from my own observations, I would conclude that there is no single or simple answer.

Some families have made extreme personal sacrifices by seeing their sons and daughters enlist in the armed forces. Others have chosen not to be involved, or have joined anti-war rallies. David Byrne, West Point graduate, Iraq veteran, and current member of the Milan Town Board, is of the opinion that our rural areas have a strong sense of "patriotism." Rhinebeck resident Fred Nagel, who condones civil disobedience and stands with a group every Wednesday afternoon on the Village's street corner, making a mental note of the number of horns that honk in support, contends that "pretty much everyone is opposed to the war."

Andy Entwistle, Director of Public Affairs for the Army in Albany, said that 11 men and women from the five communities mentioned above enlisted in the Army in 2007. This does not sound like a very high number considering all the high school graduates, but multiply that 11 by the five years that the country has been at war, plus the awareness that others will have enlisted in the Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Reserves, and the number is undoubtedly much higher. Local residents in all the towns can cite neighbors who are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, although an exact count is difficult to come by.

Bobbie Armstrong of Tivoli and her husband Robert, Sr. of Clinton Corners have sent three of their family members into the Armed Forces. Their granddaughter Crystal Nelmes Rangel is currently stationed with her husband Christopher in Texas, but both have served in Iraq. Robert, Jr., a 12-year career soldier, is currently stationed in California, while another son, John, who served in Baghdad, has been discharged from the Army and is living in Colorado. Mrs. Armstrong thanks her good fortune that all three are safe and unharmed.

Timothy Sykes, son of Linda and Robert Sykes of Red Hook, is serving in the Persian Gulf. He chose to join the Armed Forces after two years in college. His mother supports his decision, noting that a neighbor, who is an anti-war activist, is also supportive despite their differences of opinion on the present conflict.

Donna and Patrick Slater of Red Hook have a son who was in Iraq as a Marine, then returned as a contractor for Lockheed Martin. He is currently safe and sound in California.

Thomas Bradway of Red Hook was not as fortunate as the others. Son of Thomas and Kristie, he served two and a half years in Iraq (two deployments) was wounded, and received the purple heart. Mrs. Bradway decries the lack of concern that the Army has for its veterans. After the sacrifices have been made by the soldiers, she feels that the Army turns its back on them.

Perhaps the saddest story of all comes from Alvin Finklea of Kingston. In August 9, 2007, his only daughter Alicia Anna Birchett, a career soldier since 1997, was killed in Iraq. She left behind three young children. Mr. Findlea is very bitter about the country's involvement in this war and about his daughter's death. He calls this a "war for oil" that has nothing to do with personal freedoms. He thinks that his and his daughter's sacrifices were simply not worth it.

These personal narratives are only a sampling of hundreds of others. Poignant as they are, they tell only half of the story, for these are very split communities. While looking for names and statistics about local men and women who have enlisted in the Armed Forces, I phoned a local school district. The administrator with whom I spoke had no information to give me other than to emphasize a mandatory class called "College and Careers" given to juniors and seniors.

While a good number of "Support Our Troops" signs can be seen posted here and there, and some stores and businesses offer to collect money and supplies for the troops, there is also an active anti-war contingent in our towns. Many residents participate in rallies, trips to Washington, and weekly vigils. We are indeed a community with two minds, uneasily coexisting side by side. Judging from TV and newspaper reports, this split is pretty typical of the country in general.