How Are We Viewed?

This article was sent to us by Natalie S., an eighth grader stationed in Texas. Do you have a story to share with your fellow military teens? Visit our contribution page to find out how you can submit to Bloom!

One of my favorite books is Grenade, by Alan Gratz. The book is set during World War II, and features the perspectives of both American and Japanese soldiers. These quotes are from the Japanese perspective, where a Lieutenant Colonel talks to the young Japanese soldiers (pg.6). 

“ ‘American devils, whose only purpose is to kill you and your families in the most brutal, merciless ways possible’ ”

“ ‘They will hunt down your grandparents and burn them alive.’ [Lieutenant Colonel] Sano continued. ‘They will torture your mothers. Butcher your brothers and sisters. They will try to trick you too. Offer you food and kindness. But the food they carry is poisoned, and the hand that beckons you with friendship hides the one behind their back, holding a grenade.’”

Wow. 

You might be thinking, “None of that is true!” While none of it currently is, that might be how they actually viewed us and America. Soldiers see the enemy. They don’t see them as someone fighting for their own country, they see them as someone who hates the enemy country and its people, and they will do anything to destroy them. 

Sadly, I’ve realized that we could be viewed like that too. As military teens, our families might be seen as heroes in America but in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, Germany, and more, we might be seen as the enemy.

I relate this to an experience I have in my school. I’ve been given the reputation as the kid nobody wants to pick a fight with, yet I’ve never understood why. I thought it might be because they know my parents were in the military, or maybe it’s just because of my personality. Some people even say if I get into a fight, the other person will be lucky if they can still walk. But if I told them this, I’m not sure how they would react. 

The truth is, I’ve never gotten into a fight. People just assume I’m tough. I pointed it out to my friends, and they started realizing how people were acting around me in comparison to other kids (they also tried everything they could to change it). Unlike the common person, my friends see the softer side of me, separate from the military side. 

At first, I thought that I might as well accept this, that other people won’t ever look at me any different. I didn’t care about the idea of trying to be anything else than what they saw. But my friends made the biggest difference in my life by advocating for who I am.

You might always have enemies, but you will also have friends. Some people will look at you based on what your family has done, and that’s just part of life. People will look at you and see what they see, it could be a rough side of you but it could be a soft side - it’s up to them. 

Know you aren't defined by one group's opinions. No matter what others say, stay true to you.