The thing is, what Smithy did wasn't very heroic. When I think of Purple Heart recipients, I think of those who charged up a hill or saved the lives of injured soldiers while under enemy fire. Until I read The Memory of Running, I never thought about Purple Hearts being earned in the manner which Smithy did.
Granted, Smithy doesn't exactly flaunt the fact that he received a Purple Heart in Vietnam. As we know from Smithy's narration throughout the story, he doesn't seem to like attention. In fact, most of the attention that we see Smithy getting comes in a negative light, whether it's getting beat up by the cop at Carl's house or getting shot by a cop in the Rockies, after saving Kenny's life in a sudden blizzard. The only exception to this is Smithy's interactions with Georgina Glass, Bethany's psychiatrist, who Smithy is attracted to, and as a result, wears his Purple Heart medal whenever he goes to drop off Bethany at her appointments there. It would be very, very ironic if Smithy was to brag about his Purple Heart everywhere, considering how he managed to get it.
If it wasn't for Smithy's screw-up (which was a careless action, not a malignant one), Smithy wouldn't have gotten shot up, and Orlando would still be alive. It's definitely not a heroic moment for Smithy, though the general public sees him as a war hero because of the fact that he was given a Purple Heart. Smithy does deserve a Purple Heart, since he was wounded in combat, but it's not exactly the same as it is for other (but not all) Purple Heart recipients, who took truly heroic actions, and as a consequence, received Purple Hearts.
Basically, to sum it all up, while Smithy does deserve and receives a Purple Heart, the situation in which he receives it is less heroic than many of the situations which we hear about soldiers receiving Purple Hearts for, but this fact is unknown to the public. How would the public view Smithy's Purple Heart if they knew the situation in which he earned it? I doubt it would be as positive of a view as they have just knowing that he's earned one.
Jacob
Yeah, I agree with you. The fact that Smithy receives a Purple Heart for his screw-up is something he's ashamed of (so I don't think the irony is lost on him). He inadvertently/unwittingly turned "Boy Scout Camp" into something that resembled war... and then got a medal for it. I think I'm oversimplifying.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this says something about the disconnect between the public and the soldiers at war. The medal itself is something people recognize and respect, while the homeless veteran (someone like Bill Butler) is significantly less respected, even though the situation may have been like Smithy's.
The Purple Heart only shows that he was wounded, but he wasn't even wounded in battle. I think it really impacted Smithy that he made a mistake and no one would reprimand him for it, only praise him and give him awards. That is why he lashed out at the doctor.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that we tend to equate being wounded in war with heroism (at least in the disbursement of Purple Hearts, and I for one am not about to suggest a change--soldiers who have been wounded in battle under whatever circumstances deserve whatever honor and respect we as a country can give them). But Smithy's is a good example of a case, maybe not all that rare among war veterans, of such a wounding happening in an absurd and almost farcical context, with no aspect of heroism at all (except, ironically, for Bill, who doesn't appear to have been equally honored for his service). Smithy is a wounded veteran, but in his own eyes NOT a "war hero," and so he feels guilt and shame for even having the Purple Heart. Rather than feel honored, he feels like it mocks him in some way.
ReplyDeleteBut this is why he gets to redeem himself when he's wounded in his efforts to save Kenny's life. For this he really does deserve a Purple Heart.