I was reflecting on things earlier today since it’s getting colder tis the season. I remembered my Grandfather did Christmas 1944 at the Bulge. A human brain cannot possibly imagine the frigid temperatures, lack proper food and water, the ferocity of the battle on both sides. It’s beyond us. And yet, all those on all sides did it.

In Terminator 2, Arnold delivers one of his best lines ever. Made even more poignant by the fact he’s a robot delivering the sentence in an absolutely total deadpan way. While the children play with toy guns in the background, in slow mow. “It’s in your nature to destroy yourselves.”

[please excuse any typos; I am transcribing from a book (remember those?)]

Private Day, Company B, 25th Massachusetts, 07 November 1862:

By morning the storm had abated but there were about two inches of soft snow or slush and some of the boys were barefoot, having worn out their shoes and a good many were nearly, or quite sick. The surgeons looked over the regiments, sending the sick and bare-footed abord the gunboats for Plymouth, for which place the troops were bound. The order of exercises for today was a march back to Williamston … but I had been a little under the weather for a day or two and I was with the others aboard the little gunboat Hetzel where we were greatly sympathized with the Marines who seemed to think we had a pretty hard time of it and show us every favor …

The Civil War was a just war. But for the average soldier it was misery. Absolute misery. I could go on and on; but I’ll let Private Day’s words speak for themselves.