I don’t know what caught my attention while browsing the web today.
Perhaps it was the similarity to the title of that famous song, “How much is that doggie in the window?”
Perhaps it was the similarity to the title I chose for one of my military aviation stories, “How much is that F-35 in the window?”
But more likely it was the incongruence in the words in the title of the story itself: “How much is that Purple Heart in the Window.”
A Purple Heart – a military decoration awarded to those who have been wounded or killed in action — in a shop window, for sale?!
This time of the year when the misfortunes of people weigh more heavily on them — and us — and especially this holiday season when thousands of our troops have come home from Iraq and when so many veterans are suffering, such a title — such a story — is not only intriguing but also heartbreaking.
Please read or listen to this story by NPR’s Scott Simon here.
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.