Fayetteville veterans weigh in on conflict in Iran
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- In the home of Fort Bragg, there were some protests on the streets of Fayetteville.
Michael McPhearson served in the Persian Gulf War and says as a veteran, he doesn't want to see history repeating itself.
"I'm tired. These young people, with me being one of them and my son now, another generation continuing these wars, and there has to be an end to it. And if we want to solve problems, clearly, war is not the answer. It's been going on for 35 years. So that's what concerns me the most. People dying, civilians and servicemembers for no reason," he said.
On Wednesday night, there was little new information from President Donald Trump as he addressed the nation on the situation in Iran, instead, touting the efforts in Iran so far but giving no end plan, and that has some veterans worried.
"I believe the circumstances this time around are, you know, maybe there's a little bit more anxiety, you know, because it doesn't seem like we planned this very well. It seems like we jumped and then now we're reacting to something that we caused," said Jim Morris with the local VFW in Hope Mills.
It all comes as gas prices continue to rise, but in the home of the 82nd Airborne, there are deeper worries.
"The Strait of Hormuz, I guess that's the goal now, is to open up the Strait of Commerce. Well, because it was open before we went in over there. So yeah, it's affecting gas prices. I'm more concerned with the people being affected," said Joe from Fayetteville.
And if soldiers are sent overseas, it creates a void at home. Dr. Mark Pisano has worked for decades in schools with military families.
"It is harder in that sense when it's an evolving situation like this. And if you are sent there, you don't know for how long, or you don't know if this, you know, military presence is going to drag on longer than thought," Pisano said. "It's the unknowing is always a challenge. When we were in the Middle East, we knew service members would leave for three months, come back for a month, and then go again. It was a cycle because we had so many boots on the ground in theater during that conflict. This we just don't know."
