Justin Smith has written a heartfelt essay on what Memorial
Day is for Americans. Justin’s theme is - do not be provoked by our American
government to go to war due to the painful costs to each individual soldier
involved in bloody military action. A very thought provoking piece every
American should read.
JRH 5/25/16
********************
Sacrifices and
Exemplary Lives
By Justin O. Smith
Sent: 5/23/2016 12:13
PM
Many millions http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article24746680.html
of men and women have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, from WWII to the
present. They all may have had numerous assorted reasons for joining, from
benefits and education opportunities to travel and real world experiences, but
for the most part, they understood that U.S. military might was necessary for
peace. They have stood ready and leaped to action against our enemies, making
them pay a terrible price for any aggression or attack, and they have made many
personal sacrifices in the process, in order to keep this Great America of Ours
safe and free forever.
And today our Service Members follow in the tradition of
such American patriots, such as Tennessee Representative Felix Grundy who
addressed the U.S. Congress in 1811 with the following: [The question is]
"whether we will resist by force the attempt, made by the [British]
government, to subject our maritime rights to the arbitrary and capricious rule
of her will ... http://college.cengage.com/history/ayers_primary_sources/debate_war_congress.htm
Sir, I prefer war to submission."
There is not anyway to properly acknowledge the service of
so many wonderful and deserving people in a list. Many of us have family
members or someone in our community who left the military service and carried
on through exemplary lives, pursuing their dreams.
Aside from my father, a much decorated U.S. Army sergeant
who served during WWII, Korea and Vietnam, some of those Veterans who most
influenced my life include:
*A.C. "Ace" Wintermeyer, a WWII U.S. Army Veteran and
Chief of LaVergne Fire Department, who gave me my first real job.
*Sam Ridley, a much decorated WWII Air Force Veteran, who did many
fine things for Smyrna, TN as its mayor and always had a moment for some great
conversation with Smyrna's youth.
*Professor (Lt. Colonel) Ralph Fullerton, my mentor at MTSU and a
former aide to the Ambassador to Nicaragua, who was one of the most
adventurous, interesting and intelligent men I ever had the pleasure of
knowing.
*SSGT Barry Sadler, a Vietnam Veteran and author of the 'Ballad of
the Green Beret' and 'Nashville With a Bullet', who often regaled me with
fascinating stories, good advice and a bit of philosophy over many a cup of
coffee at Shoney's Big Boy in Hendersonville, TN.
*Pete Doughtie, a U.S. Army Veteran, who owns and operates The
Rutherford Reader, along with his wife Kaye, and who has been gracious enough
to give me the opportunity to keep the community informed through one of the
few conservative and ethical newspapers left in America.
Most able bodied men and a small number of women, nearly 10%
of the entire U.S. population, served in the military during WWII and were on
active duty by war's end. As a result, most Baby Boomers have at least one
family member who served in uniform, and approximately one-third of all
Americans born since 1980 are related to someone with military experience.
Today, our Armed Forces are comprised of an undrafted,
all-volunteer cadre, most of whom enlisted after the September 11, 2001 attacks
on the U.S. and has included nearly 300,000 women, cut from the same cloth as
Lt. Col. Courtney Rogers, a Tennessee State Legislator, Lt Col Joni Earnst,
Iowa's Republican Representative and SRA Shevontae "Smitty" Smith who
served with http://www.afcent.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/4779/Article/218042/walking-with-the-reapers.aspx Reaper
5 in Bagram, Afghanistan.
Soldiers who fully comprehend and believe in the mission
usually come home and are able to adjust well. These are the hard men in
battle, living, breathing and eating combat operations around the clock. But
it's their love of family, country, and often God, and love returned that saves
them from the ravages of mental anguish and Post Traumatic Stress,
"battle-fatigue", upon their return home.
The vast majority of recent Veterans, roughly 90% according
to numerous studies, are not bitter or angry. They say they still would have
enlisted, even in consideration of all they now know about war and military
service.
U.S. Army Sgt. David Moeller, http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2014/03/29/a-legacy-of-pride-and-pain/ who
served two years in Iraq, told Kaiser Family Foundation in 2014: [We] "had a positive impact there. I don't regret
it. It's something I'd do over and over again."
However, even the strongest among us might succumb to the
pressure cooker of multiple tours of duty and an untold number of bloody and
horrific combat actions. One in two soldiers have reported to government
inquiries, that they know a member of the military who has attempted or
committed suicide, and over one million soldiers say they cannot control their
anger (The Atlantic).
No one person can presume to actually understand the mental
and physical toll military service takes on a soldier, unless they have been
where it's real, where an IED can end your life in a second or where an old
Muslim with a mild smile on his face and gentle empathetic eyes says
"Allah Akbar" and detonates himself and all within a hundred-foot
circumference. Unless one has hunted for the enemy along goat paths and in
little mud and wood constructed towns, where an RPG can scorch a man's flesh
from his body in a second, raided a cave by moonlight taking fire all the way
to extract, and lain in their own urine and defecation for three days for a
high-value shot, one cannot fully comprehend the soldier's sacrifice.
How many old soldiers live with the memories of young
soldiers following their orders being blown to pieces? How many remember their
own fears, panic and pleas to God as they clinched in the wake of incoming
blasts and repelled human wave attacks with every last ounce of strength they
could humanly muster?
During a recent conversation, it was heartbreaking and
shocking to hear a 90-year old WWII Veteran reminisce and say, with a voice
weakened by time, "I wish I'd died
over there." I told him his life and his experiences were valuable to
his family and this generation, and that he was loved by me and millions of
other Americans, who understood he had laid it all on the line in the name of
freedom. His only answer was a nod of his head, a half-smile and tears welling
in his eyes.
How many old soldiers returned home only to send their sons
off to war to fight and survive or return in a flag-draped coffin?
Since our nation's founding, the strong independent nature
of the American people carried over into the military, which enabled America to
pursue her best interests and to become the strongest and wealthiest nation in
the world. The wheel of destiny has turned so that any hope for peace and
freedom will hinge on America's moral courage and a U.S. military that ensures
"peace through strength."
This Memorial Day and every day forward, take a few moments,
whenever the opportunity presents itself, to offer the most sincere,
well-thought thanks to the men and women of our U.S. Armed Forces, with more
than just a smile and a handshake. Offer a friendly ear on occasion and really
listen. Offer a helping hand to those Veterans struggling to re-enter civilian
life, and offer friendship to all of these brave men and women. And, as we
acknowledge that so many have sacrificed their lives defending America, the
U.S. Constitution and freedom and liberty worldwide, we offer our prayers for
all the U.S. Armed Forces, who protect this nation's existence each and every
day, and we pray for America.
By Justin O. Smith
_________________
Edited by John R. Houk
© Justin O. Smith
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