January 2009 NRA News
by LCDR Steven L. Rogers, USN
As we enter into this new year, many of us will be reflecting on the past and making resolutions toward the future. In the multitude of resolutions we will be making and, for the most part, breaking, I believe it is appropriate that all Americans resolve to educate future generations about the sacrifices made by members of the U.S. Military.
On Veteran’s Day, 2008, I was invited to speak at a Veteran’s Day Parade during which time I delivered the following message:
“As in years past, we gather to remember the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Merchant Marines, and other military veterans and their families who have, since 1776, kept the torch of freedom burning in the hearts and souls of all Americans.
“A few weeks ago, Chief John Holland and I were in Washington, DC, visiting the WWII Memorial and, then, the Lincoln Memorial.
“As I stood in front of President Lincoln’s monument, I was overlooking the great mall. As I stood in silence, I witnessed what can only be described as an invasion––not of Soldiers wearing helmets, not of Sailors on the seas, not of Marines with rifles, not of Airmen dropping bombs, but an invasion of American veterans whose rifles were replaced with canes, whose jeeps were replaced with wheelchairs, and whose march was assisted by walkers.
“As I stood there in silence, I saw them came in waves, hundreds of them, not through gunfire, mortars, rockets, or bombs, to meet an enemy; but, instead, they came in waves, in the quiet stillness of that day, with the sound of Old Glory proudly snapping in the wind high above their heads.
“They came from LA, Portland, NYC; they came from NJ, Vermont, PA. Yes, they came from sea to shining sea. They came as we come today, to remember the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen, who wore combat gear and stormed the beaches and parachuted into the cities of our enemies for the cause of freedom.
“The same Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen who today proudly wear baseball caps with their pins and service ribbons, proudly revealing that they are American veterans.
“Yes, we come to remember them and the wife, mother, father, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, family, and friends of the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen who had to go to their window and replace a blue star with a gold star.
“As those veterans who, in the stillness of that day with Old Glory proudly snapping in the wind high above their heads, came to remember their fallen colleagues, let us always come to this place. Let us always remember.” – End
As I was making this speech, I noticed that very few citizens took the time to attend this most important event. In the audience was an 85-year-old master chief petty officer who is a WWII veteran.
I noticed a number of men and women wearing VFW, American Legion, and AMVETS hats. Most of them were in their elder years.
Not only did I notice who was there, but also I noticed who wasn’t. I did not see many young Americans between 20 and 50 years of age, other than a contingency of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. I did notice some young people with their parents in the audience, but not many.
When I was finished with my speech, a City Councilman remarked, “What a pity, what a shame that only a handful of residents are here.”
I pondered his remarks for a moment and then replied, “We should learn from Jewish people?” He stared at me for a moment and asked, “What do you mean?” I told him that Jewish people teach their children at a very young age never to forget the Holocaust. He got my point!
Without “Holocaust Education,” people would have forgotten about those tragic years, and who knows if history would have repeated itself.
I went on to tell him that we need to make sure we teach our children never to forget the sacrifices of the American Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Merchant Marine and Airman.
On my way home from this event, I wondered how we came to a point in time when American citizens will not walk a block or two to honor the men and women who have walked hundreds of miles through gunfire, rockets, and bombs for them to be free.
How is it that so much blood was spilled by so many people, and so few are willing to express their gratitude? Then, I remembered what I said to that City Councilman.
As this new year begins, every single one of us must resolve to make sure our children and grandchildren never forget the boots on the ground, the Sailors in the sea, and the wings in the air, which have protected this nation since it was born.
“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation.” – George Washington