June 2010 Navy
by LCDR Steven L. Rogers, USN (Ret)
As we pass the midyear of 2010, some of us will be reflecting on the date 6 June 1944, D-Day. A day which has gone from page one in America’s newspapers to a short column somewhere between page one and the last page.
I believe it is appropriate for all of our military officers to resolve to educate future generations of military leaders about the sacrifices made by the men and women who have served our nation in years past.
Sometime ago, I was invited to speak at a veterans’ sponsored event 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, I was inWashington, 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 come 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.
While speaking with some of them, I learned that they were there, back then, on those blood-stained beaches on 6 June 1944. Indeed, they had not forgotten.
Those of us who are military officers should, from time to time, convey to our subordinates a bit of American military history like the events which unfolded on 6 June 1944.
Do you know the name of the operation which took place on that day? If you don’t, you got my point. My guess is that in future years if we don’t teach young troops about the past, they never will know from whence they came. And 6 June 1944 will be, for them, just another day with no historical significance.
“History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.” –– David C. McCullough