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| from: http://padresteve.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/beachobstacleshedges-vi.jpg |
Ask someone to remember a Civil War Veteran and you’ll get a
blank stare from most people. They
can recall the generals and the leaders, but most cannot pinpoint a name and
say, “So-in-So served from Texarkana”.
Ask someone to remember a Spanish War Veteran and Roosevelt’s
Roughriders come to mind, but no one recalls names or faces of the men. Ask someone to recall a World War I Veteran,
and some can tell you the name of a great grandfather who fought in the war to
end all wars. In Texarkana,
someone might point to Otis Henry, a young man killed in the horrible trench
warfare, but that’s because his name was promoted more by his mother than by
anyone actually knowing him.
Sadly, it’s a fact, long after old soldiers die, they truly fade away as
was once said. Many of those soldiers
are remembered today only through history books, pictures, online resources,
and ultimately the statues and memorials that line our cities and towns. When alive, these living heroes visited
their memorials, left flowers, notes, mementos and even tears. They recalled the names of those lost
in war and the names of those surviving only to be gone by that day. It’s a tradition that goes back
hundred’s of years, perhaps thousands of years. A war is fought and once over a memorial is built for those
who died. Hopefully it is built
within the lifetime of the survivors so they can visit. The World War II Memorial in Washington
D.C. took too long to build. Unfortunately,
many of those who fought in the war died long before the memorial was
built. Those still alive, in the
80’s and 90’s, diligently plan to view the memorial. For some, it will be the first and last time they
visit.
The Greatest Generation will not win the next Presidential
Election. Some of those visiting
the memorial may not even see the next round of elections. So, ultimately, in the big battle to
keep the government open or shut down, their vote simply will not change the
outcome. There are too few of them
left today.
October the 1st marked the first day of the shut
down. Along with everything else
not considered important, the memorial was shut down. Someone forgot to tell the veterans. Someone forgot to tell the men who
stormed the beaches of Normandy, fought on the islands near Japan, or flew over
the shell, filled sky’s of Germany that the memorial was closed. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Who can tell a man who has seen hell
first hand, that some guard in Washington is going to stop him from seeing the
memorial. A memorial paid for by
the people and for the people’s greatest generation. So while Washington argues and points fingers, the Obama
Administration sends “Closed” signs to the World War II Memorial. The response…the veterans simply remove
the barricades from the open air memorial, after all, there were signs and
barricades at Normandy along with Nazi machine gun fire….these veterans are
used to moving past barricades.
It was a triumph moment for the Greatest Generation, but not
one unnoticed. The President sent
additional security. The call went
out, this is simply not right.
Radio announcers threatened to have a half a million people march on
Washington, people read the papers and posted on Facebook and Twitter. Once again, as that call went out, Republicans
responded.
The Republican National Committee immediately offered to pay
for security to keep the memorial open.
Paul Rand (R) went on the floor to call those sending more security “
some idiot”. Some Republican
representatives, and some Democrat representatives even went and moved the
barricades for the veterans. While it is commendable that Democrats joined
Republicans in moving the barricades, Democrats must remember that it is their
leader in the President who sent the additional security to keep out the veterans.
In the end, I’m proud to be a member of the Republican Party
that has always, and continues, to stand up for what is right. But, there comes a time when votes
should not matter. That time is
now. That time is now when the
Greatest Generation, the entire reason we are not speaking German with a Nazi flag flying over our country, wants to visit their memorial. It’s time to stand again America. If we are not willing to stand with
those left from the generation who saved us all, then it’s time to close shop
because as a nation it will mean we have already gone under….
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| from: http://swordattheready.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/vetblocked.jpg |
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