Keeping The Faith ?

(Keeping The Faith ?)

Happy Memorial Day ! This is the day when the nation pauses and recognizes the contributions of the men and women that strove, and often times perished in the defense of this country. How many campaigns and battles have been seen over the years with Americans in harms way. Theirs was not a pursuit of glory, necessarily but they are remembered as such.

As an example, take the Joe Rosenthal photo of the "Iwo Jima Flag-raising," February 23rd, 1945. Most people know what that is and not a few have a copy on their wall. Three of those Marines survived Iwo Jima and went on a bond tour to promote that picture. The U.S. was able to fund the rest of the War off of that drive but the Marines in question did not fare well. Private Ira Hayes, the last casualty of the Volcano Island died of exposure some years later.

There was one other Marine, Rene Gagnon, and who was originally believed to be Navy Corpman, John Bradley. Since then, the "place" in the Rosenthal photo believed held by Bradly was in fact Marine Private Harold Schultz. Shultz never came forward and identified himself as one of those in the picture. Considering the "attention" that Bradly, Gagnon and Hayes were getting, Schultz possibly saw that it would be best if he remained anonymous.

How many of these Marines would embrace DEI concepts ? How many would have to observe preferred pronouns ? In a disturbing trend, not only the Marines but the Pentagon itself and its politically minded Secretary Austin, following the lead from the White House, and these DEI approaches are being incorporated into the command structure.

The present is not the best time for this absurd social experiment. China is building its navy and its other armed forces are also developing. How will the U.S. Seventh Fleet (Western Pacific) counter threats to Taiwan if its focus is not the combat requirements of the Theater ? 

This being Memorial Day Weekend, a share of war movies aired. The Sturgis classic The Great Escape was among them. That last scene, where Steve McQueen is driven up back to the camp, sees von Luger being relieved, hearing that 50 "prisoners" had been shot, McQueen looked up at von Luger's replacement with a defiant and determined smile. A complete (expletive deleted) look. Which would be the saving grace. People enlist in the Armed Services because there is a desire to serve. That was the motivation of Ira Hayes, John Bradly, Rene Gagnon, and Harold Schultz. Today's Memorial Day rests largely on theirs, and countless others.