John Stone’s Bloviations

As I sat watching the D-Day Memorial from the Omaha Beach Memorial Site this morning, I couldn’t but be moved by what I saw and heard. The camera panned across the rows upon rows of crosses which lined the pristine lawns and gardens atop the ridge, looking down on the beach where so many brave, young American Soldiers lost their lives, sixty five years ago.

In the Fox News studio with Chris Wallace was 84 year old WWII combat veteran Frank South. Mr. South was just nineteen when he and his “Brothers In Arms” stormed the beach. He spoke of the conditions they faced, artillery raining down, frigid waters, ducking machine gun fire and his fellow soldiers falling by his side. But as he remembered those horrid conditions, his eyes welling up with tears, his voice breaking, there was a slight hint of a smile. Because, despite all that they faced and the losses they experienced, he remembered the brotherhood, the selfless acts of courage, brothers helping brothers.

Mr. Frank recalled one story in which two soldiers, one combat and one non-combat, engaged in a vicious fight onboard the craft he was on. It was only moments later, as they entered the frigid waters and neared the beach head, when one of the two fell and the other did not hesitate to save his life. Mr. Frank was asked, “Did you make it to the top the first day?” His reply, “That’s what we were there for!”

In attendance for the memorial were many combat veterans from that day, although, not as many as five years ago, but still, more than there will be in five years. You see, Mr. Frank is one of the youngsters of the veterans group. As the cameras focused on the faces of the veterans in the crowd one could easily see who among them were still going strong and who wasn’t. Many were in wheelchairs, many walked with canes or with assistance but, they were there, as they were sixty five years ago.

These men, these brave young men, were from a different time, a different era. They were, for the most part, a product of the Great Depression era. They knew of hardships within their families and amongst their friends families. They were dedicated to their nation and faithful to their command. They were American Soldiers, fighters for Freedom and Liberty. They were brave and they were proud.

Seeing these men and hearing their stories, regenerates me. It is a constant reminder of days gone by, before my time, but still, today, fills my heart with great pride of the selfless sacrifices our military has and still makes today, in the name of Freedom. I think of the writings of William Shakespeare, the St. Crispen’s Day Speech (1599):

(In part)

That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call’d the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian.’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispian’s day.’
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb’red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Although the references are that to England, it is only fitting the she be replaced in modern times with The United States of America. And our St. Crispen’s Day could be any battle within any theater in which our troops have engaged.

We must never forget those who have served and those who serve today. We must never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We must never forget the families of our Soldiers, for they too shave suffered. For it is because of them, the American Soldier, their bravery, their selfishness, their determination, that we are afforded the lives we have today, the Freedoms, the Liberties.

Whether you agree with our nation’s policies and actions abroad or not, remember this. Our nation’s brave men and women serving this day have volunteered to stand the Post and protect us, you and me.

To this end, I ask you.

The next time you come across a veteran – WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, The Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, and any other – take a moment out of your day, make it a point to stop and thank them.

The next time you come across a soldier in uniform, take a moment out of your day, make it a point to stop and thank them.