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REQUIEM

Below are the two final essays to be posted on Allegiance and Duty Betrayed. The first one is written by a friend -- screen name 'Euro-American Scum' -- who, over the past four years, has been the most faithful essayist here. He has written about everything from his pilgrimage to Normandy in 2004 to take part in the 60th–year commemoration of the invasion, to his memories of his tour in Vietnam. His dedication to America’s founding principles ... and those who have sacrificed to preserve them over the past 200+ years ... is unequaled. Thank you, E-A-S. It has been a privilege to include your writing here, and it is a privilege to call you my friend.

The second essay is my own farewell. And with it I thank all of the many regular visitors, and those who may have only dropped in occasionally, for coming here. I hope you learned something. I hope a seed or two was planted. But, even if not, I thank you for stopping by ... 25 March, 2010

5/24/2009

Memorial Day Reflections


On his recent trip to France, of all places, the president of the United States declared that America has ‘failed to appreciate Europe’s leading role in the world’ and has ‘shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive’ towards its allies.

On a campaign stint in early 2008, the soon-to-be first lady of the United States declared that ‘for the first time in her adult life’ she is now proud of her country.

These two statements were not slips of the tongue. They were not aberrational statements of opinion from the leader of the western world and his spouse. The anti-American sentiment expressed in their words are borne out everyday in their actions which are seeking (and, sadly, succeeding) in bringing the real America to her knees, and replacing it with a socialist utopia where a ruling elite reigns supreme.

Take a good look at the picture below. How does it make you feel?


I am sickened by it.

The consistency of his words and actions indicate that the leader of the free world has either little or no understanding of American heritage and history, or unbridled contempt for it, presumably because it does not combine well with his elitist-rule vision of the future of America. Neither condition renders him qualified to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Obama spoke his derisive words about America and her relationship with our ‘allies’ fewer than five hundred miles from Normandy, where, sixty-five years ago, on both Omaha and Utah Beaches close to seven thousand ‘arrogant’ Americans willingly offered themselves up as casualties of war.

Two of our current president’s most trailblazing accomplishments have been (1) abandoning the time-honored tradition of respecting the legacy of his predecessors and (2) consistently showing irreverence for those duty-bound, courageous patriots who sacrificed – sometimes with their lives – to create the most moral and prosperous nation in the history of mankind, and to stand in the crosshairs of tyrants when the liberties of others were threatened.

Such is the proud legacy that ten generations of Americans have crafted out of blood and sacrifice that spans more than two centuries, the extent of which the world had never before known.

Below is a picture of a section of the Meuse-Argonne American cemetery in France. The cemetery covers more than 130 acres, and beneath each of those little white specks/crosses lies the body of an ‘arrogant’ American – husbands, fathers, sweethearts, sons, brothers who left home and loved ones to travel to foreign soil in the name of freedom. More than fourteen thousand American World War I dead are buried at Meuse-Argonne. Look intently at the picture and think about that. Focus on those little white specks. Do you have a lump in your throat? If not, continue looking until you do.


France (remember the place where our current president spoke of America’s ‘arrogance’ and ‘derisive’ nature?) is home to eleven large American military cemeteries. Meuse-Argonne is only one of them. There are also hundreds of thousands of American bodies lying beneath headstones at Arlington National Cemetery, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Flanders Field, Ardennes, Normandy, Florence, Lorraine, Aisne Marne – in cemeteries throughout Europe (the allies that we ‘dismiss’ and treat with ‘derision’) ... and in countless unmarked graves in unknown places. All of those bodies embraced the vision of freedom, law and justice that defines the real America – a vision that they wanted the rest of the world to have the freedom to choose as well.

Remember our heroes, in spite of your president’s agenda-driven desire that you forget them. They are watching us now from afar, quietly but insistently reminding us of the source and precious value of our liberties, and challenging us to hold those hard-won liberties dear, standing firm against all who would remove them from our grasp.

Remember them – both those who have left us and those who are now serving on battlefields far from home, facing the prospect of death with each new dawn. Seek out a Memorial Day service in your neighborhood tomorrow morning. There will be plenty of time for barbecues in the remaining hours of the day. And, after the service, continue to honor our fallen countrymen through a determination to follow in their courageous, duty-bound, liberty-loving footsteps. There could be no finer role model for us all.

~ joanie

17 comments:

Danthemangottschall said...

I didn't have to look at the cemetery picture very long to get the lump in my throat that you requested Joanie.

Thank you.

Barry up the road said...

I am proud to say that I have plans to attend the Memorial Day service at Denver today. An acquaintance who recently returned from Iraq is speaking today.

I am humbled by your eloquence on this subject.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sickened; I weep!

I weep for what we had.

I weep for those that gave their last full measure of devotion.

I weep for the failure of request Lincoln made over 145 years ago: that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government : of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Those at Arlington National Cemetery, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Flanders Field, Ardennes, Normandy, Florence, Lorraine, Aisne Marne – in cemeteries throughout Europe (the allies that we ‘dismiss’ and treat with ‘derision’) ... and in countless unmarked graves in unknown places will have died in vain if the direction the country is headed is not changed.

On this Memorial Day 2009, honor those that gave their last full measure of devotion and re-dedicate yourselves to Lincoln's request. We must not fail and with voices like Joanie's, we will not fail.

lori_gmeiner said...

Bravo! -accompanied by tears.

Anonymous said...

Thank your for this.

robmaroni said...

Beautifully said, Joanie. Thank you so much.

Max Shapiro said...

I attended the Memorial Day service in our local town park this morning. There were maybe 50 people there and the main speaker spoke as if he had somewhere better to go afterwards. It was quite a disappointment. Your column helps to make up for it, so I thank you, Joanie.

stonemason said...

That there are more than 14,000 Americans buried at that military cemetery in France and Obama would have the gall to say what he did in that country makes my blood boil!

Great pictures. They sure do speak a thousand words.

Thank you for the beautiful reminders Joanie.

Lou Barakos said...

I saw Obama place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier today and heard part of his remarks. It was as if he were reading something that someone had written for him that he had no particular passion about, but it was an obligatory address. Really disappointing, but certainly expected.

Alexi B. said...

Joanie, I just saw "Sergeant York" on TMC, for about the 10th time. After the movie they interviewed some WWI expert and he said that there is only ONE American WWI vet still living, and he is 108 years old.

Cal Brindisi said...

Thanks for the great commentary, Joanie.

Here's a great video one from Evil Conservative Radio:

Memorial Day Surprise - Obama Disses Americans
On Memorial Day, President Obama decided to take us all to task as Americans. You see, we don't show enough appreciation for our military personnel. So lemme get this right- the same Obama who was refusing to wear a lapel pin, declining to place his hand over his heart when the national anthem was played and listening to Rev. "God Damn America" Wright every Sunday is now lecturing our nation on patriotism... wow.

Brian Spear said...

Nice work, Joanie. You have our "President" pegged and gave me more than one lump in my through with your descriptions of our war heroes. Thank you.

The Ghost of John Wayne said...

Obama Confuses Memorial Day with Veterans DayThis would be funny if it weren't so disgusting.

john galt said...

The worst damn thing this President is doing is still wanting to cut our missile defense budget when Kim Jong Il is preparing to equip N. Korea with deliverable nuclear missiles!

Where's the outrage?

Anonymous said...

Good stuff! Thank you!

Luis said...

The pictures make a most unusual definition of "arrogance".

I have seen some of the American cemetries in France- the scale alone is humbling.

Despite being the 65th Anniversay of D-Day, the Queen wasn't even invited to the commemoration in France, as she has been in the past. It is not as if the British did nothing here- maybe another case of historical ignorance.

J D said...

Clinton and the Obomination and Memorial Day.

Sorry, no way they exist in the same universe.