Memorial Day

   The following are remarks I made today at the Franklin, NJ Township Memorial Day Commemoration:

GOOD MORNING.

TO OUR HONORED GUESTS, FELLOW CITIZENS, AND ESPECIALLY, MY FELLOW VETERANS, ON BEHALF OF MG GLENN K RIETH THE ADJUTANT GENERAL FOR THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU COUNCILMAN UNGER FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.

65 YEARS AGO OUR NATION WAS CELEBRATING THE END OF WORLD WAR II. PLACES THAT ONLY 5 YEARSPREVIOUSLY HAD NEVER BEEN HEARD OF WERE NOW ENGRAVED ON THE NATIONAL CONSCIENCE.

GUADALCANAL, NORMANDY, IWO JIMA, BASTOGNE, ARNHEM, OKINAWATHESE NAMES EVOKE IMAGES OF BRAVERY AND OF SACRIFICE.

OUR NATION AND OUR STATE ALSO MOURNED THOSE IT HAD LOST. NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE IS THE TOWN OF RARITAN, NJ. HOME OF GYSGT JOHN BASILONE WHO WAS AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR AT GUADALCANAL AND THEN GAVE HIS LIFE AT IWO JIMA.

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SINCE THEN OTHER PLACES AND NAMES HAVE BECOME HISTORY LESSONS. PORK CHOP HILL, INCHON, KHE SANH, LANG VEI, A SHAU, LEBANON, GRENADA, PANAMA, KAFFJI, MOGADISHU. MORE NAMES BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH VALOR: ROY BENEVIDEZ, RANDY SHUGGART, GARY GORDON, AND PAUL SMITH, THEIR NAMES AND DEEDS ARE THE FOOTPRINTS LEFT BEHIND BY HEROES.

IN EVERY WAR IN WHICH OUR NATION HAS BEEN ENGAGED, NEW JERSEY’S SONS AND DAUGHTERS HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL. SOME HAVE MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE. WE HONOR THEIR MEMORIES TODAY, THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM HAS ADDED NEW BATTLES TO OUR COLLECTIVE MEMORY: KABUL, SHAHIKHOT, KANDAHAR, BAGHDAD, FALLUJAH, TIKRIT. THESE ARE THE LATEST PLACES WHERE WE HAVE FOUGHT IN THE NAME OF LIBERTY AND FREEDOM.

AND THOSE OF OUR STATE HAVE AGAIN MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE SGT HUMBERTO TIMOTEO, SPC RYAN DOLTZ, SPC CHRISTOPHER DUFFY, AND SGT FRANK CARVILL. THESE BRAVE MEN OF THE NEW JERSEY ARMY NATIONAL GUARD’S 3-112^TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT HAVE JOINED THE RANKS OF THOSE WHO STAND UPON FIDDLERS GREEN AND AWAIT THE NEXT BUGLE CALL.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE REMEMBER THEIR SACRIFICE AND THE SACRIFICES MADE BY ALL OF THOSE, LIVING AND DEAD, WHO HAVE ANSWERED OURNATIONS CALL.

I AM OFTEN ASKED HOW THE LOSS OF OUR FELLOW SOLDIERS AFFECTS ME. THE SHORT ANSWER IS, DEEPLY. AS A NON-COMMISIONED OFFICER, I AND MY FELLOW NCOS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRAINING AND DAY TO DAY WELFARE OF OUR SOLDIERS. WE ARE ENTRUSTED WITH THE CARE AND TRAINING OF YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS, HUSBANDS AND WIVES, YOUR GRANDSONS AND GRANDDAUGHTERS. THIS IS A SACRED TRUST AND ONE WHICH WE HOLD MORE DEAR THAN ANY OTHER. AS MANY OF YOU WERE GIVEN THIS SACRED TRUST IN OTHER WARS, SO WE HOLD IT TODAY.

AND SO, AS FELLOW SOLDIERS MOVE BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE WORLD, MANY OF YOU SEE US AND ASK US, HOW’S IT REALLY GOING? ARE WE REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE? I AM HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU, YES!

REPEATEDLY ON THE NEWS, WE HEAR OF SETBACKS, QUAGMIRE, AND IMMINENT DEFEAT. WHILE OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF HAS RECENTLY ADMITTED TO SETBACKS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER AN OLD ADAGE I LEARNED EARLY ON AS A YOUNG INFANTRYMAN: NO PLAN SURVIVES THE FIRST CONTACT INTACT. THE ANALYSIS AND JUDGEMENTS OF THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR ON TERROR IS THE WORK OF FUTURE HISTORIANS AND LEADERS. NOW, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME FACTS THAT AREN'T COMMONLY KNOWN.

IN IRAQ, MORE PEOPLE HAVE POWER AND ELECTRICITY THAN EVER DID UNDER THE REGIME OF SADAAM HUSSEIN. MORE NEWSPAPERS ARE AVAILABLE IN THAN EVER BEFORE. SOME ARE PRO-AMERICAN AND SOME ARE DECIDEDLY NOT. THAT IS AS IT SHOULD BE.

THE INSURGENCY THAT DOMINATES OUR TV SCREENS NIGHT AFTER NIGHT IS ONLY PART OF THE STORY. THE MAJORITY OF IRAQIS ARE NOT BAATHISTS HOLD OUTS, OR PEOPLE FULL OF HATE WHO HIDE BEHIND RELIGION, NOR ARE THEY PART OF A CRIMINAL ELEMENT THAT ALLIES ITSELF WITH WHATEVER MOST LIKELY SEEMS PROFITABLE. THESE SMALL, ALBEIT VIOLENT ELEMENTS ARE WHAT MAKE UP THE INSURGENCY.

THE AVERAGE IRAQI IS A LOT LIKE YOU AND I. THE AVERAGE IRAQI WANTS SECURITY AND STABILITY, A JOB, FOOD ON THE TABLE, AND EDUCATION TO ENSURE A FUTURE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THE PURPLE TIPPED INDEX FINGERS OF MILLIONS OF IRAQIS ON ELECTION DAY SHOWS THE DESIRE OF THE MAJORITY OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE. THAT DESIRE IS FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM.

IN AFGHANISTAN, MADRASAS THAT TAUGHT A GENERATION OF YOUNG BOYS TO HATE ARE NOW EMPTY. CLASSROOMS THAT WERE ONCE FORBIDDEN TO GIRLS AND WOMEN ARE NOW FILLED TO OVERFLOWING.

WOMEN NO LONGER LIVE IN FEAR OF BEING BEATEN, RAPED, OR KILLED BASED ON A SEXIST AND CRUEL INTERPRETATION OF A FAITH THAT IN ITS TRUE FORM IS NEITHER. THERE ARE ALSO OBSTACLES AND GROWING PAINS. THE POPPY FIELDS ARE AGAIN GROWING AND WITH THEM COMES THE SCOURGE OF DRUGS. WHAT IS ALSO GROWING THOUGH IS HOPE AND BELIEF IN THE FUTURE. IT IS THIS HOPE AND THIS BELIEF THAT WILL REDUCE POPPIES TO NOTHING MORE THAN  WEEDS CHOKED BY CROPS THAT WILL HELP TO FEED A NATION.

THE ARCHITECHTS OF THE HORROR THAT WAS THE TALIBAN REGIME HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO THEIR ORIGINAL STATE. THEY LAUNCH COWARDLY ATTACKS FROM THE ROCKS AND SHADOWS IN AN ATTEMPT TO AGAIN INTRODUCE FEAR INTO THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN. THE PEOPLE HAVE ANSWERED THEM. LIGHT CAUSES SHADOWS TO SHRINK AND LABOR REDUCES ROCKS TO DUST. THE LIGHT IS A GOVERNMENT THAT IS MAKING STRIDES TOWARD FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND EQUALITY OF GENDER. THE LABOR IS THE PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN THEMSELVES WHO, AFTER NEARLY 30 YEARS OF CONSTANT WAR, ARE TURNING ROCKS AND RUBBLE INTO BRICKS AND MORTAR.

IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN,SLOWLY BUT SURELY SOCIETIES ARE BEING BUILT WHERE DISAGREEMENT IS SOLVED NOT WITH BULLETS BUT, WITH DEBATE. RELATIONSHIPS ARE FORGED NOT ONLY UPON SHARED BELIEFS OR ORIGINS BUT, UPON SHARED HUMANITY. THESE SOCIETIES HAVE A DESIRE THAT EVENTUALLY, THAT WHEN AN IRAQI OR AFGHANI GOES TO SLEEP, THE LAST THING THEY HEAR IS NOT A GUNSHOT BUT, THE SOFT WHISPERED GOOD NIGHT OF A LOVED ONE.

THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING. THAT IS WHAT THE SACRIFICE MADE BY OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM HAS EARNED.

  TODAY WE HONOR THEM AND WE HONOR THAT SACRIFICE. THERE WERE PROTESTS YESTERDAY AND THERE WILL BE PROTESTS TOMORROW. IN OUR SOCIETY THIS IS A GOOD THING, IT GIVES THE NEWLY EMERGING NATIONS AN EXAMPLE FROM WHICH TO LEARN. WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THOUGH THAT UNDERSTANDING IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH INTELLIGENT DEBATE AND PATIENT EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, NOT THROUGH ANGRY WORDS, OR IMPASSIONED RHETORIC.

TODAY IS A TIME FOR QUIET REFLECTION. WHILE IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THOSE THAT HAVE FALLEN, IT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THEY LIVED. THAT IS OUR DUTY.  WE OWE THEM AT LEAST THAT MUCH, WE OWE THEM SO MUCH MORE. THANK YOU, AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS THE  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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Comments

[Mintavia]

Really off topic here...I want to feed your blog into my blog and cant subscribe to the feed....can ya help me out?

[Johnny]

Tony:
That brought tears to the eyes of this crusty old vet. God bless you for giving voice to all our feelings about this war and the worthy cause we troops fight for.
AIRBORNE ALL THE WAY!
SFC Johnny Proctor

[ArchaicDom]

To all new Soldiers and the future generations- Take up our quarrel with the foe. To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be it yours to hold it high, for if ye break faith with us who die we will not sleep, though poppies blow in Flanders' Fields. (John McRae) Thanks for your sentiments, Ant. I admire you most when you speak from my heart and say what I'm not eloquent enough to say myself.

[Cathy Ward]

That was beautiful.
Signed,
The...
GGGGGG Granddaughter of
Laurence Corley, American Revolution
GG Granddaughter of
Francis Cassidy, American Civil War and
Alexander MacLeod, American Civil War
Grand Niece of
James Cassidy, Spanish-American War
Granddaughter of
Clara Sturm, US Army WW2
Bill Sturm, US Army, WW2, D-Day Veteran
Daughter of
Andrew Ward, USAF, Korea, Vietnam
Sister of
Mary Ward, USCG and Andy Ward, USAF,
descendant of many more who aren't named,
and, last and certainly least,
recipient of Honorable Discharge, USCG,
March 1990.

:)