Posted by: Ray on 05/28/2007 01:47 AM
Updated by: Ray on 06/06/2007 12:17 AM
Expires: 01/01/2012 12:00 AM
Memorial Day 2007
At 1700 on Sunday May 27th the Clarke County Veterans Council held their yearly celebration honoring our deceased comrades at Evergreen Cemetery in the Garden Of Honor. Members of the Naval Services assisting the Clarke County Veterans Council in the ceremony to honor these veterans were The NSCS Marine Corps Detachment Color Guard, LCDR Marc McDowell the NSCS Chaplain who introduced the guest speaker CWO4 Ray R Fairman, USMC (Ret) our own Police Department Chaplain. LtCol Seth Hathaway the Commanding Officer of the NSCS Marine Detachment and Capt Brian Shepherd the commanding of the NSCS were also present as our Chaplain delivered his message.
To read an edited text of Ray's message click on read more.
One of the most famous speeches in history, and one that I feel truly reflects the ideals of a Memorial Day message, was not delivered on any Memorial Day. It was delivered on November 19 by then United States President Abraham Lincoln.
Many of you are, I am sure, at least somewhat aware of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. A message that he allegedly scribbled on the back of an envelope on his way to the Gettysburg Pennsylvania battlefield where he was about to dedicate the Soldiers' National Cemetery.
The exact wording of Lincoln's message is as are so many facts in our nation's history, debated by scholars and historians to this very day. But nobody who is even vaguely familiar with its content will dispute that the sentiment of that message was directed at honoring the memory of the military veterans of both sides in that decisive and yet tragic battle.
His phrase “We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this,” Is reflective of our coming here today to remember our own honored military dead.
However, it is my contention we should focus even more closely on the next line of his address.
That line goes, “But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. . .we cannot consecrate. . . we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.”
That my fellow Americans is, was and will always be the absolute truth, only those who are courageous enough to answer the call to arms and defend any principle up to and including defending that belief, even unto death, will ever be able to sanctify and hallow the ground upon which they commend their spirits unto God.
He then pointed out that “The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. “ I know he got that wrong, but we will remember that day in history only as long as we honor and remember the successors of those Gettysburg veterans to whom the cause and protection of liberty has been entrusted.
I believe Lincoln was at that dedication to honor the memory of, and not merely the remains of the dedicated military men of both sides who participated in one of the most heartbreaking wars this country has ever known. Whenever a soldier from either side fell during a Civil War battle, each was a fallen American fighting man. Giving us the highest total of American combat casualties in a single conflict we have known to this date. 497,821.
Today, some of us have taken the time to gather here to remember fallen comrades or family members, wherever their remains may be… in cemeteries… beneath the sea… on unknown or maybe even forgotten battlefields… or distributed gently by fair winds over the land they loved and defended or some as in the case of my own father on the flowing seas which guard our eastern and western shores. As we sacrifice a little time to honor those we know, I hope each of us will say a quite little prayer for those veterans and their families who gave so much for those of us they never knew.
As we assemble here, it saddens me somewhat to think that it takes and act of congress to remind us to take the time from our busy schedules to recall the sacrifices of the gallant men and women who have answered their country's call to arms.
You may not agree with me, but I am of the opinion that the mission of our armed forces is not to control the politics of this nation, because that has the potential to lead to government instability, military coups and dictatorships. I also don't see the mission of our congress as being that of trying to run domestic and foreign military operations, the results of which I view as biased, inept and often catastrophic.
When our country was founded, it was founded with a military that consisted mainly of citizen soldiers and a government consisting of citizen politicians. Over the interim years both arenas have become populated by professionals. So the sooner the leaders of both those professions realize their proprietary missions and learn to honestly respect each other's capabilities and cooperate the better off all Americans will be.
I was taught in church that if you don't consider every day to be Sunday then you might as well not be hypocritical and consider the first day of the week Sunday either. That is why I am frequently a bit disappointed at the way America celebrates her Patriotic holidays. It seems that more time is allocated for the 3-day new and used car sale or the 4-day sale at Sears than is allotted for honoring the members of our armed forces living or deceased.
While that is true about many of our holidays, I feel that way especially about Memorial Day, Veterans Day and many of our other patriotic holidays. It seems to me that we as a country ought to consider every day a day to remember the patriotism and sacrifices that the members of our Armed Forces exhibit every day on our behalf.
I know at least a few of you must have heard some form of the following statements during your lifetimes.
You see it is not a pastor or priest
who guarantees us our religious freedom.
and
It is not a reporter or news anchor
who guarantees us our freedom of the press.
and
It is not a politician
who guarantees us our right to vote.
and
It is not the protester
who guarantees us our right to peacefully assemble.
and
It is not the lawyer who us guarantees our right to a fair trial
It is the men and women of our armed forces who manifest courage and responsibility as they answer this nation's call to arms. Men and women who are willing to put their lives and dreams on hold to go in harm's way, who guarantee us the freedoms we enjoy and expect.
It is therefore so vitally important that we continue to cherish, constantly revitalize and convey the memories and freedoms provided by our nations veterans to succeeding generations of liberty loving Americans, with the admonition that “Freedom Really Isn't really Free.”
You see, around about us lay only the mortal remains of those whom we choose to honor and remember here today. Their spirits will live on forever in the hearts and minds of this country's citizens; ONLY, if we ensure that the fruits of their patriotism and the memories of their self-sacrifice are passed on to future generations by those of us who are still here to transport them across the bridges of time. Bridges we must build if we are to ensure that the memories of their contributions and the memories of events past are carried forward to those future generations.
All to often as I see dwindling crowds at parades and fewer and smaller celebrations on America's patriotic holidays, I feel that too many Americans have forgotten or have never really understood that we are at war. Instead they are only focused on being at work, the mall or the supermarket or out on the golf course.
Friends let me remind you, as you need to remind many others… We are all Americans… and America is at war! And that war is ours to win or lose. I will tell you this, We cannot win the war in Iraq if we lose it here at home.
I would not have had to say that in WWII America, but ever since that conflict concluded, I think our desire to remain strong and free has become diluted or at least overshadowed by an international feeling of “I'm OK, You're OK.”
I am sorry if that offends some of you, but after traveling abroad and facing this country's enemies for nearly three and a half decades, I may not think America is perfect, but I do feel she is head and shoulders above whoever is in second place.
I for one do not believe Isolationism is a valid international strategy. Nor do I feel that America will ever face destruction from an external invasion. Two very famous people in history have prophetically espoused the philosophy of our country's demise from within, Abraham Lincoln and Joseph Stalin.
Lincoln said no foreign soldier would ever set foot aggressively on US soil. He inferred that if our country should ever fall, it would be destroyed from within.
Stalin echoed this prophecy nearly a hundred years later during the embryonic stages of the cold war, when he said that the US was too strong to ever be attacked from the outside. Stalin inferred that we would have to be destroyed from the inside and then and only then would we fall like a ripe plumb into the hands of our adversaries.
In the Marine Corps we learn a great deal about our history. That is because those who fail to learn from history are generally doomed to repeat it. So when we as a government of the people choose to once again face the same trials we faced in the past, the same way we faced them in the past, we should generally expect the same consequences.
Many of our veterans have fought and some have given their lives to write America's history. The least we can do is respect their sacrifices by acknowledging and learning from both their victories and their defeats.
The objective of our current terroristic adversaries and the way they have chosen to wage war can be viewed as an attempt at attacking our national invulnerability and targeting for destruction, our morale, dedication and perseverance on the homefront thus devastating the principles, traditions and ideals that built this country and insured our own precious freedoms. Surely their actions are an attempt to weaken America's resolve from within.
One of the reasons I feel so strongly about military activities being administered by military leaders and not politicians is because no one hates war more than a person who has “faced the elephant.” A phrase that some folks in history have used when referring to the act of experiencing combat. And, no one hates to send young men and now women into combat more than a person who has commanded troops in battle. It is a fact, however, that as long as evil exists in this world, wars will be fought, servicemen and women will be sent to fight our enemies where will die in combat and here at home families, friends and comrades will grieve these losses.
But, I am also a man who cannot separate the support of the soldier from the support of the war. When a country goes to war it is and always will be the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, not politicians who will be the ones who will go into combat. I know from personal experience that these patriots are far more motivated to fight for their honor, their beliefs and each other, and will do so far more ferociously than they will ever fight for political reasons.
That is why so many of them who are wounded are so anxious to return to their units and their “brothers”. Yes, The spirit of brotherhood thrives and runs deep within the ranks of this nation's military forces as well it should. This type of Patriotism, Dedication, Honor, Courage and Commitment has formed the backbone of our country and provided it's strength since it's birth. Our veterans, living, dead and those yet to don a uniform will always deserve the very best support we at home can provide. They must eternally occupy a paramount place in our lives, for they truly are the spirit of our nation.
I don't want to take much more of your valuable time this afternoon. Besides I have frequently been told that the best speakers are often the shortest. Since I can't do anything about my height, I will start to bring this to a close.
I just want to let you know a little about my family background so you can get a perspective on what makes me the way I am. I am the son of a WWII and Korean War Marine M/Sgt. I entered the Marine Corps at age17 and served 10 Years of USMC Active Duty with tours in RVN and then I transferred to the USMCR for an additional 23 years, while I pursued a civilian law enforcement career. During my reserve military years I spent quite a bit of time serving jointly with US Army, and US Air Force Units. I was called back to active duty for a couple of operations including Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I served 18 years of enlisted service reaching the rank of Gunnery Sergeant and 15 years as a Warrant Officer. My wife served as an Army Reserve Nurse First Lieutenant and my daughter is an Army Nurse Captain, My son is an Army Reserve Major and a West Point Graduate, My Son-In-Law is an Army Doctor who served as a Major in Kosovo for nine months and for the first 15 months of OIF in Baghdad. We in my family take very seriously the words that follow:
This is my country! Land of my birth!
This is my country! Grandest on earth!
This is my country! Land of my choice!
This is my country! Hear my proud voice!
I pledge thee my allegiance, America, the bold,
For you are my country to have and to hold
and to defend.
I am going to end now with something I wrote after I served my last tour in Vietnam and entered my subsequent career in law enforcement where I continue to serve today, only now I serve as a Police Chaplain.
It took me several years to finally get my feelings close to the way I wanted to express them after experiencing all the chaos and combat I endured during in my generation's war in Vietnam. Even though I have applied the education I acquired pursuing a couple of postgraduate degrees at night, I still don't feel like it is finished or it ever will be.
I have written different terminal verses for the different services, but I beg your indulgence as today I choose for obvious reasons to use the Marine Corps ending.
The words that follow can be applied to the experiences of all my brothers and sisters who have shared their time with me in combat. They express in the end a hope for this country and all mankind.
A PATRIOT'S PRAYER
WHO AM I? A CHILD OF WAR, A VIETNAM HERO, OR AN AMERICAN WHORE?
WAS I A FOOLISH, SUCKERED SOUL, OR AN AMERICAN PATRIOT, PROUD AND BOLD?
WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT FROM YOU, OR YOU? AM I NOT LIKE YOU, OF YOU, YOU?
SURE I KILLED. FOR A CAUSE I THOUGHT WAS JUST. BUT VICTOR OR VICTIM, ALL TURN TO DUST.
WHO DIED BY MY HAND? NVA, VIETCONG, ALL HARDCORE. BUT NO INNOCENT BEINGS, AND NO SPOILS OF WAR.
REMEMBER THE BLAST, THE ARTILLERY'S ROAR? GRENADES, AND RIFLES, AND THOSE DEADLY CLAYMORES?
REMEMBER THE CHILDREN BORN UNTO WAR? ONCE THEIR INNOCENCE LOST, JUST TROPHIES OF WAR.
OFT' BAPTIZED IN GORE, WHEN MADNESS REIGNED, STILL WE CRIED OUT FOR MORE, WHILE BEARING THE PAIN.
THEY PINNED SOME MEDALS ON OUR CHESTS, WITH A CARELESS NOD, NO MORE, NO LESS.
ALONE WE STOOD, APART FROM THE REST, WERE WE THE WORST, OR WERE WE THE BEST?
WAIT! DO YOU HEAR THE JUNGLE, THE ROCKETS, THE RAIN, REMEMBER DEATHS EVIL MASK, ETCHED WITH PAIN?
SPEAK TO ME SOFTLY, AND DO NOT STARE, AND SAVE YOUR JUDGEMENT, YOUR PITY, YOUR PRAYER.
FOR EVERY TIME MAN TRIES TO RISE, ABOVE EVIL'S STRONG AND BINDING TIES
ANOTHER PATRIOT WILL GO, AND LEAD THE FIGHT, TO SPREAD THE HOLY GLOW, OF FREEDOMS LIGHT.
HE'LL SEND FREEDOMS EAGLE, SOARING HIGH, 'CROSS THE HALLOWED BREADTH, OF HEAVEN'S SKIES.
AND HERE AT HOME, WE'LL SIT AND WAIT, AS AMERICAN PATRIOTS MEET THEIR FATE.
SOME WILL LIVE, AND SOME WILL DIE, AS FREEDOM'S EAGLE, MOURNS AND CRIES.
BUT THOSE WHO SHED THEIR BLOOD AND TEARS WILL EARN THEIR PLACE ON HEAVEN'S TIERS.
FROM OPPRESSION'S CRIES, THESE MEN WON'T HIDE, BUT FACE EACH CHALLENGE, FILLED WITH PRIDE.
WHO ARE THESE PATRIOTS? THEIR NAMES I MEAN. THE EAGLE'S GUARDIANS ARE CALLED
"MARINES".
As Christ Died To Make Men Holy
I have Lived An Fought to Keep Men Free
God Bless America And Especially Her Veterans
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