Obits in Uniform

Annapurna Foothills in Nepal - photo by JoAnn Sturman

Scott Sturman
fliesinyoureyes.com

Sow good services; sweet remembrances will grow them.
Madame de Stael -- French author (1766 - 1817)

It is not a habit of mine to look at the obituaries in the daily newspaper, but when the occasion occurs I am struck by the number of pictures of those dressed in military uniforms. The photographs, many of which were taken over sixty years ago of veterans who more than likely served only a few years in the armed forces, proclaim to the public the manner in which families choose to honor their loved ones. The rank, branch of service, number of military decorations, and length of service are unimportant. The picture simply says it all.

Public opinion polls place military officers in the top five of respected professions. The general public understands the commitment and sacrifice members of the armed forces make in order to preserve our freedoms and protect us from our enemies. The oath of allegiance sworn by military officers bears no time constraint; it is an affirmation of a life time. Interestingly enough, the last sentence of the oath is optional.

I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

When preparing this article, I searched for quotations which embody the essence of patriotism and its importance in sustaining freedom loving societies. What I found was surprising. Quotations from people who were put in harm's way or were compelled to fight for their liberties viewed patriotism in favorable terms, but the intellectual community discounted it as foolish and primeval. It appears they place themselves above the fray and are concerned with more enlightened aspects of life. They seem ambivalent their freedom is guaranteed by the blood of countrymen willing to die for their hubris. Here are a few examples:

"My country, right or wrong," is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, "My mother, drunk or sober."
G. K. Chesterton
English author & mystery novelist (1874 - 1936)

You'll never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of the human race.
George Bernard Shaw, "Misalliance"
Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)

Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons.
Bertrand Russell
British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 - 1970)

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784), quoted in Boswell's Life of Johnson

When a whole nation is roaring Patriotism at the top of its voice, I am fain to explore the cleanness of its hands and purity of its heart.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Journals, 1824
US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882)

Hollywood has made a fortune depicting graphic violence for all to see. No scene is too gory or sadistic to indulge the audience's fantasy, and often the most gruesome perpetrators of the carnage are portrayed in a conciliatory manner. Vengeance sells at the box office. A horrible crime is committed, the authorities are powerless to deal with the perpetrators, so the protagonist takes the law into his hands and delivers frightful retribution. All to the delight of the audience, the ends justify the means.

Yet historically, Hollywood has not been so lenient when portraying military characters. There are exceptions like Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers, and The Hurt Locker, but frequently soldiers and sailors are portrayed with glaring character flaws, who will resort to the most heinous atrocities to destroy innocent victims and attain unbridled power. They are an easy mark. In the fictional world of Hollywood, if one does not prefer historical context then it is a simple matter to script one's own version. Few in the entertainment business are willing to admit they live in dangerous times, and a select group of volunteers permits them to seek their fortunes while they concoct a pretend cinematic world .

Hollywood constitutes one of the five pillars of the Democratic party and typifies the degree of anti militarism which pervades their culture. Their interpretation of military service is out of step with the public view of those who serve. It is easy enough in a movie to cast a fool to play a military general but quite another to impugn the integrity and valor of the vast majority of men and women who risk their lives to defend the county.

Since the abolition of the draft in 1973, there are some disturbing trends across the county which demonstrate a regional difference in how the military is viewed. Danielle Allen from Princeton's Institute of Advanced Study wrote the following the Washington Post:

In 1969, the 10 states with the highest percentage of veterans were, in order: Wyoming, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, California, Oregon, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, Connecticut and Illinois. In 2007, the 10 states with the highest percentage of post-Vietnam-era veterans were, in order: Alaska, Virginia, Hawaii, Washington, Wyoming, Maine, South Carolina, Montana, Maryland and Georgia. Over the past four decades, which states have disappeared from the top 10? California, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Illinois, all big blue states that have voted Democratic in the past five presidential elections. These states and another blue state, New York, which ranked 12th in 1969, are among the 10 states with the lowest number of post-Vietnam vets per capita. New Jersey finishes 50th among the 50 states, with only one percent of its population numbered among post-Vietnam veterans.

At times the facts are uncomfortable, but the Democratic party's leadership has gone the way of Thoreau and Chesterton. They pay lip service to our uniformed men and women, but it is an uncomfortable message for them to accept. Perhaps they do not “connect with” citizens who are motivated by sacrifice and honor rather than wealth and popularity. So while the elitists are “fain to explore the cleanliness of its hands and purity of its heart,” the common man and woman is fain to abide the motto displayed on the New Hampshire license plate: Live Free or Die