Thank you Jim for the staunch reminder that freedom is not free. It comes at a high price, that many cannot afford.
I often think of my Dad on Memorial Day, who was part of the “Greatest Generation.” He was in multiple theaters, North Africa, China, Burma, India and almost lost his life in the South Pacific when a Japanese Zero strafed his position. The bomb exploding next to him and causing permanent hearing loss. I still have part of the shrapnel with a note about that day he had written.
Interesting mention of Andy’s Father who was on Bataan. My Mothers First Cousin was also captured on Bataan and came back looking like a skeleton and jaundice from liver failure. I met him years ago, and he shared with me recordings he had made of his captivity. Ironically, he was almost killed when the Japanese “hell ship” he was on was torpedoed by our Navy. The sad fact is the Japanese high command was never held responsible for their atrocities as was the Germans.
My military service was much less dramatic,serving in an Army hospital, taking care of those active duty and retired personnel requiring surgery. I used to joke, the only injury I ever sustained was tripping while running to the chow hall!
I often wonder if today’s generations: X, Millennials, Z, Alpha, Beta could ever have what it takes to storm a beach like Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Tarawa or Normandy? I’m Not sure, it would seem many today couldn’t even pass the physical requirements, much less storming a fortified pill box. Yes, seems like many of military age today are more concerned about their own personal lifestyles rather than those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I could be wrong.
So glad we have people like Trump,Hegseth and Rubio running our military and foreign policy.
@LT I agree that many of today's youth don't view fighting for the country as a noble heroic adventure like the youth did in 1941. However, I believe it’s important not to overlook the strength and capability of today’s service members due to political rhetoric or the media.
We have some incredibly tough, disciplined, and smart men and women in uniform. Many are stronger, larger, and faster than the average 130-pound farm kid drafted into WWII. A modern special forces team would wipe the floor with entire units from the past. It's like comparing the NFL from 1940 to today. We have 300-pound linemen today who run 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. A 1940s offensive lineman wouldn't be able to stop them.
But it’s not just about physical strength anymore. Today’s warriors operate in a world of advanced technology, cyber warfare, drone operations, complex combat systems, and precision targeting across many domains. A modern ship handles dozens of warfare areas simultaneously.
In my Weapons Officer tour, I had a 120-pound female gunner's mate from a cow farm in Nebraska; she was a rockstar on crew-served weapons. And the best Top Gun graduate Master Chief air controller I knew in the Navy, was also female. Gender doesn't matter for most jobs, not everyone needs to be a physical specimen to be highly effective on today's battlefield.
They train in ways that previous generations couldn't—balancing physical readiness with systems knowledge that would’ve seemed like science fiction in 1944. Today, in the Red Sea, 20-year-olds are constantly being shot at by a complex array of cross-domain air and ballistic threats, which only people who grew up in an Xbox world could handle. They live, eat, sleep, and stand watch in harm's way 24/7 for six months straight, and all it takes is a few seconds of error for bad things to happen in that time while managing hundreds of things simultaneously due to the combat information provided to modern systems. They may not be storming beaches in the same way, because that just doesn't make sense anymore, but people are in harm's way constantly, and America still produces brave, badass warriors.
While I agree, those in uniform are stellar at performing their respective jobs and recruiting numbers are way up Commander, the vast majority of prospective recruits are unfit for military service.
While we may differ on a lot of things, I agree with a chunk of what you wrote.
I am not so sure that people are apathetic as to wars, but if you look at the last ~4 we were in, how they started may make people not trust the person(s) who put the soldiers in harms way. The Gulf Wars were found to be fraudulent reasons. Afghanistan was fraudulent as well. Vietnam and Korea were proxy wars. We have to go back to Pearl Harbor for people really wanting to join the military for the country en masse, compared to those who were just drafted.
I will always respect a person who, by choice, puts themselves in harm's way to protect others. To me, those are the heroes. Those that were drafted, they had no choice. Sure, they may have done a LOT of wonderful things, but, they had a choice, either claim bone spurs, flee to Canada, thus exiting the US, or join. That decision was not one made by free will.
I am reminded this day of a lesson I was taught as an 8 year old. My mothers boyfriend served in WW2 in the Navy. His father was in the Navy and his grandfather was also in the military. That was a long line of military men. He told me, "It takes more of a man to walk away from a fight than to get into one." I often wonder if we have 'less' of men now.
America is fortunate in that our geography makes it very hard for wars to happen on our soil. I think American's attitude towards war, and thus, by proxy, respect for the men and women fighting the wars on our behalf would increase if they actually lived through a war that they could see, instead of watch on TV, like a movie.
What a beautiful and timely article. Thank you for the reminder. I will say another prayer for the fallen heroes that have given their all for this country and what it stands for.
My family will honor and remember today-and we thank God every day for the sacrifice of so many.
Thank you Jim for the staunch reminder that freedom is not free. It comes at a high price, that many cannot afford.
I often think of my Dad on Memorial Day, who was part of the “Greatest Generation.” He was in multiple theaters, North Africa, China, Burma, India and almost lost his life in the South Pacific when a Japanese Zero strafed his position. The bomb exploding next to him and causing permanent hearing loss. I still have part of the shrapnel with a note about that day he had written.
Interesting mention of Andy’s Father who was on Bataan. My Mothers First Cousin was also captured on Bataan and came back looking like a skeleton and jaundice from liver failure. I met him years ago, and he shared with me recordings he had made of his captivity. Ironically, he was almost killed when the Japanese “hell ship” he was on was torpedoed by our Navy. The sad fact is the Japanese high command was never held responsible for their atrocities as was the Germans.
My military service was much less dramatic,serving in an Army hospital, taking care of those active duty and retired personnel requiring surgery. I used to joke, the only injury I ever sustained was tripping while running to the chow hall!
I often wonder if today’s generations: X, Millennials, Z, Alpha, Beta could ever have what it takes to storm a beach like Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Tarawa or Normandy? I’m Not sure, it would seem many today couldn’t even pass the physical requirements, much less storming a fortified pill box. Yes, seems like many of military age today are more concerned about their own personal lifestyles rather than those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I could be wrong.
So glad we have people like Trump,Hegseth and Rubio running our military and foreign policy.
@LT I agree that many of today's youth don't view fighting for the country as a noble heroic adventure like the youth did in 1941. However, I believe it’s important not to overlook the strength and capability of today’s service members due to political rhetoric or the media.
We have some incredibly tough, disciplined, and smart men and women in uniform. Many are stronger, larger, and faster than the average 130-pound farm kid drafted into WWII. A modern special forces team would wipe the floor with entire units from the past. It's like comparing the NFL from 1940 to today. We have 300-pound linemen today who run 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. A 1940s offensive lineman wouldn't be able to stop them.
But it’s not just about physical strength anymore. Today’s warriors operate in a world of advanced technology, cyber warfare, drone operations, complex combat systems, and precision targeting across many domains. A modern ship handles dozens of warfare areas simultaneously.
In my Weapons Officer tour, I had a 120-pound female gunner's mate from a cow farm in Nebraska; she was a rockstar on crew-served weapons. And the best Top Gun graduate Master Chief air controller I knew in the Navy, was also female. Gender doesn't matter for most jobs, not everyone needs to be a physical specimen to be highly effective on today's battlefield.
They train in ways that previous generations couldn't—balancing physical readiness with systems knowledge that would’ve seemed like science fiction in 1944. Today, in the Red Sea, 20-year-olds are constantly being shot at by a complex array of cross-domain air and ballistic threats, which only people who grew up in an Xbox world could handle. They live, eat, sleep, and stand watch in harm's way 24/7 for six months straight, and all it takes is a few seconds of error for bad things to happen in that time while managing hundreds of things simultaneously due to the combat information provided to modern systems. They may not be storming beaches in the same way, because that just doesn't make sense anymore, but people are in harm's way constantly, and America still produces brave, badass warriors.
While I agree, those in uniform are stellar at performing their respective jobs and recruiting numbers are way up Commander, the vast majority of prospective recruits are unfit for military service.
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/resources/unfit-to-serve/index.html
Ya, I guess even on Memorial Day you can’t take the day off as a classless idiot.
Thanks for sharing what others said so eloquently about my feelings when seeing the crosses at Normandy and in Luxembourg.
Jim,
While we may differ on a lot of things, I agree with a chunk of what you wrote.
I am not so sure that people are apathetic as to wars, but if you look at the last ~4 we were in, how they started may make people not trust the person(s) who put the soldiers in harms way. The Gulf Wars were found to be fraudulent reasons. Afghanistan was fraudulent as well. Vietnam and Korea were proxy wars. We have to go back to Pearl Harbor for people really wanting to join the military for the country en masse, compared to those who were just drafted.
I will always respect a person who, by choice, puts themselves in harm's way to protect others. To me, those are the heroes. Those that were drafted, they had no choice. Sure, they may have done a LOT of wonderful things, but, they had a choice, either claim bone spurs, flee to Canada, thus exiting the US, or join. That decision was not one made by free will.
I am reminded this day of a lesson I was taught as an 8 year old. My mothers boyfriend served in WW2 in the Navy. His father was in the Navy and his grandfather was also in the military. That was a long line of military men. He told me, "It takes more of a man to walk away from a fight than to get into one." I often wonder if we have 'less' of men now.
America is fortunate in that our geography makes it very hard for wars to happen on our soil. I think American's attitude towards war, and thus, by proxy, respect for the men and women fighting the wars on our behalf would increase if they actually lived through a war that they could see, instead of watch on TV, like a movie.
What a beautiful and timely article. Thank you for the reminder. I will say another prayer for the fallen heroes that have given their all for this country and what it stands for.
Those heros did it for us - it's our duty to do what we can for the next generation and keep our beautiful America safe.
For all who took the oath, stood tall and looking good.
Well done Jim. Thank you.
Thank you Mr. Buckley
Memorial Day reminders for citizens of the Greatest Nation in the History of The World…HONOR those willing to fight & die:
Armed Forces Day is for those still in their uniform.
Veterans Day is for those who hung up their uniform.
Memorial Day is for those who never made it out of their uniform…
Amen, Jim 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks for publishing this and to Andy for chastising us. If it happens again, will we be strong enough to fight and to save our precious land?