I was on the USS Roosevelt, a destroyer in service with the United States Navy.
I was in the ward room onboard the Roosevelt and for those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s where the officers get together for meals.
In the ward room there was a video playing on the ship’s TV showcasing the Roosevelt.
Words flashed across the TV screen. “the USS Roosevelt, 9300 tons of sovereign American territory anywhere in the world.” The video then cut to scenes of the ship ploughing through giant waves, shooting her missiles and in general showcasing 9300 tons of sovereign American territory.
·
The video then cut to the National Ensign flying
off the stern of the ship. The same flag I saluted when I boarded the ship.
·
There have only been a few times in my life when
I have tear‘ed up watching the flag fly. This was one of them.
·
If you don’t feel something seeing the proud
flag of our nation, flying majestically in the wind then you need to do a gut
check or we need to talk.
·
Seeing our flag flying off the stern of the
Roosevelt, I reflected on the sacrifice paid by the men and women who have
fought, bleed and died so that I can be an American.
·
The words of Samuel Adams echoed in my head.
o
"The liberties of our country, the
freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it
is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair
inheritance from our … ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and
danger and expense of … blood, and transmitted them to us with care and
diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present
generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from
us … without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false
and designing men."[1]
·
Four times in my life I’ve had the
opportunity to raise my right hand and swear to support and defend the
Constitution of the United States against all enemies and affirm that I would
bear true faith and allegiance to the same.
o
The was 1st when I enlisted
in the Marine Corps as an infantryman shortly after 9/11.
o
The 2nd and 3rd
were when I was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy a few years ago and a
LTJG when I came on active duty.
o
And the fourth was this past October
when I was promoted to LT.
·
Defending the Constitution does not mean
that I stand guard duty outside of National Archives to make sure that
nefarious people don’t burn it.
o
Defending the Constitution means being willing to “stand between a loved home and war's desolation.”[2]
·
Today
we are here to remember the price of freedom. For those who have always had
freedom, and never known bondage, freedom often has little meaning.
o
For
those who have lived in bondage there is no price too high for freedom.
o
If
I was to place a dollar value on this thing called freedom it would be worth
every penny I had.
o
The
price of freedom is the same for everyone, though it is true that some pay more
than their fair share while others pay nothing at all. The price of freedom has
always been paid by a few who loved freedom enough to pay the cost for
everyone.
·
It
is the words of the poet who best explain who pays for freedom:
§
“It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
Who has given us freedom of religion.
§
It is the Sailor, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
Who has given us freedom of the press.
§
It is the Airman, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
Who has given us freedom of speech.
§
It is the Marine, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
Who has given us freedom to protest.
§
It is the Sailor, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
§
It is the them, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.
Who has given us the right to vote.
§
It is the Soldier, Airman, Sailor and Marine who
salute the flag,
Who serve beneath the flag,
And whose coffins are draped by the flag,
And who allow the protester to burn the flag.”[3]
Who serve beneath the flag,
And whose coffins are draped by the flag,
And who allow the protester to burn the flag.”[3]
o
The price of freedom has been paid by
brave men and women who have sacrificed their own lives that we might be free.
o
They gave their lives to defend a way of
life that we cherish. It is upon their sacrifice that rests the very foundation
of our freedom.
o
We need to not only celebrate their
lives and remember their sacrifice, but also more importantly we need to honor
their sacrifice by how we live.
o
We need to embrace, and protect the very
freedoms that they fought, bled and died for.
o
This protection is embodied in what we call
Patriotism.
o
But what I am talking about here is real
Patriotism.
o
Not the patriotism so often seen that is
composed of short frenzied outburst.[4]
o
The momentary patriotism that car
dealerships prey on, the patriotism of Memorial Day sales. This kind of fake
patriotism does not guarantee or protect freedom, it takes advantage of it.
o
The kind of patriotism I am talking
about is seen in the “tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”[5]
o
Where we say that we will be vigilant
over the freedoms that others have bought for us with their blood.
o
And
so it is as one person put it that our “Eternal vigilance is the is the price
of liberty”[6]
and freedom.
o
It
is easy to utter the words eternal vigilance, “but in truth this is a mighty
assignment. For it is often easier to fight for principles than to live up to
them”[7]
The poet again says better than I what
the cost of freedom is:
o
A little boy sat all alone, consumed
by childish dreams
A baseball glove lay by his side, unraveling at its seams.
The final game had just been played, the score was 10 to 2
His little league team had lost again but that was nothing new.
A baseball glove lay by his side, unraveling at its seams.
The final game had just been played, the score was 10 to 2
His little league team had lost again but that was nothing new.
o
Winning or losing didn't mean that
much to this quiet, little lad
What bothered him most and hurt the worst was the absence of his dad.
There were seventeen kids and sixteen dads at almost every game.
And everyone knew why his dad didn't come but still it wasn't the same.
What bothered him most and hurt the worst was the absence of his dad.
There were seventeen kids and sixteen dads at almost every game.
And everyone knew why his dad didn't come but still it wasn't the same.
o
His daddy was a Boatswains Mate, a
sailor all the way.
He'd been on cans and sweeps and such and often was away.
But then one day his dad came home without his usual grin
And told his Mom they had to talk, his orders had come in.
He'd been on cans and sweeps and such and often was away.
But then one day his dad came home without his usual grin
And told his Mom they had to talk, his orders had come in.
o
He heard his father speak of things
he didn't understand
Like duty and honor and country and what's expected of a man.
His Mom sat awful quietly, her face was etched with fear.
He knew that she had heard some words she didn't want to hear.
Like duty and honor and country and what's expected of a man.
His Mom sat awful quietly, her face was etched with fear.
He knew that she had heard some words she didn't want to hear.
o
And then his daddy picked him up
just like any other day
And said "You know I love you, son, but I've got to go away."
"You know that I'm a sailor and you know what sailors do -
We run the ships and fight the wars for loved ones just like you."
And said "You know I love you, son, but I've got to go away."
"You know that I'm a sailor and you know what sailors do -
We run the ships and fight the wars for loved ones just like you."
o
To the boy it seemed like that had
been a long, long, time ago.
And a boy really needs a dad around to help him as he grows.
To hold the bike when he learns to ride and to fix his baseball glove
But most of all he needs a dad to fill his life with love.
And a boy really needs a dad around to help him as he grows.
To hold the bike when he learns to ride and to fix his baseball glove
But most of all he needs a dad to fill his life with love.
o
His mama read him letters that his
daddy used to write
With strange new words he'd never heard that filled his heart with fright.
His daddy spoke of all the men who helped him fight the war
And how his Chief the day before had won the Silver Star.
With strange new words he'd never heard that filled his heart with fright.
His daddy spoke of all the men who helped him fight the war
And how his Chief the day before had won the Silver Star.
o
His letters spoke of courage and a
gallant brotherhood
Forged of soldiers and of sailors fighting for the common good.
And he praised the brave, young warriors - Army Green and Navy Blue
And he said "they keep the peace and fight the wars for loved ones just like you."
Forged of soldiers and of sailors fighting for the common good.
And he praised the brave, young warriors - Army Green and Navy Blue
And he said "they keep the peace and fight the wars for loved ones just like you."
o
Everyday the young boy waited for
the mailman to come by
For he loved his daddy's letters but they made his mama cry.
Just how long, the young boy wondered, would his mama have to wait
For his daddy to come walking down the drive and through the gate.
For he loved his daddy's letters but they made his mama cry.
Just how long, the young boy wondered, would his mama have to wait
For his daddy to come walking down the drive and through the gate.
o
As the young boy ate his sandwich
and his mama swept the floor
There appeared two Navy chaplains knocking softly on the door.
We regret to inform you" was the way the speech began
Then the mother grabbed her little boy and out the door she ran.
There appeared two Navy chaplains knocking softly on the door.
We regret to inform you" was the way the speech began
Then the mother grabbed her little boy and out the door she ran.
o
Nestled softly in her bosom, the
young boy began to cry
At his mama's mournful question "Oh Lord, Why? Oh Why? Oh Why?
Even at this tender age, he knew his dad was gone
And that he and his mama would always be alone.
At his mama's mournful question "Oh Lord, Why? Oh Why? Oh Why?
Even at this tender age, he knew his dad was gone
And that he and his mama would always be alone.
o
A little boy sat all alone, consumed
by childish dreams
A baseball glove lay at his side, unraveling at its seams.
He wiped away the tears of youth just as the hearse passed by
A baseball glove lay at his side, unraveling at its seams.
He wiped away the tears of youth just as the hearse passed by
o
"Dad, I don't want to be a
sailor. It makes my mama cry." [8]
Citizen Responsibilities
o
A story I heard once talks of a man who
came to the United States a few years ago from a foreign country and who now
has his citizenship. He remarked that next to God and his loved ones, he
considered his citizenship in the United States as his most precious
and priceless possession. He said he loved the United States and was grateful
for the freedom that it afforded him, because, you see, he had lived in a
country where he did not know that freedom. He did not have it.
o
When he said that he loved the United
States and that he thanked God for his citizenship in this country,
he said it with every fiber of his soul. He said he would fight for this
country and this freedom, even if it meant his own life. He said that every
citizen of the United States ought to feel that way;[9]
o Brothers and Sisters we are living through times that would try the toughest of souls and if I’ve read my Bible right its only gonna get worse before it gets better.
o
At times it seems that we are living
through what Thomas Paine, called “times that try men's souls.”[10]
o
“The summer soldier and the sunshine
patriot … will … shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands
now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."[11]
o
“What is obtained too cheap, we esteem
too lightly ... it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as
FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”[12]
At
each retirement I go to both of the following are shared and I believe it
speaks to both patriotism and the cost of freedom.
"I am the flag of the United
States of America;
my name is "Old Glory".
my name is "Old Glory".
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings,
I stand watch in America’s halls of justice,
I fly majestically over great institutions of learning,
I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world.
Look up! And see me.
“I stand for peace – honor - truth
and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident
I am arrogant
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow
banners,
my head is a little higher
my colors a little truer
I bow to no one!!!
my head is a little higher
my colors a little truer
I bow to no one!!!
I am recognized all over the world,
I am saluted - I am respected.
I am revered - I am loved and I am feared!
I am saluted - I am respected.
I am revered - I am loved and I am feared!
I have fought in every battle of
every war for more than 200 years:
Gettysburg, Shiloh, Appomattox, San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome, the beaches of Normandy, Guam,
Okinawa, Tarawa, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and a scores of places long forgotten by all
except by those who were there with me,
I was there!!
Gettysburg, Shiloh, Appomattox, San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome, the beaches of Normandy, Guam,
Okinawa, Tarawa, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and a scores of places long forgotten by all
except by those who were there with me,
I was there!!
I led my sailors, marines, soldiers
and airmen.
I followed them
I watched over them
they loved me!!
I followed them
I watched over them
they loved me!!
I was on a small hill on Iwo Jima,
i was dirty, battle worn and tired
but my sailors and marines cheered me!
And i was proud!!!
i was dirty, battle worn and tired
but my sailors and marines cheered me!
And i was proud!!!
I was at ground zero in New York
City on September 11th as cowardly fanatics attacked America.
I was raised from the ashes of once proud buildings by brave firefighters.
Heroes, who risked their lives to save others, showing all that America, although bloodied, will never be beaten.
I was raised from the ashes of once proud buildings by brave firefighters.
Heroes, who risked their lives to save others, showing all that America, although bloodied, will never be beaten.
Those who would destroy me cannot
win
for I am the symbol of freedom,
of one nation under god
indivisible with liberty
and justice for all.
for I am the symbol of freedom,
of one nation under god
indivisible with liberty
and justice for all.
I have been soiled, burned, torn and
trampled on the streets of my own country
and when it is by those whom i have served with in battle, it hurts.
and when it is by those whom i have served with in battle, it hurts.
but I shall overcome
for I am strong!
I have slipped the surely bonds of earth
and from my vantage point on the moon;
I stand watch over the uncharted new frontiers of space.
I have been a silent witness
to all of America’s finest hours,
but my finest hour comes
when I am torn in strips,
to be used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the field of battle
to all of America’s finest hours,
but my finest hour comes
when I am torn in strips,
to be used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the field of battle
when I fly half mast to honor my
soldiers,
and when i lie in the trembling arms of a grieving mother,
at the grave-site of her fallen son or daughter
and when i lie in the trembling arms of a grieving mother,
at the grave-site of her fallen son or daughter
I am proud!!!!
My name is "old glory"
Long may I wave dear god
Long may I wave.”[13]
To the ghosts of those “who more than self their
country loved” I say this:
“For over 237 years
They have stood the watch
They have stood the watch
While some of us were in our beds at night
They stood the watch
They stood the watch
While some of us were in school
They stood the watch
They stood the watch
Even before some of us were born into this world
They stood the watch
They stood the watch
In those years when the storm clouds of war were
seen brewing on the horizon of history
They stood the watch
They stood the watch
Many times they would cast an eye ashore and see
their families standing there
Needing their guidance and help
Needing that hand to hold during those hard times
But still they stood the watch
Needing their guidance and help
Needing that hand to hold during those hard times
But still they stood the watch
For over 237 years others have stood the watch.
They have stood the watch so that we, our families and
Our fellow countrymen could sleep soundly in safety, Each and every night
Knowing that a sailor, a soldier, an airman or Marine stood the watch
They have stood the watch so that we, our families and
Our fellow countrymen could sleep soundly in safety, Each and every night
Knowing that a sailor, a soldier, an airman or Marine stood the watch
Today we are here to say
'The watch stands relieved’
we have the watch..."[14]
'The watch stands relieved’
we have the watch..."[14]
[1] Samuel Adams,
Essay in the Boston Gazette, 14 Oct,
1771
[2] Francis Scott
Key, “Star Spangled Banner,” LDS Hymn
Book
[3] Attributed to Denis
E. O’Brien in Wayne Karol, Nixon, Clinton, and the War of the Sixties,
Lincoln, NE: IUniverse, Inc., 2004
[4]
Adlai
Stevenson, ''Nature of Patriotism'' given in New York City, 27 August 1952, quoted in John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1955, p. 986
[5]
Adlai
Stevenson, ''Nature of Patriotism'' given in New York City, 27 August 1952,
quoted in John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1955, p. 986
[6] Thomas U.P.
Charlton, The Life of Major General James
Jackson, Augusta, HA: Randolph & Co., 1809
[7] Adlai Stevenson,
''Nature of Patriotism'' given in New York City, 27 August 1952, quoted in John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1955, p. 986
[8] Attributed to Larry
L. Dunn at Welcome to the Goatlocker. "I Don't Want To Be a
Sailor." Accessed May 21, 2014.
http://www.goatlocker.org/resources/cpo/anecdotes/nosailor.htm.
[9] Thorpe B.
Isaacson, Conference Report October 1964, pg 52-56
[10] Thomas Paine, The Crisis, 23 Dec 1776
[11] Thomas Paine, The Crisis, 23 Dec 1776
[12] Thomas Paine, The Crisis, 23 Dec 1776
[13]
Welcome to the Goatlocker. "Old Glory."
Accessed May 20, 2014. http://www.goatlocker.org/retire/retire.pdf.
[14] Welcome to the Goatlocker. "The Watch."
Accessed May 20, 2014. http://www.goatlocker.org/retire/retire.pdf.
