Americana

Americana

Staging for the Pine Valley Days Parade

Those who would want folks to believe Americana no longer exists are sorely mistaken.  All they need do is visit small town America.

In July alone, two small towns east of San Diego held parades, each of which was filled with American flags, cheering, and respect and love for our country.  No one was forced to come out to these celebrations, because friends and neighbors willingly sought out the events.

Unlike some liberal events, no one was paid to attend.  No activists were bused in from out of town, if not out of state.  No protesters drove all night from San Francisco to disrupt the activities.

Indeed, local people came out to honor a fellow patriot and combat veteran.

Wearing the straw hat in the back seat is Jack, a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War.

Yeah, Americana is alive and well all across the country, so do not buy into the opinion of some that it is dying out.  Nothing could be farther from the truth. 

Wednesday musings

If you were fortunate enough to watch the broadcast of the Major League Baseball All Star Game, you were also fortunate enough to see patriotism presented unashamedly.  During the opening ceremony, living Medal of Honor recipients formed a line on the infield.  Men who have been recognized by our nation for their valor on the battlefield.  (Note:  I was privileged to have served under one of them, Major General James E. Livingston, U. S. Marine Corps Retired.)

And there was a magnificent chorus, bedecked in red, white, and blue forming the image of our nation flag.  As the chorus sang our National Anthem, not one player took a knee.  The Anthem lifted, with player, spectators, and the Medal of Honor recipients rendering the proper honors.  Inspiring!

As to the game...well it turned out to be a home run derby mixed in with pitching.



  

Various gray beard views

Various recent gray beard views include shaking of one's head when reading a headline declaring our government is meeting with the DPRK to discuss repatriation of the remains of "Korean War veterans' remains."  Egad!  Some editor really does not understand matters military, confusing those Killed in Action (KIA) with the living who served in the military.  If the supposed conservative news network makes such an elemental mistake, it is no wonder other military matters are so woefully misreported.

Thinking of patriotism, the stark difference between two stories caught my attention.  From Mississippi came the story about a memorial to the Marines and sailor who perished a year ago in military aircraft mishap.  In part, the story reads, " Hundreds of relatives and friends of the 16 victims gathered for ceremonies at Mississippi Valley State University and the nearby memorial..."  I could not help but compare Mississippi Valley State University to the University of Kansas, where a defaced American flag was purposefully flown, supposedly as an artistic expression.  

Having supported the military funeral of one of the Marines who perished in that aircraft mishap, I remember the folded American flag being handed to the Marine's widow.  I remember the American flags flying from our motorcycles, as we escorted the procession to the Miramar Nation Cemetery.  I remember the Marines in Dress Blues.  There was no "artistic" expression made as a blatantly political statement that day.  But there was a class of elementary school students standing at the funeral home, some with small American flags in hand.  Hopefully none of those young patriots will be tempted to attend the University of Kansas.

Ah, yes, there are stories and experiences a plenty that get this gray bearded head to shake.  Most of the time it is in awe of the patriotic spirit seen across this great of ours.  Of course, there are also times when the head shakes come from seeing ignorance.