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.