REMEMBERED PROPERLY
Re: Ben Stein's Memorial Day
Diary and They Did
God's Work:
As always Ben Stein is at his reflective best when he writes about the selfless contributions of our soldiers and veterans. As I have gotten older I find that Memorial Day has become the holiday that has the most personal meaning to me. It is a day to reflect and realize how petty and insignificant the current political squabbles are today. On this day I think about my paternal grandfather. An infantryman who landed at Normandy on D-Day, fought through France only to be cut down by artillery fire on the western side of the Rhine in November of 1944. In 2002 I had the privilege to meet with my grandfather's best friend who was with him at the time of his death. Until this point I only knew my grandfather from his military photograph and my dad's childhood memories of his father. For the next three hours I was in rapt attention. I was told stories not of derring-do, but of a quiet man with two young children who decides to join up late in the war out a sense that "something had to be done." Of a workingman, a carpenter, whose sense of common decency and duty was such that he cared for his family and by extension his country so much that he would put his life at risk for a common moral cause.
When I was a child I was always mad because I never got to meet
the handsome man in the cool uniform. I used to play with my
plastic army soldiers and imagine my granddad storming the beach,
knocking out machine gun nests, and single handedly taking out the
German High Command. My dad would show me his father's medals and
the flag that they received at his funeral. As a young man I became
upset with the fact that a man in his late twenties with children
had no business running off to war. That while admirable, he left
his wife a widow and his children without a father. As time went on
my selfish thoughts gave way to the fact that near the end of the
war we were running out of prime candidates for military service. I
am sure that he realized that it was necessary to heed the call and
sign up for service and in this case the ultimate sacrifice to his
country. Everyday and especially on Memorial Day, I wonder if I
would have had the fortitude to face that challenge. I will never
be able to answer that question. One question I can answer is that
because of my grandfather's love for his family, friends, and his
country I was never faced with that challenge. To all the veterans
and all those on active duty, we can never do enough to honor your
brave service.
-- Ron Pettengill
London, United Kingdom
"They Did God's Work" is the most astoundingly magnificent tribute for Memorial Day I have ever read. It is thought provoking. It is humbling. It is real sympathy for those who have lost a loved one, and ultimate honor for those who have died in defense of our beloved nation. And a much needed slap in the face for those who seek to destroy our nation, mislead our countrymen with falsehoods, separate us from our God and disgrace our Military.
Today is Sunday. It is truly a good day. Because once again, I have been reminded that America is not lost. The leftist media has not won. And our Military is still doing God's work.
God bless you Ben. Thank you for reminding us what Memorial Day
is about. Thank you for reinforcing our patriotism. Thank you for
sending our military forth "in the name of God." Thank you for
being faithful to our nation. After reading this speech, in my
heart I have to call you a brother. I really am shaken to the bone
in appreciation for your service to our nation and for honoring
those who gave their lives for our God and country. Best to
you.
-- Martin N. Tirrell
Lisbon, New Hampshire
The remarks of Ben Stein in Arlington were my inspiration for
Memorial Day 2006. He put the juxtaposition between real Americans
and the MSM into perspective. Those of us with a sense of history
and a modicum of common sense realize that the liberal media have
short-changed the brave men and women who fight for our continued
freedom in America. Radical Islam is a threat to our freedoms and
will continue to spread like cancer unless the brave military are
successful in their mission. God bless their courage and fortitude
in the wake of the cacophony of unknowing critics.
-- Sallie Jones
As a veteran, I offer a small suggestion on "how to make it up to them." But first, I have to say that there is no way to compensate a mother for the loss of her son, or a wife and children for the loss of her husband and their father. But there is something we can join together and accomplish that will keep the hero's spirit alive in the hearts of America.
Ask your self three questions. Does my town have a Veterans' Memorial? Why not? What can I do to make such a memorial a reality?
My town, Wellington, has just such a memorial. It is in a triangular piece of land where all enter the village. Prominently displayed are the flags of the United States, Florida, and each branch of the military. On the rock work that comprises the backdrop are the words "Veteran's Memorial." Quite literally, thousands of people pass it each day.
I think our park is much like a Veteran's Cemetery: a dignified, simple place of quiet peace. Interestingly, on Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Veterans Day it is strewn with yellow flowers. Somebody remembers.
Wouldn't it be magnificent if every town in America had a place
to lay yellow flowers?
-- Jay W. Molyneaux
Wellington, Florida
I understand Ben Stein's compassion for the families of military personnel. My father was a British Army Captain during World War II. After enthusiastically enlisting and training at Sandhurst, he participated in campaigns in Italy, Greece, North Africa and the Middle East. I wouldn't be here today if he hadn't met my mother in Greece. But military life doesn't prepare soldiers for civilian life. By age 40 he was an alcoholic, and at age 50 he shot himself in the head. The repercussions of war go far beyond what most people imagine.
My quibble with Ben Stein is that he doesn't use his brain to do
the most good. If he is able to approve of Keynsian economics in
the New York Times one day, why does he choose to act as
an apologist for the Bush administration the next? The fact that
Americans are dying in Afghanistan and Iraq is indeed disturbing,
and it is appropriate to grieve for the dead, the wounded and their
families. But wouldn't it make more sense for a person with Ben
Stein's influence to discourage our participation in ill-conceived
wars? If we hadn't invaded Iraq, none of those casualties would
have occurred, and Saddam Hussein would still be doing his brutal
dictator shtick -- without any weapons of mass destruction. Ben
Stein comes across as an opportunistic journalist and a servant to
those in power.
-- Paul Dorell
Highland Park, Illinois
Thanks Ben Stein for your insightful article. I am a veteran and
you hit the nail squarely on the head. Good to see that there are a
few in Hollywood who understand the sacrifices our service members
and their families make to preserve our way of life.
-- Dusty Woodlee