November 10, 2004

VETERANS DAY 2004

Three articles from today’s Stars and Stripes describe just a portion of the danger that our fighting forces face as they perform their duties in OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF). One of the articles speaks of The Gun Truck Company, a battlefield innovation that has grown as OIF lengthened. This shows the ingenuity of American servicemen today, just like the “hedge busters” that were developed in Normandy by GIs confronting a challenge in 1944.

Guardsman Rob Duggan of Pineville, Louisiana was in one of the first deployments as these tactics and techniques were evolving. My friend, Colonel Bud Yarbrough from Alabama was another. Bud already had enough combined active and National Guard duty to retire, and there he was serving a year in Kuwait as a Chief Warrant Officer, a guardsman from Alabama as a war began, helping to make solutions happen.

In years past each of us paid the price of FREEDOM on ten thousand battlefields, WWII to Vietnam, and many since that time exercising vigilance in Korea, Bosnia, Kosovo, and elsewhere. Our membership spans many battles and places. I say thanks to Rob, and all other American servicemen and women, past and present, on Veterans Day 2004. And thanks to America’s Mothers and Fathers who have produced citizens to whom duty, honor, and country still amount for much—so valuable as to risk their lives to keep the faith. Thanks to the "Bud Yarbroughs" helping to pass it along in today’s battles.

I'm writing this while in Washington, DC to participate in the ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery tomorrow morning, November 11, 2004. It will be an honor to represent the KWVA and stand with the Commander-in-Chief to say “Thank you, all of you, for your service.” As this trip began Tuesday and passengers were being seated and belted in on the Continental flight from Alexandria, LA to Houston, TX, two servicemen from Idaho’s 116th Armored Brigade (Guardsmen) boarded going on a last visit home prior to leaving for OIF. I reached out and said “Thank you.” One of the young sergeants replied “Thank you, sir, for leading the way.” I was wearing my Korean War cap.

Thinking about it, soldiering and defending Freedom is a Hooah!-thing passed on from generation to generation. Thank you, National Guardsmen from Idaho—and from everywhere.  Supposedly only “part-time soldiers,”— making it all worthwhile for me. And thank all of you magnificent men and women of the United States Armed Forces this day, and every day, for the rest of your lives. God speed.

"An honor to stand with the Commander-in-Chief...", most certainly. It has been a still greater honor to have soldiered with such wonderful Americans all these years, and now. Thank you, members of the Korean War Veterans Association.