I came, I saw, I left it free

 

He was a farm boy, the son of a Russian immigrant, well learned in the strive for freedom, volunteerism was the norm on the farm or you got a job less appealing for having not volunteered. When the word of volunteering for a mission important for the cause was mentioned, with hat in hand he waved up high, with a zealous cheer he cried I: I volunteer!

His job, he volunteered to do, nothing could be greater a sacrifice for a boy of 17, a scout.  The Company consisted of young boys and men, some eagerly volunteered and others selected, but all learned quickly compassion for each other, and a deep sense of survival for each other as they were so crudely placed upon a wild island in the Pacific with the sheer task of discovering where the Japanese were hunkered in. 

No man could live in that hole, or could they? For Peter it seemed impossible to imagine, to fathom but they learned Japanese would stop at nothing to hide themselves from the enemy, wait it out and pounce upon them with all life and strength bestowed upon them from their creator. Viciously they attacked, killing fields of soldiers, mangled and dead, blood spilled like streams of water, going from something living to lifelessness. For a young boy fresh off the farm, the death fields where hard to understand, death was natural and common on the farm; animals, older generations all lived and died in a natural sequence of normal events but, war was not natural and this horrid scene did not play well in his young mind.

His mind and soul finally came to an understanding, live or die. He chose to live but still had to bargain with God on the thought perhaps his destiny might be the here and now with no hereafter; therefore to God he asked forgiveness for his killing, but for God to understand he must do it for survival of his own being as well as for freedom alone. There was no room, no place for Japanese rule or German rule in the world, no man should live under such oppression. All too well, he knew of oppression, his father’s words rang in his ears, ‘Freedom, it is the only descent way for a man to live, oppression brings death to the people,’ over and over he heard it louder than the sounds of death around him. God heard him, and gave him the strength to carry not only himself through but others he helped along the muddy paths.

Disease and injuries plagued him, yet he fought on, he was a scout, there was no evacuation for the scouts, they went in before others landed on the beaches, making it easier for the troops; yet we know they were just fodder for Japanese, waiting quietly, still, in the underbrush. Three times he went in, three times he came out with only two or three left in his group, leaving behind friends that would be in his heart for a lifetime. God was working through him, his strength endured, his father’s words gave him the energy, the will to carry forth the mission he had volunteered to do, Freedom was won, his contribution a success, he left the Pacific free.

We all have heard these stories, we hear them becoming teary as we go through the words but do we really look beyond the words? All soldiers of freedom have the commonality of being a patriot guided by their creator, to do something ordinary but have it accomplish something extraordinary. Veteran’s Day comes and goes, we think short but honorable thoughts about veterans then the day passes until next year. I rather feel our freedom is at stake each day, and every soldier of freedom uses his ability to defend American knowing the threat of oppression from an enemy, externally or within, can happen under their watch and they will be ready.

Soldiering, volunteering, in the name of freedom, is a powerful thing, one that Peter and all others like him understand; they do it because they know there is no other substitute for freedom, our creator bestowed upon us liberty and no man or government shall take that away because oppression only begets death – death to people and to a nation. The need for patriotism is high, volunteering is as important today as it was for this young soldier over 65 years ago – consider joining in the spirit of this soldier, volunteer for freedom, become a patriot, demand the redressing of all complaints threatening our freedom and liberties. Freedom is not free, we need to pay for it through volunteering to be on the watch. 

Is the Past repeating itself?

I took the time, not for old time sake, but to provoke some thought; to see the old classic mini series: Winds of War. Really, I did not need to see this in order for me to know or see the Past coming quickly up behind me, ready to grab me yet it was the movie that made me want to scream out, "Does anyone see what is coming? Do we need to repeat this?"

It was the year 1939 and much of the world allowed this new leader of Germany to run rampant over the European nations. So long as the alligator is not eating you, just turn your head or shake your head, say to yourself: too bad, poor folks, glad it is not me. But that was the wrong method of thinking. It did not take a scientist, a genius to see this man was crazy. Yet, hundreds, thousands believed his rants and followed this guy. He made decrees that made your skin crawl but people who should have known better, should have stood up against him, just followed and carried out the decrees. How is it that any human could think of another human, perhaps their neighbor as unworthy to live because they believed differently than you. Remember, it was just not Jews that this man sentenced to death but devout Christians, handicapped, even those that did not appear to be of 'good' stock.

You can see from history this man had a way with words, his words though false nonetheless were presented with such charisma to the masses that the masses believed them, The masses were in awe over him, they heard words that put blame upon certain people for their misfortunes from WWI, they heard words that somehow made them feel better after thinking revenge on these certain people would make their lives better. The masses acted like zombies, carrying out the decrees no matter how horrid, turning in their neighbors of years, taking property of the Jews, ratting out others that had sense to try to stop it. How could sensible people all of a sudden become so senseless? It was those words.

It was not just those words that did it. There was also a sense among many that Hitler would go away, that he would stop at - say Poland, and go no further. People thought they had gone through hard times before and things changed so they needed only to wait things out and better times would come. People also thought if they stuck their heads in the sand that when they extracted their buried heads things would be fine again. These people allowed the autocracies  to  take place, they also where among those that were sent to concentration camps to end their lives there. I wonder how many of these looked back and wished they had done differently, had left when they could, would have organized and fought back; rather than give their lives to a cause of a crazy man. I dare say, all of them.

So how is that we hear these words repeated and we just sit there listening but not doing anything about it. How is it that decrees that the people did not vote for are being allowed to take hold? How is it that we are allowing our supreme law, the Constitution to be thrown off to the side with hardly a whimper? Do we not see the writing on the wall, do we not hear words that sound good but are false words only to draw you in? Are we not strong enough to close our ears to these words and stand up to fight for what is ours? Do we not see that each move this man makes draws us closer and closer to a  government run state with no power to the people? With directives that are not voted on being made each day our freedoms, our rights, our liberties are ignored, taken away from us. Where is the fortitude, the fighting genes, the desire for freedom that our forefathers had? Has all that been bred out of us?

I still have the genes within me, I still feel freedom in my veins, I still have God within my soul  and I will rally with others that do also. I will not lie down and allow my country to be taken away, it is too good to give away. I will not stay and be given up by neighbors that are senseless but will leave to live and fight for what is mine.  My forefathers, my ancestors gave their lives for this freedom land we call America and no man or his followers will take it away.

Wake up - hear the right words, turn deaf years on the false ones, stand up before you are forced to sit down, fight for freedom before there is no fight left, live for freedom before they make you die for not being of the right stock for their new regime.