The 80th
anniversary of D-Day caused me to reflect on those young men who gave the last
full measure of devotion to come to the aid of so many others (whom they did
not know and were not related to) that had been enslaved. And all those like
them throughout the years…and wars. Even sadder, it caused me to reflect on
young people now, the majority of whom appear to be entitled, spoiled, and
craven. And the many who are on college campuses, protesting for those that would kill or enslave
them if they had the chance, and against the very freedoms bequeathed to
them.
Time is a fickle thing. Would those
who sacrificed so much have done so if they had known this would someday be the
case? Reparations? Don’t those of us alive today owe them something?
Particularly the kids from wealthy families attending elite schools and
insisting their every demand be met and every protest be heard…even as others
end up paying for their privilege?
I have never fully bought into the
term “greatest generation,” as there have been several great generations. I
think of the Founders in particular, or those that fought in the Civil War.
However, the generation that victoriously fought in World War II, and came home
to build a vibrant economy and thriving families, is certainly one of the
greatest.
But let’s think of them as individuals,
something leftists are loathe to do. Let us think of the young man from Chicago
who hated to leave his struggling family but was proud to serve his country. Or
the one from Los Angeles who was sure he was on the way to becoming a movie
star but followed a higher calling. Or the one from Alabama who wanted nothing
more than to marry his childhood sweetheart and live quietly—and happily—ever
after. And never got the chance. Or the 18-year-old from Iowa who loved the family
farm, and the cool creek running through the north forty. Or the 20-year-old
from Minneapolis who had never missed a summer at the family’s northern
Minnesota lake cabin.
Their sacrifices, some ultimate, now
rarely—and barely—get noticed…if at all. They did not protest. They did not
make demands. They did not blame others for their fortunes. They did not
scream, yell, cry, and dissemble. And they did not stick up for evil. They fought
it.
Greater love hath no man than this.
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