J. D. Pendry

When Johnny comes marching home again
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We’ll give him a hearty welcome then
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The men will cheer and the boys will shout
The ladies they will all turn out
And we’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.

Mr. Frank Woodruff Buckles is 107 years old. A resident of Charles Town, West Virginia, he is the last known surviving Veteran of World War I. Most Americans, I believe, cannot tell you very much about the war meant to end all wars. They could not talk to you about American Army recruits boarding ships headed for Europe having never fired a rifle in training. They never fired them because they did not have them. Our standing regular Army before entering the war was practically nonexistent by any reasonable standard of measurement. Mentioning names like Ardenne, Belleauwood, Chateau-Terrie, and Meusse-Argonne will probably not get a conversation started outside of military circles. Most also do not know that men like Mr. Buckles were not welcomed home with a GI Bill of Rights to help them restart their post war lives as were the Veterans of World War II.

World War II Veterans came home to a grateful nation. Grateful, because we were a nation at war then rather than a nation preoccupied with which celebrity overdosed this week while its Soldiers were at war. World War II Veterans were fortunate to have the GI Bill of Rights, The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. If you study it, you will learn that it did not come easily as most things of value do not come easily from our politicians. In the end, it was as much about trying to make themselves feel better for their neglect of World War I Veterans as it was to help World War II Veterans restart life. Regardless of what motivated each individual Congressman, the GI Bill provided one of the greatest returns to our nation of any investment ever made in it by a collection of politicians.

Before the war, college and homeownership were, for the most part, unreachable dreams for the average American. Thanks to the GI Bill, millions who would have flooded the job market instead opted for education. In the peak year of 1947, veterans accounted for 49 percent of college admissions. By the time the original GI Bill ended on July 25, 1956, 7.8 million of 16 million World War II veterans had participated in an education or training program.

Of our living Veterans, 13.9 percent (2006 statistics) are World War II Veterans. 39 percent of our total Veteran Population is over 65 years old. Some who read this will be present on the day when someone writes about the last surviving Veteran of World War II. If there is by that time anyone left who would care to write or read about it.

Our largest population of Veterans is from the Vietnam era, comprising 33.5 percent of our total Veteran population. This group of Veterans endured combat in a politically mismanaged war that they were not allowed to win. Those who were grateful to them for their service had their voices drowned out by those who welcomed them home with baby killer signs and mischaracterization of their service in all forms of the media. They were repeatedly Kerryed, but rarely thanked or defended. The 1960s provided us with the ugliest view of some Americans and politicians. Young men and women sent off to fight a war that our political leaders believed necessary and once the politicians got them into it they seemed to always be facing 3 down with 9 yards to go in a never ending game of political football. How does a young person understand being sent to a place where every single person he confronts might want to kill him only to come home to a collection of people that openly detest his very existence?

Nothing much has changed since then. In print and broadcast media and by politicians, our Veterans and serving Men and Women are still mischaracterized. In the most recent episode of liberal lunacy, the Berkeley, California city council voted to tell the United States Marine Corps Recruiters that they are unwelcomed intruders in the Republic of Berkeley. I will bet you my tiny Military Retirement check that if these were Murtha Marines, the Berkeley city council would offer them the keys to the city. This is not new for Berkeley. In October 2005, I wrote Cancelled in Berkeley about how old anti-war hippie Joe McDonald caused the city’s Veteran’s Day observances to be cancelled. I will also bet you that this nonsensical collection of miscreants got more press than did Mr. Buckles.

So, here we are now with an apparent Presidential nominee who is a War Veteran and former Prisoner of War. One who clearly sacrificed in service of his country. If you read last week’s posting, you know that I’m not a fan of the politics of Senator John McCain and had the Republican Party bosses here in Wild Wonderful given me the opportunity, I would have voted for another candidate. But let us put that aside for a minute. The Senator will oppose either the first Black or Woman candidate for the Presidency, both of them liberal media darlings of the Berkeley class of politicians – make no doubt. I will make you another wager. In the not too distant future, the papers will fill with stories of post traumatic stress disorder hinting that someone who has endured the traumatic events of war that Senator McCain has must surely suffer from it. Then will follow the stories about his temper and hot headedness ad nauseam and all of it meant to not so subtly put the question of fitness into the minds of voters. The people who have made careers out of loathing the military will not change their spots to be nice to War Veteran and Prisoner of War Senator John McCain.

As you enter the voting booth on Election Day, you may not have it in your heart because of your political disagreements to vote for Senator McCain. Maybe you might want to consider accepting the task as I have. In the interest of Service Men and Women, Veterans and the security of our country – even Berkeley – I must and will pull the lever against Obama or Clinton.

Let love and friendship on that day,
Hurrah, hurrah!
Their choicest pleasures then display,
Hurrah, hurrah!
And let each one perform some part,
To fill with joy the warrior’s heart,
And we’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.

Copyright © J D Pendry, 2008, All Rights Reserved