Subject:
Hack's Column 2000-06-14 ~ FLAG DAY ~ Hack in Connecticut
Date:
Wed, 14 Jun 2000 15:37:06 EDT
1) Hack's *DEFENDING AMERICA* 2000-06-14
2) FLAG DAY 2000
3) Hack's Booksigning in Norwalk, CT
4) To Unsub or Ask Questions
**************************
~1~
KING OF TRASH
BY DAVID H. HACKWORTH
Master Sgt. Donald J. Neil, who's attended the best foreign and
American
demolitions schools, is perhaps the finest EOD -- Explosive
Ordnance Disposal
-- specialist in the U.S. Army. He's protected presidents from
Carter to
Clinton and has defused, made safe, repaired, maintained, moved
and blown up
everything that goes pop from firecrackers to chemical and
nuclear weapons.
Neil has more medals for doing his dangerous craft than a
banana-republic
dictator. His fitness reports for 21 years of exemplary Army
service say he's
not only golden, he walks on water.
But his personnel records also testify as to why he's in charge
of the trash
detail at Grafenwoehr, Germany -- a job for an overweight
corporal requiring
only enough brains to walk a reasonably straight line and chew
gum at the
same time. The phrases "moral courage" and "possesses the
highest integrity"
are repeated over and over again in his evaluation reports.
They're his
strength, but also, ironically, what got him in serious trouble
with the
brass.
Neil had the guts to tell the top guys at 7th Army Training
Command in
Germany that they weren't following safe practices. For example,
live dud
artillery shells that could've cooked off any second were left
above ground
just 50 meters from a well-used firing range. And if this and
other
violations of established safety procedures and environmental
rules weren't
corrected, he warned, American soldiers would die.
It turns out his commanding general doesn't particularly like
truth-tellers.
Neil was told to sit down and shut up while scores of dud rounds
ticked away
just waiting for a temperature change, a lightning strike or a
curious
soldier.
You guessed it. A man like Neil with a double basic load of
moral courage
couldn't be muzzled. Instead, he reported these violations to
the folks above
his boss: the Army Inspector General, Army investigators and
finally, in
desperation, to a U.S. senator. But officialdom only yawned and
sent him to a
shrink to have his marbles counted -- standard military drill
when protecting
vested interests and dealing with whistleblowers.
The shrinks said he had more than a full bag of marbles and
marked him fit
for duty. But the local brass wanted their pound of flesh. His
security
clearance was pulled, he was placed under investigation, his
personal mail
was opened by Big Brother, and he was told what he'd already
figured out: The
powers that be were very disenchanted with him. To put it
mildly.
After the brass discovered his complaints were dead on target,
especially
when Neil's full-colonel commander admitted there'd been safety
and
environmental problems for years, Neil's thanks was "his
position was
realigned." And then he was marginalized to become the King of
Trash.
Putting Neil in charge of garbage is almost as absurd as making
Einstein the
dishwasher at Los Alamos.
Noncommissioned officers such as Master Sgt. Neil are the
backbone of the
U.S. armed forces. They are the ones who run it -- always have
and always
will. They lead the small units in peacetime and combat, train
green
lieutenants while keeping them out of trouble and show young
captains the
tricks of the trade.
They're on the line from well before the rooster crows to way
after dark, day
after long day, year after year. They're not rotated into comfy
jobs like
most officers, but spend their 20-plus years down in the mud
where the
bullets sing. There they make sure your sons and daughters learn
to do it
right so their chances of making it through the storm of combat
are as good
as can be.
When senior NCOs are treated like Neil, the word gets out fast.
No wonder so
many of our nation's best NCOs are hanging it up prematurely or
that the Army
missed its recruiting quota by almost 8,000 new soldiers last
year. Or that
morale in the Army is the lowest I've ever seen.
Would you want your son or daughter to belong to an organization
whose senior
leaders try to fry the bearer of bad tidings, lie and cover up
when shown the
truth and aren't willing to punish one senior officer for this
atrocious,
self-serving behavior?
I don't want my kids led by such corrupt men. Do you?
© 2000 David H. Hackworth
Distributed by King Features Syndicate Inc.
<
http://www.hackworth.com>; is the address of David Hackworth's
home page.
Sign in for the free weekly Defending America column there.
Send mail to
P.O. Box 5210
Greenwich, CT 06831
**************************
~2~
FLAG DAY 2000, June 14th
From time to time, we've passed on *Lessons of the Ages* from
Wes Martin.
This segment is a heart-stirring history of the Stars and
Stripes. We share
it with you on this Flag Day, 2000 with gratitude to all who
have made and
kept it our Grand Old Flag.
LESSONS OF THE AGES
*RALLY 'ROUND THE FLAG*
by Lieutenant Colonel Wes Martin
<Signal COP@aol.com>
"We will rally 'round the flag boys, we will rally once again,
shouting the
battle
cry of freedom...We will rally from the hillsides, and gather
from the plains,
shouting the battle cry of freedom."
Long before this Civil War call-to-arms song was written,
warriors of many
nations and causes had rallied to markers identifying their
assembly points.
Because a field of battle is fluid, the markers were moved as
the forces
moved.
The markers required ease of both identification and mobility.
Pieces of
cloth on
staffs or poles well served both requirements. These cloths
have had many
names: flags, banners, standards, and colors to mention a few.
Two of the
oldest
records concerning the use of flags are found in the Bible,
Numbers 1:52 and
2:2
respectively: "And the sons of Israel shall camp, each man by
his own camp,
and
each man by his own standard, according to their armies." "The
sons of Israel
shall camp, each by his own standard, with the 'banners of their
fathers'
households." Ancient Egyptian carvings and Persian paintings
also attest to
use
of banners as identification markers and signaling devices for
base camps and
military units on the move. Through the ages, the banners
became more
elaborate. As villages, clans, and minor kingdoms became
absorbed by modern
day nations; banners representing religious, heraldic, or
genealogical
backgrounds
were replaced by national standards.
During the earliest days of the American Revolution, a series of
flags
emerged; most famous are the Gadsden and Culpepper flags, both
stating "Don't
Tread on
Me." Gadsden featured a coiled rattlesnake on a yellow
background while
Culpepper's was a crawling rattlesnake on a red and white
striped background.
Another early Revolution flag, depicted a rattlesnake broken
into thirteen
pieces,
each piece identifying a colony, above the words "Join or Die."
General
Washington, commanding the siege of Boston, needed a symbol
representing
something of higher quality than a poisonous snake if he ever
hoped to give
legitimacy to his quest.
Washington addressed this issue with Benjamin Franklin, Thomas
Lynch, and
Francis Hopkinson (American statesman, poet, future signer of
the Declaration
of
Independence, and writer of a parody of Yankee Doodle titled
"Battle of the
Kegs"). History cannot confirm, but all evidence indicates that
Hopkinson
took
the lead. The result was the Grand Union flag. Thirteen
stripes were used,
seven
red starting at the top and finishing at the bottom, divided by
six white.
In the
upper left corner, the British Union Jack crosses of Saint
George and Saint
Andrew were placed. Overall, it was a current version of the
American flag
with
the Union Jack in place of the stars on a field of blue. On
January 1, 1776
Washington raised this flag at Charlestown, Massachusetts across
the bay from
British occupied Boston.
The Grand Union flag represented colonial unity against
oppression. It also
represented the intent of future reconciliation with Great
Britain. At this
time,
only among the most die-hard revolutionaries was there a
determination for a
complete break with England. New England was heavily composed
of such
die-hards. Boston's most adamant revolutionary was also
President of
the Continental Congress -- John Hancock. It would be short
order before
formal
rejection of British presence on American soil was declared.
That came six
months later, on July 4th, when John Hancock led the Continental
Congress in
the
signing of the Declaration of Independence. Also by this time,
the British
had
completed their evacuation of Boston. As went New England, so
went the
nation.
When the resolve was made by the Continental Congress to remove
the British
from this new nation, the need also arose to remove the Union
Jack from the
American Flag. It is long since forgotten what person or
committee arrived
at the
recommendation to replace the Union Jack with a union of
thirteen stars
embedded in a field of blue. This union was to represent a new
constellation
that
would light the skies of freedom. Congress approved the new
flag on June 14,
1777. In this legislation, the Continental Congress also
defined the symbolic
meaning of the colors: white was designated to signify purity
and innocence;
red
for hardiness and valor; and blue for vigilance, perseverance,
and justice.
Almost a century would pass before the grandson of Betsy Ross
claimed that she
designed the first American Flag. It is known that following
the death of her
husband in 1776, Betsy Ross did manage the family upholstery
business and did
make flags for the Continental Army. It is very possible that
she sewed the
first
flag. It is also likely that most of her work supporting
American patriots
in the
field was for charity. The Continental Congress was unable to
pay for most
of the
new nation's needs. However, to claim that Betsy Ross developed
a flag that
inspired the Continental Congress into complete acceptance holds
the same
validity as Washington's cutting down of the cherry tree. Both
are examples
of
folklore and storytelling being substituted for facts.
The new flag was manufactured just in time to be initiated into
the field of
battle
at Saratoga. British General Burgoyne had marched south from
Canada with the
intent of breaking New England away from the rest of the
colonies. Just as
the
Stars and Stripes was baptized in battle at Saratoga, it was
also baptized in
victory. This victory resulted in French support of the
colonies, which in
turn
became a deciding factor in the successful outcome of the
American
Revolution.
The American Flag was off to a good start and was destined to
witness many
rough times between Saratoga and the final victory at Yorktown.
Almost thirty years later, the Stars and Stripes came ashore at
Tripoli.
Mediterranean pirates had been warned by President Jefferson to
leave American
ships alone. When they failed to heed the warning, American
Marines were sent
to confront them. Less than ten years later, back on American
shores during
the
War of 1812, Old Glory remained aloft throughout the night as
British warships
shelled Fort McHenry. This stunning sight caused Francis Scott
Key, an
American detainee of the British fleet, to write: "Whose broad
stripes and
bright
stars, thro' the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched
were so
gallantly
streaming! And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in
air, Gave proof
through the night that our flag was still there."
That Star-Spangled Banner marched into Mexico City where a young
lieutenant
named Ulysses Grant pulled his cannon up the stairs into a
church tower to
better
affect his accuracy. The Red, White and Blue rode with Grant
fifteen years
later to the preservation of the Union. It also charged up San
Juan Hill
with Teddy Roosevelt
and a daring cavalry captain named John Pershing. Less than two
decades
later,
British and French allies were stalemated in trenches and left
to slugging
matches
with German armies on European battlefields. American military
forces bearing
the Stars and Stripes, and under the leadership of General John
Pershing,
turned
the tide of victory. This same banner was in the process of
being raised over
Pearl Harbor when an unwarranted air attack came from the East.
It was with
the
American forces at Wake Island, Bataan, Corregidor, and every
other battle
zone during this nation's hour of desperation. Just as it held
at Valley
Forge, the
burning of Washington, D.C., and the Civil War; the Stars and
Stripes remained
flying.
Meanwhile, our military defenses kept fighting. Old Glory was
present at the
Battle of Midway, when the Philippine Islands were retaken, and
when American
tanks smashed through the gates of Nazi extermination camps.
Anyone who
doubts the beauty of the American flag needs only to ask
Holocaust survivors
what it meant to them when soldiers displaying this Flag brought
an end to a
Hell created by twisted minds.
Our Flag represents more than the military endeavors of this
nation. It
stands for all our accomplishments, military and civilian. Just
as it flies
over
military bases, it flies over courthouses, businesses, and
homes. It flies on
American ships, and is displayed on aircraft, both military and
civilian.
This
Flag belongs to every American: those who have gone before, we
who are here
today, and those who will come tomorrow. It also represents
those who have
fought our wars, worked our fields, and labored in our
factories. It
represents
those who have built this nation out of the resources of the
land and out of
American ingenuity. While the Constitution provides our nation
with guidance
and legitimacy, the Flag provides Americans with inspiration and
unity.
Just as the Flag represents the ideals of this nation, it also
represents the
people.
From the very beginning, no one star stood for any specific
state any more
than
any one stripe represented a specific colony. The flag was
forged in unity,
like
the nation it represents. People came to be citizens of the
United States by
many
different means. Today this nation is composed of every race,
established
religion, national origin, and background on Earth. It was
recognition that
this
nation and its flag belong to all citizens that resulted in the
1923 National
Flag
Convention change from the original Pledge of Allegiance.
Written in 1892,
the
Pledge originally stated: "I pledge allegiance to my flag of the
United
States of
America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation,
indivisible,
with
liberty and justice for all." "My flag" became "the flag." The
Constitution
prevents any one person or group achieving from sole power. The
Flag,
representing the nation, likewise is not to be claimed by any
one person.
Unfortunately, there are always those who wish to degrade the
American Flag.
To
do so is to degrade the entire nation, its Constitution, and the
laws that
were set to
protect this land and its citizens. So doing would also be
degradation of the
people who have built this country and those who fought to
preserve it. The
American Flag is still this country's rallying point. When
Americans stand
up to
protect their Flag from abuse, they are not just upholding a
piece of cloth.
They
are protecting the identification of their nation. Too many
have died in the
field
of battle, fighting for the principles and defense of this
nation, to allow
the banner
we rally around to be defiled.
From Valley Forge to present day responsibilities, the United
States has
withstood the test of time. From those early days to the
present, the Flag
has been with us.
What started in ancient times for other people as simple
identifications to
mark
encampments and geographic gathering points has evolved for this
nation into
an
emblem that symbolizes the heritage and spirit of a people.
That spirit was
well
reflected in a John Wayne ballad: "Face the Flag, son, and face
reality. Our
strengths and our freedoms are based in unity. The flag is but
a symbol,
son, of
the world's greatest nation, And as long as it keeps flying,
there's cause for
celebration."
Just as the United States has always picked itself up after
defeats and
setbacks, it
has at one time or another picked up just about every other
nation on Earth.
Old
Glory began symbolizing this nation over two hundred years ago.
General
Washington was in want of a standard to rally the colonies into
one nation.
He
found it in thirteen stripes and thirteen stars entrenched in a
field of
blue. Yet,
even the father of our country could not have had any idea how
important this
Flag
would become to the entire world.
Each time America has rallied 'round its flag. For the citizens
of the United
States, our country's principles and responsibilities are not
just to
remember the past, but to recognize and accept the future. Our
past, our
heritage, woven into every stitch of the American Flag, is our
guide to the
fulfillment of that responsibility. This nation, whose
encampment is freedom
from oppression, is marked by the most
colorful and distinctive national banner on Earth. Especially
in the last
century,
when the world was caught up in a sea of darkness and despair,
the United
States has continued to serve as a stream of light and hope.
Francis Scott
Key's words in the second verse of "The Star-Spangled Banner"
are as
pertinent today as when they were written: "In full glory
reflected, now
shines on the stream. 'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, Oh, long
may it
wave...O'er the land of the free and the home
of the brave."
© 2000, reprinted with permission of author
**************************
~3~
Hack's going to be signing *The Price of Honor* in Norwalk,
Connecticut and
New Mexico this month. If you don't live close enough to make
one of his
visits, please tell any friends you have in these areas that
Hack would enjoy
meeting all of you.
Saturday, June 17th
Barnes & Noble
360 Connecticut Avenue
Norwalk, Connecticut
Contact: Bill Bolster
Community Relations Manager
Phone: (203) 866-2213
Time: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
More details on New Mexico later this week.
**************************
~4~
To be unsubbed from Hack's mailing list, please send me a
request to
<VoiceOfTheGrunt@aol.com> as "SendMeHack" has no incoming mail
capabilities.
Also, I still need your help as I attempt to add addresses of
you who have
signed up using the automatic function on Hack's website since
March. I may
have some duplicates, so please let me know at
<VoiceOfTheGrunt@aol.com> if
you receive more than one copy of this message from me. Thanks
for being
patient,
Judy Martin.
