I am a veteran and an outdoor enthusiast who has spent the last 10 years working in the outdoor industry. This industry is the first in which I experienced the same camaraderie and commitment to purpose as I did during my Navy Career.
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This song is a follow on from my poem Stolen Honor, it imagines a fictional soldier — Johnny Ayers — who was part of 1st Platoon and the impact the President’s unjustified actions had on him.
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As a veteran I have been troubled by this idea that as a group we have the moral authority to claim our country’s iconography as righteously ours. That perceived disrespect towards our nation’s symbols is also a direct affront to those who have served in the military.
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Several years ago, I wrote this for Memorial Day. In it I discussed how as of late, many Americans tend to treat every patriotic themed holiday as an ongoing celebration of our military – a type of political correctness that no one would question or find offensive. Of course there is nothing wrong with that – especially for the holidays intended to honor those serving and those who have served:
Armed Forces Day – a day to celebrate our currently serving military
Memorial Day – a day of remembrance for those who have died while serving
Veterans Day – the day we honor those who have served
As a retired naval officer, each of those holidays holds a special place of reverence in my heart. I am quite privileged to be included in this sacred fraternity.
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