Letter: ‘Is this what they fought and died for?’

Published 10:10 am Tuesday, June 4, 2019

To the Editor:

I just received the latest publication of Imprimis from Hillsdale College, which featured “Sacred Duty: A Soldier’s Tour at Arlington National Cemetery,” compiled by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton from Arkansas. My attention was immediately captured by the first paragraph “Every headstone,” which described how the miniature American flags were placed at the graves in Arlington Cemetery. Only one soldier is allowed to place the flag on a row for conformity due to boot size. The flag is placed one boot length from the head stone, and the length cannot vary for the full row.

The article went on to give the history of the “Old Guard,” which was the oldest active duty infantry regiment in the Army dating back to 1784 and nicknamed “the old guard” in 1847. They have served in every war in our history and remain the only unit in the Army authorized to march with bayonets fixed to their rifles in honor of their forerunners’ bravery at Cerro Gordo. Since 1948, the Old Guard became the Army’s ceremonial unit and official escort to the president at ceremonies.

The article is full of fascinating history, and the final comment tells a lamentable story: While attempting to explain the history with a foreign military leader, Sgt. Maj. Dan Dailey said that the foreign leader stood looking out the window at all those headstones and, after a long pause, commented, “Now I know why your soldiers fight so hard. You take better care of your dead than we do our living.”

Then I think about all of our homeless vets, second-rate health care, dishonored by small-minded football players and the under-educated younger generation, the attempt to dishonor the U.S. Constitution whose rights they took an oath to defend, and ask myself, “Is this what they fought and died for?”

Judy Kerr

Canyon City