Lest We Forget
Fri May 25, 2007 at 10:41:02 AM PDT
When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
-- Scene 2, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
My husbands Uncle is buried in Arlington. That’s not an easy thing to do these days. There are very few plots available, you see. Hero’s only – and if nothing else - Uncle John was that. He was awarded The Silver Star during WWII (Pacific Theater). Think Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Mindanao – blood, sand - the stench of death. He saved multiple lives that day – getting shot to hell in the process. Somehow a sensitive, intelligent boy from Chicago found the wherewithal to charge down automatic canon fire and take out the enemy. It was a miracle he lived through it. This selfless act entitled him to interment at Arlington. It was his final request. None of us knew he’d been awarded the Silver Star – not even his wife. On John’s death bed he directed her to a box tucked away in a hall closet. In it lay his medals – and the citation:
For gallantry in action on 17 May 1945. Technician Fifth Grade Bauer sprinted about 50 yards across open terrain under heavy enemy automatic weapons fire, and manned a 90mm gun situated in an open field, immediately silencing enemy fire. Technician Fifth Grade Bauer’s act of bravery and effective delivery of fire was a source of great inspiration to the officers and men of his unit, and reflected highest credit on the Army of the United States.
Today, the Bush Administration gives away Silver Stars like popcorn (never having served, they underestimate its value) - or at least they did in the beginning; creating hero's out of whole cloth. Uncle John was the real deal. In case you are unfamiliar - let me tell you what entitles someone to such an award:
The Silver Star is awarded to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Army, is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The required gallantry, while of a lesser degree than that required for the Distinguished Service Cross, must nevertheless have been performed with marked distinction.
Get that? For distinguished gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. That actually means something, folks – or at least it did during WWII; especially considering the hell-hole most of the Pacific theatre was for the ordinary foot soldier. There were a lot of very brave men back then – truly the greatest generation. John really had to go above and beyond to earn that award - along with his purple heart. Think about it. Somehow a teenager found the balls to step directly into oncoming fire. Wounded, he kept going, shunting aside the pain, saving the lives of all those around him. Men went home to their families that day because of my husbands Uncle John. I’d say his gallantry was ‘distinguished’.
The Silver Star is the third highest military award designated solely for heroism in combat. Established in 1918 as the Citation Star, in 1932 it was redesignated as a medal with a retroactive provision that allowed servicemen as far back as the Spanish-American War (1898) to receive it for gallant actions. Gallant actions. My god! President Bush wouldn’t know a gallant action from a hole in the ground. He has no idea what war is really like – or how thoroughly it can devastate. John would never speak of the war, but it ruined his dreams of being an aeronautical engineer. That college scholarship he’d earned right out of high school? Long gone. So - no money for college, a family to feed – he took the only job he could at the time that kept him near what he loved – working as a maintenance engineer at O’Hare. It must have killed him – watching all those planes – knowing that had circumstances differed, had he been the ‘fortunate son’, he’d have been designing those airplanes instead of fixing them. John was a bitter man up until the day of his death - but once in his life he did something beyond amazing. That Silver Star he earned ranks him amongst America’s bravest.
War is an equal opportunity destroyer, my friends. Politics? Religion? They don’t mean shit out in the field. My husband served ten years in the Navy - playing Secret Squirrel with Russian ‘trawlers’. My Father worked unarmed cargo ships throughout WWI and WWII (Merchant Marine) ferrying much needed food from America to Europe, taking his life in his hands with every run. My own Uncle retired at the rank of Commodore after serving in both world wars (he had been stationed at Pearl Harbor just prior to the attack). What I’m trying to say is I understand the military quite well - and respect its culture. I know what those medals mean – what they stand for. The Bush administration has tarnished the silver on those stars by gifting them for political reasons. Party favors for the Party that knows no shame. So on this Memorial Day - I remember Uncle John and all the courageous men and women who have given up part or all of their lives to the deprecations of war. And I affirm my belief that this war, as with its predecessor Vietnam, is being fought more for one man’s pride than for national policy.
Bring our soldiers home!
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