Monday, June 27, 2022

A Word To The Wise (may not be enough)

 

A WORD TO THE WISE

SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT, BUT IS IT?

By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, June 27, 2022

 

So you know, the average size of a fuel tank on a “big rig” is between 120 gallons and 150 gallons AND there are TWO such tanks on most trucks.  This is a fact!  https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-many-gallons-does-it-take-to-fill-up-a-big-rig

On June 13, 2022, the average cost of a gallon of diesel fuel is $5.718 and it will continue to increase.  This is a fact!  https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-many-gallons-does-it-take-to-fill-up-a-big-rig

Since the size of tanks vary from 120 to 150 and that there are two such tanks, that means that the trucks you see on the streets carry between 240 and 300 gallons of fuel in EACH big truck.

You can do the math but I have already done it for you.  Let’s say that on average these trucks carry 270 gallons of diesel fuel costing $5.718 a gallon.  That means that when they fill up their tanks, the total cost of the fuel within those tanks is $1,543.86.

The average cost of diesel fuel in January 2020 was $3.064.  Using the same numbers, that equals $827.28 of fuel when the tanks are topped off.  https://fuelsmarketnews.com/eia-gasoline-and-diesel-retail-prices-update-january-14-2020/#:~:text=On%20a%20national%20average%20basis,the%20same%20week%20last%20year.

What is the difference?  $1,542.86 minus $827.28 equals a difference of $715.58 INCREASE IN A TRUCKER’S COST to deliver the same amount of goods in 2022 than it did in 2020.  And as the statement below indicates, many if not most of the trucks you see on the highways are independently owned and operated.  The cost of fuel IS driving these “small businesses” out of business!  This link confirms this and provides a lot more information than you probably want to know or even understand.

For the average “Joe” on the street, and that includes you, who goes shopping, the last thing on Joe’s mind is the cost of diesel fuel.  He is more interested in the cost of milk, bread, eggs, formula, breakfast cereal, meat, paper products, etc.  With that in mind, I want to repeat a note I received from a friend.  There were no references on the note, only the following comment.  Therefore, I did my own research which is posted above this paragraph to verify what the following statement indicates.  I didn’t doubt the comment, I simply wanted to include actual references to the costs referred to. Read it for yourself and then YOU decide if you should be stocking up on non-perishable food products and water.  The note:

I need to get something off my chest… I generally refrain from talking politics, and especially making political posts, however I need to say this. 

What I’m going to post is real, not somebody that a friend’s, cousin’s, sister’s, neighbor has happening to them… 

I own a small trucking company, and this is what the fuel crisis is doing to our country… so this directly affects me, you, our children, our country. 

Today I filled up my truck to deliver products that help keep our country fed. When I filled up my truck, it cost me $1,149.50. This is ONE truck, for ONE day of fuel. I own three. So for one day of operation, it’s costing me $3,448.50. (Yes, we use a full tank of fuel every single day, sometimes more than 1 tank per day) 

My trucks generally run 5-6 days a week, so we’ll just estimate on the low side and say 5. That’s $17,242.50. Last week was over $20k for ONE week, that I have to pay out of my pocket to try and keep not only my children fed, but those of my employees, and our country. 

Mark my words, we are on a downhill slide to the worst recession our country has ever seen. If you don’t believe me, I implore you to do your research. 

Trucking companies are going under left and right. (Literally hundreds weekly) If you’re not aware, what you’re wearing, what you’re eating, what you’re living in, what you’re driving, what you’re reading this on, was delivered by a truck. 

If something drastic doesn’t change in the next few weeks/months, I promise you, you’ll see empty shelves everywhere you look. You’ll see chaos as people fight for the basic necessities of everyday life. Food, medicine, etc... 

If something doesn’t change, I pray that all of you have the ability, knowledge, and skills to fend for yourselves. Not only against those who would do you or your family harm, but to be able to find sustainable food and water. 

This is a scary time. Not only for small business owners, but every single American. 

So please, please do your research when we vote for those we place in power. This isn’t just on the federal level, but on the state levels as well. We have got to start making informed decision based on fact. Not because the media says we should like/dislike somebody. 

Truck drivers are out here going for broke, holding onto something we know this country needs. 

So if you know a truck driver, please tell them to hold on as long as they can. Our country won’t survive without them…

As you can see, the ACTUAL numbers for June 13, 2022 are even worse than what this truck owner indicated in his statement.  I have read numerous articles from many different authors and sources and they all have suggested that we should be stocking up on non-perishable food products and I would suggest gasoline as well.  The cost of getting these products to the store shelves is ever increasing and there does not appear to be a solution (end) coming any time soon.  There will be food shortages, how prepared are you?  I can recall the 4 weeks following Hurricane Katrina when it was impossible to buy anything because of the lack of deliveries, the lack of power, the lack of just about everything.  Don’t be so quick to rule out the loss of power because we have already been warned that there could be rolling blackouts as a distinct possibility.  When you have no power, it is almost impossible to buy anything that uses electricity to check you out at a computer/register.  Nor can you retrieve any money from an ATM machine that also works on electricity.  Therefore, in addition to non-perishable food products and extra gasoline, I would recommend that you also having cash available in small bills.  Why small bills?  You don’t want a shop owner telling you that he or she cannot break a $100 bill for you which will happen, I know this because of what followed Hurricane Katrina. 

A word to the wise “should” be sufficient.  Or as Benjamin Franklin REALLY said: 

A word to the wise is enough, and many words won't fill a bushel.

Saturday, June 25, 2022

Integrity & Professional Sports

 


INTEGRITY & PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

or

OIL AND WATER

By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, June 25, 2022

 

The headline says it all.  Browns QB Deshaun Watson settles 20 of 24 sexual misconduct lawsuits.”  You can read all about it by going to this link:  https://www.sportsnet.ca/nfl/article/browns-qb-deshaun-watson-settles-20-of-24-sexual-misconduct-lawsuits/ 

Here’s a headline you probably DIDN’T see or hear.  Viktor Hovland self-reports penalty after mom's call, then MCs (misses cut) from The Players.”  You can read all about it by going to this link:  https://www.golfchannel.com/news/viktor-hovland-calls-penalty-himself-after-his-mom-points-out-his-error 

There could not be any more diverse positions than the two mentioned above but they are only two; but are there only two examples?  There are far more situations involving professional athletes than hit the headlines almost every day or at least every month.  Very few are of the caliber of Viktor Hovland who called a penalty on himself and then missed the cut.  That caused him to NOT earn very much money if any money at all by missing the cut.  What will Deshaun Watson miss by settling with 20 of 24 sexual misconduct lawsuits?  He may “settle” but he will still play for the Cleveland Browns and earn bazillions by doing so.  Meanwhile there exists another dichotomy on the Cleveland Browns team in the name of Baker Mayfield.  It is doubtful that Mayfield was consulted when the Cleveland Browns went out on a limb, so to speak, to acquire the rights to Deshaun Watson and it cost the Browns millions of dollars to acquire those rights.  The Browns KNEW about the sexual misconduct charges and signed him anyway.  It seems obvious to me that the Browns had no integrity in the way they treated Mayfield and Watson. 

In Mayfield’s case, he gave all there was to give on the playing field and it appears that he is a standup kind of guy off the field as well.  Watson, using a metaphor to describe his play with the Houston Texans, “phoned in his performance” by not giving his all because he did not want to play for the Texans.  The Browns basically ignored that as well believing that whatever caused him to not want to play for the Texans, would not be applicable on the Browns team.  Really?  Once a prima donna always a prima donna.  Baker Mayfield was NOT a prima donna or at least he did not appear to be one, especially given the way he handled the arrival of Watson onto the Cleveland Browns team.  

The Cleveland Browns showed no integrity in signing Watson and no integrity in the way they treated Mayfield.  Should or does that surprise me?  Absolutely not.  Professional sports are all about winning at all costs and sadly college sports and even high school sports is much of the same.  Except for golf and tennis, the rules governing the various sports seem to apply ONLY when you are caught.  Otherwise, teams and players go to the line and cross over it as often as they can and then look surprised when they are caught. The most recent historical abuse of the rules involved the Houston Astros, a major league baseball team.  They went to great lengths to steal the signs the opposing teams were using to send in the next pitch the pitcher was to throw.  In other words, the batter KNEW what kind of pitch to expect and that made it much easier to hit.  As a result, the Houston Astros made it all the way to the World Series by breaking the rules until they were caught.  The coach was fired but the players were not.  Still, the players knew what was happening and benefited greatly by having the knowledge of what the next pitch was going to be.  If a team had integrity, everyone on the team would have paid the price, not just the coach, who, by the way, was hired by another Major League Baseball team – so much for integrity. 

Compare that to Viktor Hovland who called the penalty on himself and missed the cut in the tournament thus he missed earning any money for his play and also the chance to win a very major golf tournament.  That’s integrity – stealing signs is not.  Nor is doctoring a football which was the alleged case of the New England Patriots when it was discovered that their footballs were slightly deflated making them easier to grasp and thus throw for completions.  Soccer players are famous for taking very theatric flops in hopes of getting a call from the referee.  The same applies to basketball where the rules are almost non-existent.  Watch any basketball game and do your own refereeing to see how many of the game’s rules are routinely broken like the 3-second in the lane rule, or the palming of the ball rule or taking too many steps rule.  More blatant are the physical abuse players both take and give during a game.  Basketball was once a game that required athleticism and finesse.  I remember being called for a foul by simply “hand-checking” while on defense.  Today they beat the Hell out of each other and there are few if any violations called when they do.  

Basketball lacks integrity in the area of politics as well.  Some of the players and owners have been very vocal regarding their political positions and that is their right.  Is it smart?  I don’t think so.  I have been in sales for more than 30 years and the first rule of business is NEVER PISS OFF A POTENTIAL PAYING CUSTOMER!  EVER!  When a professional athlete, Hollywood actor, singer or company president makes his or her political beliefs public, you immediately run the risk of losing money because you will have upset at least half of your POTENTIAL PAYING CUSTOMERS!  The National Basket Ball Association is different.  They have HUGE monetary ties to Communist China.  They have not and probably will not ever say anything political against China out of fear of losing the income they expect to receive from China.  This even though China has flagrant civil rights abuse policies and practices some of which have cost thousands of people their lives.  But the NBA is silent on these issues while they preach about issues in the United States.  Not only is that lacking integrity, it is out right hypocritical.  In the eyes of the National Basketball Association (NBA), it is perfectly permissible to bash a political person and/or party but it is NOT okay to make any derogatory comments about Communist China because it may cost the league money.  Doesn’t the “league” understand bashing someone in politics or a political party is also costing the league money and viewership?  How dumb does someone have to be to be elected to leadership positions within the NBA? 

Compare that to a business I have a great deal of knowledge about – real estate.  Most license real estate agents are members of the National Association of REALTORS®, known as NAR (but not all licensed agents are members).  By agreeing to the terms of membership, NAR REALTORS® agree to practice their business by complying with the REALTORS® CODE OF ETHICS.  If you want to know all there is to know about the REALTORS® CODE OF ETHICS, go to: 

https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/realtor-code-of-ethics  

To put it in simple terms, the offices/companies for which I was the responsible Broker for, all had Operations Manuals that were simple rules of understanding for doing real estate business under the banner of the office.  One such rule was that if anyone knowing or intentionally broke one of the many REALTORS® CODE OF ETHICS, they would face immediate termination.  Being a professional REALTOR® that conducted his or her business according to the rules meant everything to the professionalism of the business.  Like everything, one rotten apple spoils the entire bushel.  

That principle seems lost on professional athletes who knowingly and willfully break the rules as if they didn’t exist knowing that the officials will not catch everything they do.  They do this even with the intent of physically bringing harm to an opponent.  Nothing disgusts me more than to see a blatant disregard of the rules and a player get seriously hurt and then the player who violated the rules takes a knee to show everyone that he cares about the injured player.  Believe that and I do have ocean front property in Arizona you may be interested in. 

I don’t mean to single out ONLY the Cleveland Browns. The New Orleans Saints star running back, Alvin Kamara was arrested by assaulting someone following a football game in Las Vegas.  People are innocent until proven guilty in America.  The question in my mind is this.  Does a person’s behavior as a civilian (as compared to on-the-job) reflect on his or her future employment with his or her employer?  As in Kamara’s case, should the New Orleans Saints put integrity above on-the-field performance?  The answer to me is simple.  Any player, star or otherwise, would be placed on suspension from the team until either found guilty or innocent.  A team could still compensate the athlete until the case is determined or not pay the athlete if the team’s printed rules and regulations so stipulate.  This is only one of the many reasons I am not a professional coach of any sports team because the player would sit on the bench if the team’s ownership did not suspend the athlete.  If I had the authority, I would terminate the player because he or she was not contributing to the team’s public brand in a positive way.  It would also show that my team, its ownership and I put winning above everything else, especially integrity. 

I recently read where the New Orleans Saints “fans” are upset that Kamara “may” receive a six-game suspension.  As for Watson, there is no current news as to any penalty from the team and/or the league regarding his future.  Reading the release about the Saint’s fans goes to show that the fans, like the team, only care about winning and care very little, if at all, about what a player may have done that involved committing crimes.  To me that is just sick.  Kamara and Watson are entitled to their day in court but I would like to remind everyone of Ray Rice FORMERLY of the Baltimore Ravens who was caught on camera abusing his wife in an elevator.  Rice has not played another down for the Ravens or any other NFL team.  Where is the equity for Rice when you consider what will most likely happen to Watson and/or Kamara?  I am NOT siding with Ray Rice; I am only pointing out the discrepancy in treatments.

Monday, June 20, 2022

Apathy = Useful Idiot

 


APATHY = USEFUL IDIOT

By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, June 17, 2022

 

Definition of “apathy”:

1:  lack of feeling or emotion:  IMPASSIVENESS drug abuse leading to apathy and depression

2:  lack of interest or concern:  INDIFFERENCE political apathy

There is no question that I am in the winter of my life.  As such, it is becoming very obvious to me that people of my age think quite differently than those who are much younger, probably you.  Growing up in the 1950s, I was taught to respect authority.  In my young life in the 50s authority meant parents, elders, teachers and police officers.  The thought of government, local, state or federal rarely if ever crossed my mind.  Did that make this ten-year old’s mind apathic?  Or was it that this ten-year old was never exposed to such worldly things as the local, state and federal governments or for that matter, world affairs in general.

In the 1950s, television was a new technology.  TV sets had a very large and heavy picture tube with lots of other tubes of various sizes.  Periodically the television would go dead.  I remember removing the smaller tubes from the back of the set and then riding my bicycle about a mile to the local drug store where I could test them, one at a time, to see if any of the smaller tubes had failed.  In most cases, a smaller tube would have failed and I could purchase a replacement tube at the drug store.  Upon returning home, I would re-install all of the smaller tubes including the new one(s) and the picture would be restored.  If not, it was the larger picture tube that failed and that meant a new television set was in order and they were very expensive in the 1950s.  A small detail in this paragraph is my age of ten.  Today parents could be arrested for letting their ten year old child go to a drug store over a mile away from their home without a parent.  Such were the times in the 1950s.  In that regard, I’ll take the 1950s over 2022 every day!

Some who read this may doubt what I am saying about doing things when I was ten years old.  Not only was I permitted to ride my bike to the corner drug store, I took on a stockboy job at the age of twelve in that same store.  My starting salary was 60 cents an hour; I thought is was gold!  I didn’t have any expenses so I was able to save the money I earned and accumulated enough to buy my Dad a brand new complete set of golf clubs before I was fourteen.  Time were definitely different in the 1950s.

This had nothing to do about apathy except that it was television that became the primary in-house source for learning, yes, you heard me correctly, learning.  What did we learn?  That is a question for which the answer evaded me until the 1990s.  I have often referred to a book I read in the 1990s that was actually first published in 1958, The Naked Communist.  The book described how The Communist Party USA (yes there is such a political party and yes, it is still alive and well in America), realized that with so many private American citizens being armed to the teeth, there was no way that a military action would ever be able to conquer America by military force.  Therefore, it was decided that America COULD be conquered by having specific goals along with an unending patience to see those goals achieved.  There are several specific goals that apply to apathy in America but one clearly stands out from the other 44 goals described in the book.  Which one stood out most to me?  Goal number 17. 

Get control of the schools.

Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda.

Soften the curriculum.

Get control of teachers' associations.

Put the party line in textbooks.

As strong as that one goal is, it lacked something for it to be achieved.  TIME!  If all of a sudden, students were exposed to such teachings, the teachings would standout and most likely be immediately rejected.  Have you heard the term “dribs and drabs?”  According to the dictionary, “dribs and drabs” means:  small amounts that come or happen over a period of time.  Another term that would fit would be “spoon feed.”  Like feeding a newborn baby, you start with small amounts of food and then over time, you increase the frequency and the amounts of food you feed the infant until the infant grows bigger and stronger all the while BEING FED.  The Communist Party USA understood this principle.  They knew that just like the new born that grows to an adult, so to would their spoon feeding the Communist Doctrine to school children in dribs and drabs, serve to feed their sponge-like fertile minds.  Over time, these students would not be exposed to the tribulations the Founding Fathers of America endured to create the America that I knew and loved in the 1950s. An America that today’s youths and young adults will never know or experience.

Still, as good as this plan was in 1958, The Communist Party USA also knew very well that there was another hurdle to cross before their plan could be implemented.  In a word:  HOME!  School only had the children for 9 months and 8 hours a day.  The family home had them for 24 hours a day 7 days a week for the entire year.  Approximately 8 of those hours were bedtime.  Therefore, the parents had the children for about 8 hours a day during the school year.  What happens during those 8 hours of parent-time?  Parents were consciously and/or unconsciously teaching their children what they had learned as children and adults.  They were teaching!  The Communist Party knew that this would be counterproductive to what they were teaching in the schools.  What should they do?  Enter more of their goals they established in 1958, specifically:

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

This one is worth repeating!

21.  GAIN CONTROL OF KEY POSITION IN RADIO, TV, AND MOTION PICTURES.

And, there were others just as important:


22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."


23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."


24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.


25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.


26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."


27. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a "religious crutch."


28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."


29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."


31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.


32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.
 

If you want to see all 45 goals, here are two links, one you can read, one you can watch.

COMMUNIST OBJECTIVES:  http://www.rense.com/general32/americ.htm

COMMUNIST OBJECTIVES VIDEO:  https://www.trevorloudon.com/.../clare-lopez-discusses.../

If you have read this far, you must have come to the same conclusion that I did back in the 1990s, America was and remains under attack and it starts with the brainwashing of our children in our schools and at home through television PROGRAMMING and the news media.  It’s called PROGRAMMING for a reason!  At first, little by little, then overtime, SUDDENLY!  Like 2022 to be exact.  But it took more than patience and time, it took collaborators.  “Collaborator” was a horrible word to describe someone during and after most wars.  Many “collaborators” came to violent ends to their lives as a result of collaborating with the enemy.  Oftentimes the local citizens took it upon themselves to be judge, jury and executioner when dealing with such collaborators. 

That is why Goal #21, gain control of key positions in radio, TV and motion pictures became so important to them.  If they could control WHAT people saw on television, saw in the movies, and/or heard on the radio, the people, you and me, would ONLY SEE and HEAR what THEY, The Communist Party USA, wanted you to hear and/or see.  Television became their primary instrument but you and I became their tools.

Vladmir Lenin described it best when he defined a “useful idiot” to be:  a naive or credulous person who can be manipulated or exploited to advance a cause or political agenda.  I would add to that definition, “against their will AND without their knowledge that they are being used.”  Why?  Because they would be doing something that they otherwise would not be doing or promoting.  A perfect example is the removal of statues honoring George Washington and others.  There is no one without sin!  To destroy the statues of people like George Washington had to be first conceived and then promoted and people had to agree without giving the idea a thorough vetting.  Most people would have thought it to be a horrible idea, yet thousands of people, I believe a minority, thought it to be a good enough idea to actually carry out the task while violating the law to do it.  Read again the goals listed above.  Can you see it yet?

BINGO!

They have a plan, the 45 goals and objectives.  They have the instruments, radio, television and the movies.  They have the tools, schools, teachers’ unions, the media and the most important of all, we. their “useful idiots” who blindly ignore what has been happening.  Some choose to be apathic by burying their heads in the sand while others are more apathic by blindly following the lead of someone else who they believe is acting in their best interests – example – politicians, teachers, celebrities.  There is no greater example than Dr. Fauci and how he manipulated everyone regarding the COVID virus.  This is never more evident than those people who have split themselves up by political parties and vote for the candidate running under THEIR particular political party banner without properly vetting the candidates as to what THEY believe and how they may vote.  This applies to all parties, Democrat, Republican, Independent (and yes, independent is a form of pollical party), and all of the other descriptions of political likenesses, such as Progressive, Conservative, Green, etc.

My advice to you would be to go back and review the objectives listed above created by The Communist Party USA and then compare them to 2022.  CAN YOU SEE IT NOW?  If not, I would highly recommend NOT operating any heavy machinery because you have become a very USEFUL IDIOT TO THEIR CAUSE!

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

MEMORIAL VFW SPEECH

 


Speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)

Submitted by CWO2 Darrell Beerbohm, U. S. Coast Guard, Retired

Speech written and presented by Gene Beerbohm

My brother Gene gave the following talk to the VFW. I saw the video, very impressed at how well he delivered this message. Damn proud of him. At the end, the emcee who made the announcement in the beginning that this is a memorial and clapping is not required. As the emcee while holding back tears, said, I’ve changed my mind on clapping. They gave my brother  a standing ovation, which brought tears to his eyes. Many vets, some in wheelchairs came and thanked him, while also wiping away tears.  CWO2 Darrell Beerbohm, U. S. Coast Guard, Retired\

First, I would just like to say what an honor and privilege it is to be asked to speak at this important occasion.  Although not a veteran myself, I have had many family members who have served, one being an uncle who survived Pearl Harbor & another who fought in the Korean War.  Both my brothers served in the U.S. Coast Guard with one making it his career. And One of my nieces served in the Desert Storm war.

Even though I did not serve, I always have and still do, to this day, look upon all veterans with high regard and give you the utmost respect.   

We’re here this morning to honor our heroes, to remember their achievements, their courage, and their dedication, and to say thank you for their sacrifices.   Thinking of the heroes who join us in this group today and those who are here only in spirit, a person can’t help but feel awed by the enormity of what we encounter. We stand amid patriots and the family and friends of those who have nobly served.

The service members we honor today came from all walks of life, but they shared several fundamental qualities.    They possessed courage, pride, determination, selflessness, dedication to duty and integrity – all the qualities needed to serve a cause larger than oneself.

Many of them didn’t ask to leave their homes to fight on distant battlefields.    Many didn’t even volunteer. They didn’t go to war because they loved fighting. They were called to be part of something bigger than themselves. They were ordinary people who responded in extraordinary ways in extreme times. They rose to the nation’s call because they wanted to protect a nation which has given them, and us, so much.

The Greek philosopher  Thueydides (Too Ka dides) once said, “The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.”

Since the Revolutionary War began, American men and women have been answering the nation’s call to duty.  Millions of Americans have fought and died on battlefields here and abroad to defend our freedoms and way of life.  

Today our troops continue to make the ultimate sacrifices, and even as we lose troops, more Americans step forward to say, I’m ready to serve.    They follow in the footsteps of generations of fine Americans.  And we thank God that they do.

“The measure of a man’s character is not what he gets from his ancestors, but what he leaves his descendants.“

Sending off a loved one so they can serve in combat must be a surreal experience. I suspect conflicting emotions of fear and pride are present in the minds of both service members and their families. 

Like any other send-off, you hold them tight, tell them you love them and watch them head out until they are no longer in sight.  But what makes sending a loved one off to the armed forces and to war very different is the all-too-real possibility that a uniformed military officer and chaplain may show up at your doorstep to deliver devastating news.

In fact, I’m confident if you could take the time to learn about any of these veterans that we honor today you’ll be floored by the stories of service and sacrifice, known only to those who witnessed it firsthand.    Then, there are the unbelievably brave accounts of heroes who can no longer speak for themselves. 

I just heard it put at a recent funeral, “When a person dies, a library burns.”  I’ve not thought about it that way before, but I think it is very true.

Now, it’s up to us to not only tell their stories but to honor their service and memory by ensuring their families and survivors are cared for.

It was President Abraham Lincoln who said, "Any nation that does not honor its heroes, will not long endure.”   For if we do not remember our defenders, our heroes, how can we expect future generations to step up to serve?    Certainly, what happened post-Vietnam, when we forgot about our returning veterans, weakened our nation, and we must never EVER, let that happen again.

Today you are remembering those who have departed from their place on earth.   Their dedication, and yours, cannot be taken lightly. Gary Sinese said, “Remembering and honoring our veterans is paramount to our national security.” Gary continues, “This places a critical importance on always taking care of our military service members and their families before, during, and after the battle.”  

“The dangers of the 21st century are clear, with no doubt that this century will be equally, if not more dangerous than the previous one. The United States must maintain a strong defense, impossible to do, without strong defenders.    And for all they’ve done, for all they have sacrificed, they ask so little in return.    Knowing they are honored, that they will get the care they need when they need it, that they are not forgotten, and that their sacrifice is appreciated, can make a world of difference.”   I think Gary is right on.

Today we also honor the families of those lost, for you bear a burden that only you can comprehend.    We are grateful for the support you gave your loved one, so they could carry out the mission of protecting the rest of us.

We must Never forget the men and women who know all too much the cost of our freedom, for their service to this country is the greatest gift of all.   When I look at men and women in uniform, I am reminded of 2 verses from the Bible.

The first is from Mark 9, verse 35, which reads, “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last and the servant of all.”   And from John 15:13: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Robert Frost said many years ago, ‘The world is full of willing people: some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.”    I know I’m talking to you who are willing to work.   You are difference makers and if there are any here today who think they cannot make a difference, I would like to share this short story[JGB1] .

 

DIFFERENCE MAKER

(Story of the Starfish)

There was this terrific storm that threw 1000's of starfish onto the beach. There was this little boy who walked along picking them up, one by one, and started throwing them back into the ocean

A man came by and told the boy he could not possibly make a difference by trying to throw all these starfish back.  He just would not be able to keep up.  The boy thought for a moment, picked another starfish and threw it into the ocean.  “I made a difference to that one.”

Together, we can make a big difference.

But not only are our service men and women “Difference Makers, I challenge all of you to continue being a difference maker as well.   Thank you for allowing me to speak at this important Memorial ceremony for the American Veterans.   I am honored to have played some small role in supporting this service.    Thank you to all those brave warriors in attendance today for everything you have done for our country.  

Thank you for answering the call to duty. You have made our armed forces the most respected in the world.

May God bless all those still serving in harm’s way, our military families, and may God Bless, and watch over our America and help us to continue to honor our heroes, so that we may long endure and of course never forget. 

I think it safe to say all of us here today honor our country and our flag.   At this time, I would like to read a poem by Howard Schnauber.   I believe it sums up my thoughts and this is my tribute to all of you here today.

My Name is Old Glory

by Howard Schnauber

I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over great institutes of learning.
I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world.
Look up! And see me!

I stand for peace - honor - truth and justice.
I stand for freedom
I am confident - I am arrogant
I am proud.

When I am flown with my fellow banners
My head is a little higher
My colors a little truer.

I bow to no one.
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted - I am respected
I am revered - I am loved, and I am feared.

I have fought every battle of every war for more than 200 years:
Gettysburg, Shilo, Appomatox, San Juan Hill, the trenches of France,
the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome, the beaches of Normandy,
the deserts of Africa, the cane fields of the Philippines,
the rice paddies and jungles of Guam, Okinawa, Japan, Korea, Vietnam,
Guadalcanal New Britain, Peleliu, and many more islands.

And a score of places long forgotten by all but those who were with me.
I was there.
I led my soldiers - I followed them.
I watched over them.
They loved me.
I was on a small hill in Iwo Jima.

I was dirty, battle-worn and tired, but my soldiers cheered me,
and I was proud.
I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of\
countries I have helped set free.

It does not hurt, for I am invincible.
I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of my country,
and when it is by those with whom I have served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.

I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stand watch over the
uncharted new frontiers of space
from my vantage point on the moon.
I have been a silent witness to all of America's finest hours.

But my finest hour comes when I am torn into strips to
be used for bandages for my wounded comrades on the field of battle,
When I fly at half-mast to honor my soldiers,
And when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving
mother at the graveside of her fallen son.

I am proud.

My name is Old Glory.

Dear God - Long may I wave.

 

As Jesus says in his parable in Matthew 25:23

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

 I’m sure our Supreme Commander would say to all of you here:

Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done!

Rev. 6/9/22

Gene Beerbohm


 [JGB1]