Sgt. York and a Journey of Faith

On Memorial Day, Terese and I got to see Sgt. York starring Gary Cooper on Turner Classic Movies. What a movie! Once in a while, at least during the Golden Age, Hollywood got it right. In 1941, when Sgt. York was made, Hollywood wasn't in the business of making apologies for America. The "Blame America First" crowd was around but much fewer in number than they are these days. The only real change the studio made in this story was to elevate York's rank from corporal to sergeant. I think Corporal York would have worked just as well. As Shakespeare says, "What's in a name?"

Gary Cooper plays real-life WWI hero, Alvin York, who single-handedly captures a German battle position at Argonne, France. The story includes several fascinating references to passages from the Bible as York tries to reconcile his faith in God with killing the enemy. Those familiar with the Bible in the original Hebrew know the Sixth Commandment reads, "Thou shalt not murder," rather than the oft-misquoted, "Thou shalt not kill." After basic training, an understanding captain allows York to return home to think about what he really believes and tells him, "If you still feel this way when you get back, I'll sign your discharge papers myself." At the end of a terrific scene when York searches his soul from a mountain promontory overlooking the Tennessee valley that is his home, he realizes he must heed the Lord's instruction to "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's..." So, York returns to the army knowing he must do his duty.

What is remarkable about York's journey of faith is the answer he gives for his reason in fighting the Germans so valiantly in the face of almost certain death. He attacks, and then kills the German machine gunners and hand grenadiers he says, because he wants to save lives. In the end, York defeats his external enemy, the Germans on the battlefield, and with divine guidance, a warrior's most dreadful internal enemy--doubt.

Some folks say we were a much different country then and that is very true. But the perception in Hollywood production offices and New York boardrooms nowadays is that patriotism and a sense of civic duty are foolish, unseemly, and of course, politically incorrect. They want nothing less than to undermine our men and women in uniform via negative public opinion which they foster and stoke at every turn. It makes me fervently wish with all my heart they'd take some time off for reflection and yes, prayer--maybe even from a mountain promontory back home.

Memorial Day

Today, we remember those who gave their lives for America. Both my parents served in WWII. My father served in the Army Air Corps, a forerunner of today's Air Force. My mother served in the Navy, and, like my dad, served overseas during the war. And while they both survived to tell the tale, they never let us forget that, like the song says, "All gave some, some gave all."

It is the height of disrespect for some misguided folks to use Memorial Day to protest the war in Iraq. Yes, they, like all of us have the right to freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble. Ironically, part of the reason they have those rights is because other patriotic people down through the centuries of America gave their lives so that we could live in freedom. To protest a current action on Memorial Day diverts attention away from the true patriots--the ones who gave the last full measure.

Our country needs more people to commemorate Memorial Day for what it is--a national acknowledgement that we enjoy our liberty because people have gone before us so that we could be free. To quote the Gipper, a true American hero, "We will always remember."

A Shining City Upon a Hill

"A Shining City Upon a Hill" will look for the answers to one question--Are we, as a nation forever young, holding to our faith in the ideals that made us great? Democracy, freedom, free markets, the marketplace of ideas, American ingenuity--some people seem to have forgotten these values. Unfortunately, many of them hold office or occupy positions of power in the media. They would do well to remember Ronald Reagan's Four Pillars of Freedom:

National Pride
Global Democracy
Individual Liberty
Economic Opportunity

These remain the ideals that can guide us to a better tomorrow for our country and the world. What are we doing to strengthen and expand each of these? Take national pride, for example. We have so much to be proud of, as Americans, but it seems our current leaders have chosen to neglect this area in favor of partisan rancor. Lincoln said, "Politicians think about the next election. Statesmen think about the next generation." It seems we have only politicians these days.