Memorial Day – USA Gov Policy

This article was written by the distinguished retired U.S. Army Chaplain Don Zapsic.

The concept of Memorial Day more-often-than not centers upon the fact that Americans were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country and consequently did. The literal expression of this viewpoint culminates in countless parades, flags placed on the headstones of veterans, and inevitable speeches by public figures. I would like to believe that those who died in the line duty were motivated by something more than the willingness to stand and deliver in the face of harm’s way. The commonly-held belief that I refer to is simply a commitment to the ideal of freedom which we have exported to oppressed peoples throughout the world. This fact is nowhere more evident than in massive cemeteries scattered throughout the world that hold the remains of American servicemembers who died on foreign soil so that others could be free.

One of the cornerstone features of America is that we believe so deeply in freedom that we are willing to preserve our liberty so that it can be enjoyed by future generations of U.S. citizens. It is no accident that we enjoy the right to bear arms, possess religious liberty, exercise free speech or for that matter have safeguards in place to protect personal property against confiscatory taxation. It was bought and paid for over and over again by patriots who have passed on liberty’s torch to future generations. More to the point, every servicemember takes an oath to “defend the Constitution from all enemies whether within, or beyond our borders.” From the beaches of Normandy, to the jungles of Vietnam and onto the desert sands of Southwest Asia; every Soldier, Sailor, Airmen, and Marine swore to uphold the Constitution with their very lives if necessary.”

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It is not enough for this present generation to just pay lip service to the memory of servicemembers no matter how heartfelt or well-intended. It is also not enough for our government officials to make long speeches and flowery oratories about the virtues of those who have died in service to this country. Our nation’s heroes deserve to have an intact constitution properly and vigorously defended against domestic and foreign threats that would have us believe that big government trumps individual rights. I never met one patriot in all of my 30 years of military service that wanted to die for their country or have a section of road named after them as a result of being killed in action. The vast majority of them, as I do, simply want to protect our way of life and not be treated as mercenaries while doing so.

The most fitting tribute that can be afforded to our fallen heroes this Memorial Day is to get back to working together as a nation for the common good. To put aside partisan politics that sacrifices the practical for the pragmatic in the name of party solidarity. To once again affirm the principles, values, and virtues that has made America great in the past and sufficient to carry forward the expectation of a bright and promising future. And last but certainly not least, to continue improving the VA system so that those who have “borne the burden of battle” can live with the respect and dignity they deserve. A burden best characterized as living with the seen and unseen scars that often accompany military service.

As far as all of the fanfare that culminates in the Memorial Day celebration, it is a good thing to behold if not designed to be a cheap substitute for the hard work associated with maintaining a constitutional republic. On a personal level, I am grateful for Memorial Day because it provides an opportunity to give pause to consider those that I have been privileged to serve with who made the ultimate sacrifice. Especially a fine young man named Jeremy, who had great plans that were never realized due to a roadside bomb in Iraq some fourteen years ago. Perhaps you do not know anyone who has served in the military and would like to make a contribution through the gift of your presence. There are many local observances in communities throughout the country that would love to have you join them.

Putin’s Growing Challenge

“It’s going to get bad this summer, really bad!” Those were words spoken earlier this week by a former US Marine Colonel with extensive experience in the European command. As summer approaches there is growing concern in Washington about the expansion and intensification of the war in Ukraine. Russia is biding its time this spring while it replenishes its ammunition supplies and secures more volunteers to fight on the front lines. Mounting losses over the last year means that President Vladimir Putin must reach further into the outer regions of Russia to recruit soldiers. Those regions are mainly populated by non-ethnic Russians with contempt for a government in Moscow that has forgotten them and ignored their needs in the past. It raises a challenge for Putin. This spring Russia is experiencing increasing ethnic tension and greater anti-Kremlin sentiment in areas as far away as Siberia. Putin faces a major task in maintaining a “volunteer” military as the number of able-bodied Russians willing to fight in Ukraine dwindles, with the war passing the second-year mark. According to Sergey Sukhankin of the Jamestown Foundation, Moscow is relying heavily on “so-called ‘volunteer’ battalions assembled from the outer regions of Russia.” So far, Putin’s strategy has enabled the government to avoid discontent building to unmanageable levels among ethnic Russians living in and near Moscow. Siberian units fighting on the front have sustained heavy losses and, according to Sukhankin, it “sets a dangerous precedent and poses the risk of inflaming animosity between Russia’s regions and its federal center.” The Buryatia-based Baikal battalion, which was formed 20 months ago, lost so many volunteers that there are no more to join the unit after a battle outside the village of Petropavlivka in Kharkiv Oblast in which over 180 were killed, according to the New Times of Russia. The story is played out again and again. One of the local elites from the Public Chamber of the Republic of Buryatia questioned whether it was “The stupidity and sloppiness of the military command or is this deliberate sabotage….” This region is one of the poorer areas in Russia. Residents often lack military compensation for the disabilities or deaths of their family members fighting in a war, in which well over 1,300 of their neighbors lost their lives. When they receive money for enlisting it is a low, one-time payment of 100,000 rubles (about US $1,000). The publication Novayagazeta.eu says that the region has the fourth highest total losses in all of Russia. Units from other autonomous regions that received less dangerous assignments and suffered fewer losses are more closely involved in promoting “military-patriotic” education for local youth and supporting Putin’s war. They, in essence, serve as a war propaganda machine for the Kremlin. There is growing evidence, despite Kremlin disinformation efforts this spring, that Putin cannot count on the majority of non-ethnic Russians to support the war effort in Ukraine. Without the backing of Russia’s ethnic minorities Putin’s buildup of arms will be of little use. Sukhankin says that “one should not forget about the pro-Ukrainian Sibir battalion and its leader Vladislav Ammosov, an ethnic Yakut who worked in Russia’s military intelligence agency for 15 years before defecting to fight for Ukraine.” Putin does not have an easy path to victory in front of him. The war is likely to intensify this summer with the replenished armaments, but so is anti-Kremlin sentiment. Add to it, Putin faces challenges to find the bodies to send to the front lines. Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept. Photo: Russian Defense Ministry

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Israel, Ukraine and American Divisiveness

The fight for Ukraine and Israel’s security is vital not just for those nations, but for America as well. Retired Marine Lt. Col. Hunter “Rip” Rawlings, who has served in the affected regions, explains why. Author Brent Hamachek describes what has caused the extreme divisiveness in America today. If you missed the program on your local TV station, watch it here: https://rumble.com/v4q11ni-the-american-political-zone-april-16-2024.html Photo: Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder conducts a news briefing at the Pentagon, April 15, 2024.