I Fought For You

No amount of thanks will ever be enough to repay their sacrifices. But we should always endeavor to thank them and say, "I will never forget." God bless our military and God bless America. Have some tissues nearby. I've watched it several times and cried at each viewing.

Memorial Day and "The Great Santini," Col. Donald Conroy #Catholic #tcot

My husband and I recently watched the film, The Great Santini, featuring Robert Duvall as the abrasive, abusive Lt. Col. Wilbur "Bull" Meechum. The character came from Pat Conroy's novel, which used his real father's nickname and a large part of his personality. Pat's father, Marine Colonel Donald Conroy, had a darker side that only his family witnessed. He was both physically and verbally abusive to his children and wife. What was astounding was that after Pat wrote the book, his father read it and did a complete turnaround as he sought to distance himself from the story's portrayal of him.

The film is not easy to watch. "Bull" Meechum lives up to his name by barreling through whatever obstacle stands in his way to perfection -- including his family. Meechum's fiery path climaxes in a stunning scene when his son Ben (played by Michael O'Keefe) finally beats him at a one-on-one game of hoops. The problem is, no one in the family had ever beaten Bull in anything. As the family congratulated Ben, Bull gathers up steam and proceeds to throw insults and accusations at the family, alienates them and then demands another game. The wife and other children walk away in hurt and disgust while Ben refuses to play again, emphasizing he won fair and square. As Ben leaves, Bull follows him, taunting him and bouncing the basketball off the back of his head. Later during a stormy night, Bull is shown practicing his game in the pouring rain. Ben's mother tries to comfort her son by saying Bull finally realized his son had become better than him and he'd have to work harder to beat him. Playing in the rain, knowing that Ben must be watching, was Bull's way of apologizing.

Col. Donald Conroy was one of the greatest fighter pilots that ever lived. From reading about him, I'm not quite sure he'd say that. He never told his children about all the awards and decorations he had earned. He was given the Distinguished Flying Cross (with two award stars) for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918. Those additional stars mean he was awarded it two more times.

I thought about the kind of man it takes to win a war. Certainly not every warrior physically abuses his children and wife. But pilots are of a different breed. There is no room for error in their mission. Quick decisions have to be made and they better be the right ones or else. My husband and I had a conversation about the movie afterward. He judged "Bull" Meechum much more harshly than I did. Although I usually see things in black and white, I couldn't seem to do that with this character. Knowing it was based on the life of a man who bravely served this country made it especially difficult.

I'll leave the speculation as to why a man abuses his family to the professionals. All I know is that "Bull" Meechum, and I suspect Col. Donald Conroy; was on a personal mission to perfect their personal world. Because serving in the military is an exercise of discipline, those who have high expectations of themselves gravitate toward it, viewing it as the highest challenge to complete. Having a family of those who may not have such drive could, understandably, be frustrating. Unfortunately, some take out those frustrations on others in an abusive manner.

The good news is that after Pat Conroy's book came out and his father read it, he broke. Seeing a character act like him, sobered up Col. Conroy real fast. Suddenly, he was on the road to make amends with his son and family. For the rest of his days, he grew closer to his son and cheered a nephew as he played basketball, causing wonder in all who knew him. Reading this story showed me that redemption is possible, even in the most hardened cases. (His Winning Season: The Story of Pat Conroy, the 'Real Santini,' and the Citadel's Basketball Team's Remarkable Run)

Today we celebrate Memorial Day. It's a day to remember those who have served our country and those who have sacrificed their lives for it. There are some who protest war, claiming it's an unnecessary evil. I say it is a necessary response to evil. Men like Col. Donald Conroy served our country with pride and dedication. The very traits that make a man a fierce warrior may not always transfer smoothly to a more peaceful existence. Many men are permanently altered by war and it's difficult to see how it could be otherwise. But I am so grateful for the men who took upon their shoulders the burden of fighting for freedom. When I see a story like The Great Santini, I'm reminded of how some men viewed the battleground as a personal challenge, taking it as an affront to their ferocious sense of justice. The definitions of right and wrong are usually orchestrated by politicians.

However, for our military, it comes down to a simple concept. Our great country did not become great by sitting down with our enemies and trying to negotiate peace. It came about because we kicked their ass.

So God bless all our military men and women this day. May those who have sacrificed their lives for our country R.I.P., and may those living who wrestle with their inner demons, find peace before they leave this world to enter the next. Amen.

Col. Donald Conroy's Euology, by his son, Pat Conroy

The children of fighter pilots tell different stories than other kids do. None of our fathers can write a will or sell a life insurance policy or fill out a prescription or administer a flu shot or explain what a poet meant. We tell of fathers who land on aircraft carriers at pitch-black night with the wind howling out of the China Sea.

Our fathers wiped out aircraft batteries in the Philippines and set Japanese soldiers on fire when they made the mistake of trying to overwhelm our troops on the ground.

Your Dads ran the barber shops and worked at the post office and delivered the packages on time and sold the cars, while our Dads were blowing up fuel depots near Seoul, were providing extraordinarily courageous close air support to the beleaguered Marines at the Chosin Reservoir, and who once turned the Naktong River red with blood of a retreating North Korean battalion.

We tell of men who made widows of the wives of our nations' enemies and who made orphans out of all their children.

You don't like war or violence? Or napalm? Or rockets? Or cannons or death rained down from the sky?

Then let's talk about your fathers, not ours. When we talk about the aviators who raised us and the Marines who loved us, we can look you in the eye and say "you would not like to have been America's enemies when our fathers passed overhead".

We were raised by the men who made the United States of America the safest country on earth in the bloodiest century in all recorded history.

Our fathers made sacred those strange, singing names of battlefields across the Pacific: Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh and a thousand more. We grew up attending the funerals of Marines slain in these battles.

Your fathers made communities like Beaufort decent and prosperous and functional; our fathers made the world safe for democracy.

Full Eulogy

Why Is Self-Sacrifice So Admirable? #Catholic #tcot #sgp

Think about it. We honor those who sacrifice themselves to protect others, such as firemen, police, and the armed services. We look to those who selflessly deny themselves and admire them. Such generosity is an admirable trait and one often mimicked by children when it is brought to their attention.

We look for heroes although those who traditionally have held those roles are fading away. Sports figures have been replaced by those who start non-profit organizations. But is philanthropy that heroic?

To me there is a difference between giving and sacrificing. Maybe I'm splitting hairs. I tend to think that giving is something we all do on a regular basis. We give of our time, money, and emotions to those we care about. We give our talents and skills to our jobs. But that giving is not typically "a sacrifice."

When someone makes a sacrifice, there is a cost involved. It may be losing something precious to them, whether great or small. It may be that the sacrifice is one of time and the person giving up that time realizes the time cannot be invested in other activities. Many parents sacrificed their time at home by working hard a job they didn't really like because by doing so, their families were financially supported. Those who did so without complaint showed true heroic quality, in my opinion.

However, the ultimate sacrifice is when someone lays down their life for another. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) This is the sacrifice seen in soldiers - and the awe one feels as they witness another human being valuing someone else's life as more important than their own. And the greatest of all of those types of sacrifices is seen in Jesus Christ, as He laid down His life for us. Jesus served, did not demand elevation or condescend from his vastly superior position. He gave to the world what He had, which was an endless supply of love and mercy from His Father. He came to show us what we were created to be.

I think self-sacrifice is so admirable because it proves to us that the internal veering toward self can be overcome. Self-sacrifice irritates some people. My hunch is because they don't want to think about denying themselves anything. We live in a hedonistic world that celebrates self-indulgence at every level. "If it feels good, do it!" was the mantra of the sixties and seventies. Consequences of that indulgence were rarely examined and if so, was identified as repressive shame.

Which brings me to leftist ideology. (You knew I was going there...) The leftists are schizophrenically-minded. Look at the following contradictory beliefs:

The beliefs on the left were from the sixties. Forty years later, those same people, holding onto the same ideology, are now either limiting those beliefs or counter-acting them altogether.

Self-glorification has always been the hallmark of leftist ideology. But it is countered with a belief that "the greater good" is more valuable than the individual. This type of crazy is something I can't wrap my mind around. If you elevate self, then it would stand to reason that "self" is elevated above the common good. But as you know, reason isn't a strong point with leftists. Could it be that they are seeking the solution that only faith in God can bring? Except they're trying to do it without God.

So they run around, kidding themselves that giving money to those who should be earning it themselves is "noble" and "admirable" while criticizing independent thought and self-reliance because it doesn't accomplish their agenda of "Government Is God." Sacrifice is an unknown and unwanted concept for them. Those who willingly lay down their lives for the greater good (you'd think they'd be into that...), such as our brave men and women in the military, are mocked. Suddenly, those who do this are "deluded" by the government (when Bush was in office, natch), are jingoists who can't see the imperialistic sins of their nation, or just plain stupid rednecks who can't read or write.

But yet for all of the leftist's belly-aching, the fact remains that overall, people admire those who sacrifice themselves for a higher purpose. It's just that they can't seem to stomach that the higher purpose, is a love for God and country.

Open Letter to USCCB Regarding Postcard Campaign on Immigration Reform #tcot #sgp #Catholic

Dear USCCB (and Justice for Immigration),

You surely have chosen one of the most divisive issues of this country to support.

Despite the fact that a Zogby poll found most Christians and Jews disagree with the leaders about the problem of illegal immigration, you have decided to not only push for immigration reform, but to press your dioceses to support it by organizing a postcard campaign, pressuring Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

I understand your position - to an extent. The Catholic Church has a long history in the United States with immigrants. Many parishes were the anchor in immigrant neighborhoods. German, Italian, and Polish Masses were commonly heard in the Eastern portion of the country. For decades, these hard-working immigrants became the backbone of their communities as they wove their Catholic faith with their fresh love for their new country. They assimilated. Their children and grandchildren ended up moving to the suburbs and Catholic high schools and universities began to dot the landscape of cities throughout the nation.

Assimilate is the key word.

President Roosevelt had this to say about immigration (emphasis mine):

"Let us say to the immigrant not that we hope he will learn English, but that he has got to learn it. Let the immigrant who does not learn it go back. He has got to consider the interest of the United States or he should not stay here. He must be made to see that his opportunities in this country depend upon his knowing English and observing American standards. The employer cannot be permitted to regard him only as an industrial asset.

"We must in every way possible encourage the immigrant to rise, help him up, give him a chance to help himself. If we try to carry him he may well prove not well worth carrying. We must in turn insist upon his showing the same standard of fealty to this country and to join with us in raising the level of our common American citizenship."

and

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with every one else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birthplace or origin. But this is predicated upon the man’s becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American.

"If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part as an American.

"We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile. We have room for but one language here and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, and American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house; and we have room for but one soul [sic] loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people."

Source: Snopes

A copy of this letter, obtained from the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress, can be viewed here.

This past Sunday, at Mass, our pastor delivered a homily that presented the postcard campaign and encouraged everyone to fill one out next week so it can be sent to Congress. The pastor's reasoning called up the Church's commitment to social justice and how everyone has the right to find work within their own country. He then emphasized the Church's desire to see families kept together.

I felt myself grow angry as he continued. I heard the man behind me whispering to his wife. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. For the first time in my life, I watched as a man and his wife left church in the middle of a homily. That's how angry people are regarding this issue.

Is it a wise choice to deliberately withhold ourselves from the blessing of the Holy Eucharist - over a political issue? Even if this issue does have a human rights component, it is not appropriate to first, insist that everyone in the Church jump on the bandwagon with the liberal mindset and second, drive home the point during a homily.

Before I returned to the Catholic Church in 2008, I noticed the trend of its leaders to embrace "immigration reform." Do you know what most people hear when they hear that phrase? They hear the word "amnesty." Do you know who these people are - these faithful Catholics sitting in the pews? They are the great-grandsons and great-granddaughters of those German, Italian, Polish, and Irish immigrants. Those very same immigrants who, when entering the United States at Ellis Island 1) Did it legally 2) Did not experience any "extra" help from the government to start their new life in the U.S. and 3) Worked hard and joyfully embraced their citizenship in their new country.

You are talking to people who understand it is no one else's responsibility to help them succeed but their own. People who understand the importance and power of hard work. No one - not the government, nor their former country, gave their ancestors anything. My great-grandfather from Italy came here with a few dollars in his pocket. Same with his 19 year old Italian bride. They both were migrant workers until he saved enough to start his own produce company, which still operates today.

That was the kind of spirit that built this country and built the many Catholic parishes across this nation.

Now we have a different type of immigrant. One who isn't as interested in becoming a U.S. citizen. One whose allegiance is not to this country but to the one they left. This larger group of illegal immigrants are primarily from the South, with Mexico and Guatemala being more common. They've been organized by powerful corporations that want to exploit them for cheap labor. They have well-connected lobbyists and advocacy groups representing them. They "demand" much from U.S. citizens but yet refuse to learn our language and quite often, call Americans derogatory names while thrusting an attitude of entitlement in their faces.

This is what you, the USCCB, is supporting. This is what you are pressuring your fellow Catholic brothers and sisters to embrace.

We have now reached 10% unemployment. Loyal citizens of our country are without jobs and many are losing hope. These are the same citizens who often fill the pews on Sundays. Why would they be more concerned about an illegal immigrant - one who most likely has taken a job away from a legal citizen - gaining amnesty?

It is not right and it is definitely not right for the USCCB to expect its parishioners to support this.

I understand the USCCB's desire to promote justice and family integrity. However, we do have laws in this country and they have not been obeyed. Should there not be laws pertaining to the citizenship of this great country? Is it realistic to expect us to welcome every immigrant, no matter what the capability is of our society to receive them? If that is the case, most of the world would love to live in the United States but the United States cannot accommodate the whole world.

Then there is the issue of national identity. Perhaps it's not so surprising that a group who has struggled with its own Catholic identity would so eagerly pursue an issue that refuses to consider seriously whether such a thing as national identity should guide our laws and policies.

I will not be filling out a postcard. I resent being asked during a time when my mind, heart, and soul were to be focused on God. I ended up praying during the homily, asking God for grace. I was able to see the point of view of the USCCB, and understand they are committed to defending the defenseless and seeking justice for those who are exploited. But those of us who are the great-grandchildren of legal immigrants understand this: Our country is great because of its people, and its laws. Take away either, and we will no longer be the country that attracts so many who desire to live within it. Ignoring our laws will not improve this situation. Being realistic, will.

To Men Who Are Anti-Military #tcot #sgp #marine #army #airforce #navy

(Note: This post is pretty snarky, more firewater than soothing honey...)

This is a response to "Mark," who brazenly entered the lion's den over at "The Lair of the Catholic Cavemen" and defecated in the combox. Vir Speluncae Catholicus posted an entry over the low attendance for the TLM at Camp Lejeune. I certainly understand how the TLM is strong meat and some are immediately put off by what it demands of us. I left a comment saying as much.

But within the twentyplus comments came this gem from an anonymous poster, "Mark," who explained why the numbers were dwindling:

Maybe it's because they are required to check their brains at the door as they enter the Marines, or for that matter, any branch of the U.S. military.

Well, dem's fightin' words for a woman who has a stepson in the Army, and a host of family members who fought in WWII, The Korean War, and Operation Freedom. (And yes, an uncle who was a Marine.) I can't tell you how my blood boiled as I thought about punks like "Mark" who felt anonymously free to trash the military as though they had absolutely nothing to do with his life. Forget the fact that our country hasn't suffered a major terrorist attack in eight years (finally succumbing to a dirtbag terrorist at Ft. Hood because of PC-poison). Our military are fighting the enemy over there so they don't come over here - but hey, "Mark" knows better.

Mark is a classic example of a man who has been emasculated. Shrouded in a cloak of anonymity, the "Marks" of the Internet can freely roam and take potshots at the real men of the world. In my comment on the LCC blog, I remarked that it was because of men like Mark that the Virginia Tech shooter was able to prolong his rampage. When one guy (yes, one guy who is armed), lines up a bunch of people - and there are men in that line-up - and not ONE of those men says, "What the hell are we doing? Let's rush this *ssh*le and bring him down!" well then, Houston, we have a problem.

The sad fact is that for quite some time, men who serve our country, (and our states and cities within the fire department and law enforcement) are what I call "real men." Someone like Mark would love to simply dismiss them as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals, but to me that just sounds like sour grapes. Something happened to these "Marks" in our country and I place most of the blame on our public school system. For many years, our young boys were punished for being boys. They were corrected for acting upon their God-given maleness, and sadly - brainwashed into thinking that there is never a moral case for war. I also blame feminism, which has ruined our men, women, children, and our country.

We live in a dangerous world. We're seeing this reality each day in the headlines. We're also seeing more death as politically-correct thinking tightens its noose upon our society. I would bet money (if I was a gambler) that Mark is a big believer in multi-culturalism, diversity training, social justice, egalitarianism, and either an atheist or agnostic. When your mind is full of lies, it's tough to recognize truth when it smacks you upside the head.

And the truth is this, Mark: there is a place in our world for nobility, bravery, honor, integrity, sacrifice, perseverance, and most definitely - victory. I don't know what happened to take the fight out of you but someday, you may be looking up at the wrong end of a sword.

And at that moment, you just may wish that someone who took an oath to serve and protect this country, was by your side.



My full comment to Mark is below:

Now, if I may, I'd like a word with Mark, if the coward is still reading.

Mark, it seems you feel quite comfortable criticizing our military. This reveals something. Basically, a huge sense of inadequacy. I'm not sure if your mother stopped breast-feeding you before you were ready, but let me be clear: the military has kept this country safe. Perhaps you tried to enter the military but didn't have what it took to be a Marine. Who knows.

Your responses made me think of this: The wussified men at Virginia Tech who wouldn't know what a "bum rush" was if it sat on their face. You are the product of an overly feminized culture with no backbone because its been throttled out of you. There's no need to slam men who still have one.

Since you are obviously a beta man, I invite you to visit my blog some time and bring it. Because as much as I'm aiming toward heaven, I don't suffer fools gladly and when needed, wield the wisdom stick. And instead of hiding behind a blank Blogger name, it would be nice to see if you had a blog, too, so we could visit and leave all sorts of nice little comments.