Submitted by Dave Sargent
On November 11, 2019 in our town, we will hear the sounds of bells throughout at 1100AM. How peaceful that will sound! Should you wonder, this pealing of church bells will resonate across the United States of America this November 11, the day once known as Armistice Day and the end of the “War To End All Wars”. It recognizes and commemorates the day 100 years ago of the end of WWI. When our young ones notice and listen with wonder I’m sure an explanation to their curiosity will be readily at the hands of their parents, or similar adult tutors…or will it? The great men and women who were combatants or citizens who suffered hardships as well during that war will not be among us to hear the toll of those bells.
Other veterans, of more recent wars, will also take notice of this peaceful resonation. They will take pride in the sacrifice that they and their family’s made in the defense of this great country. During recent hostilities it has required numerous deployments to numerous locations throughout the globe such as Grenada, Panama, Kosovo, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan. These are only locals of which we are aware.
There are veterans among us who are members of the so-called “Generation of the Damned.” They are your neighbors, friends and associates who lived during the 60’s and experienced the turmoil, although maybe less, than we do today. Some of them were the “Damned That Did” and offered themselves to honor the fiduciary obligation handed down to them by the veterans of WWI, WWII and the Korean Wars. They answered the call yet on their return had to learn how to be a veteran.
On their return, they had to be reminded, or taught once again, of the soldiers’ creed, “Leave No Man Behind,” which stems from the French and Indian War but was freshened in our minds from the event at Mogadishu and its depiction in “Blackhawk Down.” I hasten to add that this creed, although unsaid, includes woman combatants. It has taken many, many years to do this because they were “left behind.”
There are opportunities for those of that era to fulfill that obligation and be taught to be a veteran. They can learn to wear a baseball cap designating the fact that they are one of “The Damned,” they can, after decades, wear a ribbon they so long chose not to and they no longer need to be “Left Behind.” They can have their pride, so long deprived and deserved, instilled. By doing so, they can choose to honor those with their efforts to “Honor the Dead by Assisting the Living”. They can be taught to be veterans and Hingham offers a multitude of opportunities to do such. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion Posts offer this to veterans and their comrades from who have returned from their sacrifices in hostile areas throughout the globe. You are a Veteran and we salute you. As you have honored the creed while in uniform, you can, as well, honor it out of uniform.
Personally, I’m not comfortable with the “Happy Veterans” day greeting nor “Happy Memorial Day.” I am comfortable, however, with “Leave No Man Behind” and this Veterans Day I wish to greet you with that and, as a citizen, thank you for your service.
Dave Sargent