I was against getting involved in that war (which happened before my political time, but we all have opinions); however, once in, I believed it should be won decisively (IOW, very like what happened in Korea; we didn’t actually “win” but we did get the Norks to stop fighting, and that’s probably all that could have been done in ‘Nam) and both regimes then left to sort things out without interference from any other countries other than maintaining some kind of truce (yeah, right –).

The Democrats’ lies during the war, their obstruction of Nixon’s efforts to win it, and their despicable abandonment of the South’s people afterwards started me down the road to the Right.

And don’t get me started on John Kerry.

Yesterday was quite a day for me. Had several exchanges with old squadron-mates. Just filled with memories of both good and bad times – very bittersweet. We speculated on what we would have done if we could have known that Congress would eventually abandon South Vietnam. One of the senior Air Group pilots was a former POW from the Korean War. He had been through the meat grinder once and he recognized that LBJ and McNamara weren’t letting us hit the targets that mattered. His philosophy was that no pissant target was worth losing a pilot. I was more gung-ho. I believed we could bomb the North Vietnamese into a peace treaty ala Korea and we should be aggressive. As the war drug on I slowly came to realize that he was right. I became quite bitter after Congress decided to abandon the South Vietnamese. All the loss of young lives was down the toilet. For what, exactly? Over the years I came to terms with my bitterness, but as a result, I’m against “limited wars” or “police actions.” If we’re going to use our military, the goal should always be to win unconditional victory as quickly as possible. I wish our leaders believed that.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/05/americas-honor-8.php

And yes my ancestors in Virginia did own slaves and they took some of them to Missouri in the border states where that family name is still present with some nice folks who are not white. They were making barrels in Orange County Virginia in the early 1700’s as coopers living between Madison and Jefferson and went to a Baptist church were slaves were recognized as full members of the church. Madison represented the church in a trial when they refused to pay taxes the church of England in those early days.

History is most interesting and never easy.

The land of the free, because of the brave.

Soldiers hold a replica of the flag that flew over Ft McHenry in September, 1814, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the ode that became our national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.

https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8eac0d7d7d4281985adee11a8db62eb7b683b62095b9c0e2d32f23a7cca9469a.jpg

Picture of the original.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/star-spangled-banner-back-on-display-83229098/

…
Its long journey from obscurity began on a blazing July day in 1813, when Mary Pickersgill, a hardworking widow known as one of the best flag makers in Baltimore, received a rush order from Maj. George Armistead. Newly installed as commander of Fort McHenry, the 33-year-old officer wanted an enormous banner, 30 by 42 feet, to be flown over the federal garrison guarding the entrance to Baltimore’s waterfront.
…
With Britain’s defeat in New Orleans the following January, the War of 1812 was effectively over.
Having won independence a second time, the nation breathed a collective sigh of relief. As gratitude mixed with an outpouring of patriotism, Key’s song and the flag it celebrated became symbols of the victory. “For the first time, someone put into words what the flag meant to the country,” says Sheads. “That is the birth of what we recognize today as a national icon.”

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Rlc6tVwHL._AC_SL1350_.jpg

Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Had the US helped the S. Viet Army fight back against the treaty-violating ’75 invasion of the N. Viet commies, perhaps S. Vietnam would be competing with S. Korea as a nice, not perfect, capitalist Asian Tiger — and the Cambodian Killing Fields wouldn’t have been allowed to happen. US Democrats, like J. Kerry, were opposed to enforcing the Paris Peace Treaty.

All who went to the Naval Academy in 1974 received a war ribbon (bar) for being in the service during active hostilities. I also got a second one for being an expert shot with pistol. Looked great on dress uniforms.

We were sad last week when we went to the local crematorium for the funeral of a second cousin (same great grandparents) of my wife.

We wore masks during the Catholic ceremony.

“Amazing Grace” was sung, in Czech, by Karel Gott, who himself only died last year (at 80). Here is an old video of him with lovely Tatra mountains.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9BqbpQgouY

There were fresh flowers there today. We saw them as we walked by to stop at the veterans memorial.