Monday, November 10, 2008

Semper fidelis:Always faithful

The United States Marine Corps Birthday has been celebrated every year since the 10th of November 1775! My husband, Charles Shaw, like most Marines, as the Marine hymn states, was “proud to be member of the Unted States Marines.”
He served in the Marine Corps, Semper fidelis in World War II. “Always faithful“ was more than a motto to him and to his buddies and also to the wives and widows of these men, who do not question that they were indeed the “greatest generation.”

But my grandson, Captian Joshua Hearn who recently was stationed at Fort Benning in Georgia after serving over a year in the U.S. Army in Iraq and anotehr year in German. He and his generation are also “the greatest generation."
They are struggling daily and honorably with new enemies as we saw clearly on September 11, 2001 after years of more minor attacks on Americans.
Then the vicious killing of thirteen and the injuring of over thiry more at Fort Hood in Texas a few days ago is another wake-up call.
In my house there is one room I call my “study.” It has my desk, and two walls lined with bookcases filled to overflow with books.

My granddaughter, Amanda, when she was small liked to come in here, fill our cards for her younger cousins and called this room “the library.” I spend a great deal of my time in here reading as well as writing.

Family members, including children when they visit are welcome and usually make a least one stop in here to check email or just “putter around” looking at pictures when they visit. The young children usually ask for and receive a supply of paper and pencil to write or draw and make themselves at home in “the library.”
On my hallway wall just outside my study is a gallery of family pictures that fascinate the younger children when they are here. They love to find pictures of themselves on Grandma Ruth’s wall.

The large bookcase near the doorway inside my study has a group of pictures above it. This one wall contains almost exclusively, photos of my husband Charles or the two of us together.

Shortly before Charles died in 1986, he had framed a Semper fidelis emblem. It now hangs in my study.

Unlike the Abu Ghrabb case with it's 24 hour a days news broadcasts, most of us were slow about hearing that Dellon Tyler Ward finally pleaded guilty to two counts of "knowingly and willfully making false, fictitious and fraudulent statements" to federal agents last year… allegeding members of the Marine Corps committing murder on Iraqi soil.” The investigation of these false charges ended up costing $193,000 and involved pulling U.S. Marines out of combat zones in the spring of 2007.

Dellon Tyler received only 15 months for this kind of treason against the United States of America and false changes against our Marine Corps
?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

So many on the left and in the media don't let the truth interfere with their anti-military and anti-American words - which shows not only their low level of integrity but their low level of intelligence as well.

Anonymous said...

I hadn't heard a word about this until I read it here! That's just appalling!

Nicki said...

"Only 15 months for treason?"

That's exactly what I thought! That puts him right up there with the sex offenders that are let off with a light sentence (basically a slap on the wrist!).

Anonymous said...

That's a very upsetting story. Our Men at Arms are in more danger from traitors within our country than they are from our enemies outside the country.

Its so dangerous to be in the military right now. They get put up for court martial for anything and are investigated for any allegation anyone wants to make against them. Their hands are tied. They are held in contempt by the media that goes out of their way to paint them as villains instead of heroes.

That really makes me angry.

Joan said...

This astounding and ANGERING, even for a person of my usually unemotional nature. This is the first I have read of this! Your last sentence says it all. What a difference a generation or two makes - quite a different response to treason than Benedict Arnold received!

Unknown said...

I had not heard of this either and am appalled,also. If memory serves correctly, the last thing one ever wanted to be associated with was treason. I agree with Nicki above...traitors are on the same level as sex offenders,paedo's and other bottom feeders.