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Guy Adams
September 21, 2005


They serve for me � blame me.
They were wounded for me � blame me.
They died for my freedom � blame me.

There is a lot of contention regarding the war on terror recently. I don't understand why. We're at war with people who would destroy us without thinking twice. I certainly respect the feelings of mothers who have lost children in the service of our country. In another way I also thank people like them, because the precious sacrifices of their children keep me free. God bless them, for they have offered up a priceless sacrifice. The anti-war activists among them do America great harm. They undermine morale at home and on the battlefield. They have gone too far for too long.

Loss is not new to the mothers and fathers of soldiers fallen in battle. Their loss is still as painful as when these words were written by President Abraham Lincoln to a grieving mother who had lost all five of her sons in the Civil War. He said in part:

      "I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

      I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom."

War is indeed costly, both to the soldier and to their family. It is also costly to America as we lose the best among us, but sometimes it is necessary. It is impossible to surpass the eloquence and spirit behind Lincoln's timeless words to a grieving mother. However, I will try to share my own personal gratitude to those who served, were wounded or who have fallen in battle, past or present, to ensure my freedom.

I was born in 1955, and growing up I was into anything rebellious. As a youngster I paid my uncle little attention and didn't think much of his war experience. But after researching World War II, I had gained a newfound love and respect for this man and others like him. So much history I never knew or cared about � so much I owed to people I never knew, and to one man from my own family that I barely knew.

I first gained an appreciation of the valor of the American Soldier when on December 7, 1991, I missed work due to a bad migraine headache. I started watching some of the tributes and stories about that infamous day on December 7th, 1941. When they played the segment on Pearl Harbor, I cried. They also showed long segments on the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the Battle of the Bulge. By the end of the day, with tears running down my face, I was a changed person. I was deeply moved by their stories. I almost could not believe the sacrifices some of these brave men made for their buddies and their country � for me, really. They made those sacrifices for me.

After reading Stephen Ambrose's excellent book on D-Day, I contacted the National D-Day museum in New Orleans and volunteered to interview veterans for Dr. Ambrose's next book on the Battle of the Bulge. The book's focus was changed and eventually became Citizen Solders. In the process of interviewing many of these veterans, I got an excellent first hand account of the battle � one I couldn't read about in any book. I interviewed guys from nearly every major division in the Battle of the Bulge, which was fought in World War II in the midst of one of the bitterest winters on record. I also ended up interviewing other men from other wars. It was a great experience.

Among the brave American Soldiers I interviewed, were Norm Schoon (my uncle), Bob Cornell, Fred Olivi, Ray Fary, Hubert Kelly, Phil Zurawski, Jacob Emell, and Zenon Lukosius; all from World War II. From the Vietnam War I interviewed Jim Melf, Ed Kannapel, John Reilly, Mike Douglas, Bill Warren, and Rudy Roberson. All of them served in combat, and in my mind, they are all heroes.

The tales of heroes:

In World War II, Zenon Lukosius saved the captured German submarine, the U-505, from sinking by rushing into the sinking submarine and closing the sea-cocks to prevent more water from rushing in. They only had seconds left before the sub was completely flooded, quickly taking it and Zenon with it. I have been in the U-505, on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, and I got a little claustrophobic inside � it's so small and narrow. I cannot imagine rushing down into this sinking submarine, yet this brave American Soldier did, and America gained much valuable knowledge from its capture. Zenon displayed great courage that day over sixty years ago. He was courageous for me. He risked his life for me.

Fred Olivi copiloted the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, helping to end the war (see my article The Balance of Hiroshima). Ed dropped the second atomic bomb in order to save countless thousands of American lives, which he did. My dad would have been one of the men slated for the planned invasion of Japan in November of 1945. Furthermore, Fred's actions undoubtedly saved millions of Japanese civilian lives as well. After he left the service, his private life was at times, miserable. Instead of thanking him, war protesters occasionally camped out in front of his house to castigate him for his role in ending World War II. They tore his lawn up by spinning the wheels of a pickup truck on it. How disgraceful and unappreciative of the freedom he helped secure for them. I think of the words of Jesus: "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Although Fred believed he did the right thing � as I do � I can only imagine the nightmares and distress of soul that Fred must have suffered as he considered the power and horror he unleashed on the people on the ground. Fred surely suffered for me. He did it all for me.

My dear friend Ed Kannapel served two tours of duty attached to the Navy Seals, protecting the radio relay station at Marble Mountain in Vietnam. Ed's best friend, Leroy Melvin Shields, was killed there and Ed mourns for him to this day. War always causes great loss. Ed's primary jobs were rear guard and bunker watch. Consider how important a rear guard is. You can't fight without a rear guard or the enemy can sneak up on you. Should the rear guard fail, your unit would be overrun. The rear guard is also the last man out. The best and bravest are usually picked to be the rear guard.

Ed was awarded three Purple Hearts, two Navy Unit commendations, and the Personal Navy commendation. I wish I could have awarded these medals to him myself. Ed was bayoneted and shot during his two tours at Marble Mountain. Ed was wounded for me.

Another dear friend, Jim Melf, served in Vietnam as a rifleman in the 4th Division. Jim volunteered to live with the Montagnard tribes in Vietnam when the Army heard that the Vietcong were planning to attack these villages. Jim volunteered to protect � with his life � a village and it's people whom he hardly knew. When they approached this village, the villagers themselves opened fire on Jim and his unit. Jim volunteered to protect these people, and was led into an ambush. What a painful shock this must have been. Many Americans were killed that day, and this bothers Jim to this day.

Jim was given an honorable discharge. Sadly, America gave Vietnam veterans like Jim an "honorable" discharge, then took their honor away when they returned home. In my eyes, Jim and others like him are deserving of great honor and respect. Jim told me that despite this betrayal and the difficult combat he endured, he'd "do it again" and added "I am proud to have served my country." I am proud that he did too. Jim served for me.

Artilleryman Rudy Roberson usually supported the 1st Calvary in Vietnam. A lot of American and South Vietnamese soldiers probably owe their life to Rudy and guys like him, whose accurate and timely fire support saved their lives or helped them out of a desperate situation. Rudy did his job so that others could live. Many soldiers in support roles go unheralded. They tirelessly worked behind the scenes so that others could fight, and so that I could live in freedom.

My uncle Norm was a member of the 106th Division during the Battle of the Bulge. He was a squad leader in the 423rd Infantry, 1st battalion, D company (heavy weapons). He was captured on Dec. 19th, 1944 and was released on Good Friday, a few months later.

Although my uncle Norm's interview didn't make it into Dr. Ambrose's book, his interview was the most vivid, and the most emotional. I wondered if it was because I had a new found respect for this older Dutch man whom I'd never paid much attention to before. Probably somewhat, but his story was so emotional and personal. He remembered every little detail, including some tearful recollections of his reactions when seeing guys he knew, laying dead in the snow, with their frozen eyes gazing at the sky. At this recall, he cried. I almost did too. I was sitting there talking to an old man who was once a young man fighting across the ocean in a dense Belgian forest. Thanks to my uncle and others like him, I'll never have to confront what he did. And he did it all without complaint.

During the interview, when he talked about how he'll never forget the sound of a German Tiger tank, you could almost see the fear on his face. I could almost feel the fear my uncle tried to express � it's hard for me to comprehend. I also interviewed a guy from the 99th Division, who was a survivor of an incident where enemy tanks rolled down a line of American foxholes and matter-of-factly machine gunned most of the GI's where they lay.


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The 106th Division finally surrendered on December 19th. My uncle said that most guys didn't want to surrender despite being out of ammunition. He said many guys would have fought with anything they could, including sticks and stones. I believe that this now aging man, my uncle, would have done just that back then in his youth — if he were given the chance. But he wasn't; his entire division was ordered to surrender. He shed a few tears here too.

As a prisoner of war on the way to a concentration camp, his train was mistakenly bombed by British bombers, and many were killed. He was twice stabbed by German guards — once, for not shaving fast enough! He lost around 100 pounds in captivity, and the only reason he didn't loose more was because a kind guard occasionally gave him some watery potato peel soup. I now see why he never talked about it. It must have been unthinkably difficult. Until now, his son Tom, who sat in on the interview, had never heard him talk openly about it. It was a special night for us all.

How we can go through life and miss or ignore such brave and selfless people like this is sad. Thankfully I was blessed with a chance to rectify that.

And so I have a profound respect for the men who fought in W.W.II — the guys who fought and died in the Battle of the Bulge — in the bitter cold, in the worst of conditions, against a formidable foe. My uncle fought and was taken captive for me. But he's not the only one. There were many like him, like the sand on the seashore.


A few years ago, with a few friends, I visited the veteran's home in Manteno, Illinois. My friend Rudy really had a heart for these guys. When we would visit them, we had to be out the door by 9:30 pm. I remember one time we were late in leaving, and we passed a guy in a wheelchair — Mike Douglas was his name. Rudy said "I think we should pray for this guy." I told him that we were already late, but he insisted, so we stayed and talked with this guy for a while. He was a Vietnam veteran, and he told us that he was afraid to fall asleep at night because he had terrible nightmares every night. When Mike was in Vietnam, he stepped on a "Bouncing Betty" landmine, which popped up, exploded, and permanently crippled him. When he lays down to go to sleep, he keeps hearing the click of the mine right before it popped up. We prayed with this guy and he gave his life to the Lord that night. The next time we went there, we found out that Mike died the very next day. From the time he was wounded until the day he died, Mike relived that terrible crippling moment night after night as he lay in bed. Now, he finally has peace. He was crippled for me and he endured those terrifying nightmares for me.

We also met Jacob Emell at that veteran's home. Jacob was being transported overseas on an aircraft carrier in World War II. Like Mike Douglas, Jacob was also afraid to fall asleep because of what he saw one day. One day a damaged fighter plane was attempting to land. It crash-landed onto the deck and a fire started. The fire spread inside the cockpit as Jacob valiantly tried to get the pilot out, who was screaming and banging his hands on the inside of the cockpit. That pilot died for me. But Jacob Emell relived that horrible event every night as he struggled to fall asleep. Nightmares woke him up many times. That dear man suffered for me.

I also think of other brave men on other battlefields. Who could not be awestruck by courage of the men in the Doolittle raid, whose mission was to be the first American planes to bomb Tokyo after Pearl Harbor? They knew they would not have enough fuel to make it back, and many crew members subsequently fell into enemy hands. However, these winged heroes gave America her honor back. In one stroke they shored up the country's fractured morale. They flew that dangerous mission, and some died doing it, for me.

I am especially humbled by the remarkable men of D-Day, whose courage surpasses nearly anything else in military history. Those young men stormed the beaches of Normandy against what was at first, overwhelming firepower. Many risked death as they parachuted behind the lines in the early morning hours on D-Day. Centuries before, William Shakespeare captured the spirit of D-Day perfectly when he wrote: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition: And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhood cheap." The legacy of the heroic men of D-Day will live on forever. They took that beach for me. Many died for me there too.

One of my old neighbors, Michael Ozimina, was a member of the French Resistance during World War II, without whose help many more young Americans would have died in Normandy. These men and women risked everything to blow up bridges, cut telephone lines, derail enemy supply trains and perform many other little known acts of derring-do prior to D-Day. Many downed Allied aircrews owe their lives to the efforts of the French Resistance. Many died in retaliation for their intrepid acts. In a sense then, they too, died for me.

The daring young men who flew Allied bombing missions deep into the heart of Germany put aside their fear and displayed a fortitude and determination that we'll probably not see often again. In the opening years of American involvement in Europe, these kids flew their missions without air support. That took guts, real guts. They flew in cold airplanes and were shot at by German planes and anti-aircraft fire. Many did not live to see their twenty-fifth mission, when their tour of duty would be over. Many spent the rest of the war in captivity.

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Then there are the sailors. I'm afraid to even go on a cruise ship, yet these brave sailors went to battle on ships and in submarines for months at a time, where rescue was not always assured. In many cases there would be no rescue. When a battleship or destroyer was sunk, many died. When a submarine was sunk, usually everyone died. These men risked everything for me.

There are other countries who were Allies of the United States in World War II, whose courage also inspires me. The staunchness of the British people as they were being savagely bombed during the Blitz is a model for how to bear up under adversity. Many had no homes, but they had great dignity. Truly inspiring were the brave pilots of the Royal Air Force who flew into combat against all odds — and persevered — in the Battle of Britain. They lionhearted aviators turned the tide of the war. Had they failed, England would have been shortly invaded, and the war might have been lost. Resolute to the end, they unflinchingly flew into battle for me.

The dauntless determination of allies in Russia during the prolonged battle for Stalingrad, is worthy of mention. Their indomitability turned the tide on the Eastern Front and that was the beginning of the end for Germany. Men and women fought side by side against the invading German army. In one well known case from that battle, young women would man the anti-aircraft guns mounted on rooftops. It was so hazardous that most would be killed after fifteen minutes, yet others would run to take their place knowing they had only minutes to live before the attacking German planes ended their life. They fought for their Motherland, but they also fought for me.

One forgotten branch of the service that made an immeasurable contribution to the World War II war effort of not just America, but her Allies as well was the United States Merchant Marine. For a time, if a ship was torpedoed and sunk, the other ships in the convoy were under strict orders to not slow down to pick up survivors, and thereby make themselves a target. My father-in-law, Pasquale DeFiore, was among those brave sailors. His convoy was under this no-rescue order and his ship was sunk. Somehow, miraculously, he was rescued. It took a lot of courage to voluntarily get on one of those ships under those circumstances. God was looking out for my father-in-law, but God was also looking out for me and my future wife.

Let's not forget our brave men and women who are bravely fighting the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is as much a war as World War II was; it's just on a different battlefield with a new type of determined enemy who has no conscience. Although the current fight is taking place in these two countries, the battlefield could spread across the globe. We must not flinch. We must not turn away. We must finish the task. The true patriot is the brave America Soldier, currently fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to prevent modern day terrorists from extending that battlefield to America. They deserve our support and prayers. They're fighting for me. They're fighting for you.

The words of Major Michael Davis O'Donnell, engraved onto the national Vietnam Memorial, teach us how to remember The American Soldier:

      "If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind."

If you have to blame someone for America's military actions, blame me, for the brave American Soldier did it all for me.


In the end...

Many still fight the war on terror in various capacities, but make no mistake about it, it is a war, and they fight for me.

Many have made great sacrifices not knowing the outcome. They braved death for me.

Many were grievously wounded. They were wounded for me.

Many have made the ultimate sacrifice, some knowing they were going to die. They died for me.

Many were never found and still lie in some forgotten field or in some unfathomable part of the ocean, thousands of miles from their homeland. I have found a place for you in my heart.

You did those things for me.

I will never forget you.

Guy Adams, 50, is a law enforcement officer in the Midwest. He has been a computer programmer & systems' analyst (1984-1999) and a guitarist (1973-1981). He has a degree in Computer Science (business computer systems) from Purdue University (1984). Guy is a teacher and mentor at a long-term Christian drug rehab, and a member of a non-denominational church since 1980. He's been married for 25 years to his wife Joanne.

© Copyright 2005 by Guy Adams
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/adams/050921

Pastor Roger,

Brother, thanks for sharing this great article with us. We all need to be reminded that someone paid for every freedom we enjoy. I give thanks daily for those who fought, bled and died to secure and preserve our freedoms. I have tried to teach my children that nothing about FREEDOM is free, that it was paid for by generations of courageous men and women that we should never forget.

It makes me sick and angry when anyone disrespects their service. YES!!!!!!, our country is worth dying for, and the vast majority of Americans deeply appreciate every drop of sweat and blood shed by those preserving our way of life. It's a dirty rotten shame that the WACKO LOONIES get media attention and act as if they are speaking for America. We must not forget that our men and women serving do hear about the things happening at home, and some will obviously start wondering if we appreciate them. America must NEVER AGAIN treat returning warriors like those coming home from Vietnam.

Now, here's the cold hard facts: the free world is going to be fighting terrorists from now on, regardless of what we do. We can choose to fight them on our terms or their terms. We can also choose to fight them on our soil or their soil, but we will have to fight them regardless of where it is or whose terms are used. Wherever our men and women are sent to protect, preserve, and protect, THEY DESERVE 100% SUPPORT AND RESPECT - PERIOD!

We need to understand and realize something. WACKOS AND LOONIES do have freedom of speech, and that freedom was paid for by men and women of courage. All of us have freedom of speech, and we need to STAND UP and call the WACKOS AND LOONIES "WACKOS AND LOONIES".

In the meantime, every American can give thanks that the WACKOS AND LOONIES aren't charged with the responsibility of protecting our country and preserving our freedoms.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 97:10 NASB  Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

DITTO, AND AMEN!

Pastor Roger, well posted and well said!

Resting in the hands, pf Jesus.
Bob

1 Samuel 4:9 Be strong and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.