Let me tell you a story about real patriotism and the sacrifices that make it worthwhile. The kind of patriotism where the love of what’s behind you compels you to fight against what’s in front of you: an incursion upon your cherished values.
Boxes of memories can be the most precious, yet painful inheritance. That was the case when my late sister left me a collection of mementos from our family’s past. Nestled within was a series of heartfelt letters my father penned to my mother during his military service in World War II. Through these written moments and weathered photographs marked with navy censor notations, a vivid picture of my father emerged – not just a Navy man but a man who cherished the camaraderie and spirit of unity amidst the tumult of war.
It’s worth recalling that, for many servicemen like my father, the severity of their experience only emerged later in life. For many years, my father simply painted a picture of a tropical paradise. Unfortunately, the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center erased much of the official account of his time on duty. But these personal memories suffice as precious reminders of his commitment and bravery.
Patriotism isn’t just about what our soldiers do for us. It’s about the society they leave behind, and fight to protect. I was reminded of this decades ago when a fellow history enthusiast showed me a photograph of a Norman Rockwell painting. The piece – drafted into a propaganda poster for the World War II effort – was an ode to our people’s shared fervor for freedom and faith.
This painting and its message of free worship is a stark contrast to the country we’re living in today, where an all-too-real anti-religious sentiment has permeated from local schools to government offices. Our fight for religious liberty may no longer be against foreign persecutors, but it’s no less crucial.
Recently, actions from our own administrative bodies have threatened our religious freedoms. Unbelievably, the Biden Administration initially put a ban on the observance of Catholic Mass on Memorial Day – a wild restriction quickly reversed when faced with public outcry.
The current climate seems disquietingly keen to categorize religious observance as some form of disobedience, moving from the secular to anti-religion. Would the resilient soldier in the middle of World War II, fighting for the country he loves, recognize this America?
In the face of this threat to our liberties, we must stand firmer and love harder – for God, for our families, and for our nation. We must cast off works of darkness and put on the armor of light. It’s not just about freedom of worship, but about preserving the values that underpin the very fabric of our society. Our forebears didn’t put the nation in our hands just to watch it lose its principles.
