From: Michael D. Porter <mporter@zianet.com>
>One of the things I like least in life is a phony war hero. I have lived
>my life with a man who was, indeed, a war hero, and never took the title
>to heart, my father.
Indeed. I never served in the active forces. I opposed the war in Asia. I
never blamed the people who served for the foolishness of the government. I
could never understand why anti-war believers would disrespect honest people
who followed their beliefs and went to Asia, much less draftees who felt
they had no choice. I didn't need to make the choice. Although my birthday
is in December, and the first lottery was top-heavy with low numbers in
December, I drew a number over 300. Nevertheless, I resolved to volunteer
when Congress declared war.
My father served. He was there, on the Ward, when the first shot was fired
at Pearl Harbor. It was perceived that we were under attack by submarine,
and the skipper, on the first day of his first command, gave the order to
fire. It's easy to remember this here in Saint Paul, since the historic gun
sits near the state capitol building. Dad served on the Ward along with
others from our town (they were a naval reserve unit formed here) until she
was struck by a crippled Japanese airplane three years to the day after
Pearl. She ended her career, started in 1918, when she was scuttled by fire
from the cruiser which had picked up the Ward's crew. Irony again. The
skipper of that cruiser was the same man who had commanded her at the
literal start of the war three years earlier. He had the odd task of
ordering the destruction of his first command.
There is a strange bit of Triumph content here. When I first stated
attending meetings of Minnesota Triumphs at the Fort Snelling Officer's
club, I noted that there was a familiar picture of the Ward in a place of
honor there. Looking closer, I saw that the picture had been autographed by
my father and four others.
My father's younger brother joined the Navy after war was declared. He was
lost in action. His name appears sandblasted into a marble column on the
first floor of Memorial Hall at the court house.
Dad returned to active duty in the China Sea on the Chevalier. The Navy
said that if he'd come back, they'd make him a Chief. In the same Korean
conflict, a war like the other more recent wars that our Congress never
declared in accordance with our Constitution, my mother's brother-in-law was
killed. His name appears on the third floor of Memorial Hall.
My brother served for a time as an officer in the U. S. Air force. Never
saw any more exotic locale than Arizona and Texas.
I think about the commitment made by thousands of people to the defense of
our nation. Whether you agree with the ways that our government has used or
abused them at various times, there is no excuse for dishonoring them. Put
the blame where it belongs.
Lying about your service record is an action which dishonors them. Thank
you, Michael, for exposing a perpetrator of this undeserved dishonor.
Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA
1970 Lotus Europa, 1992 Saturn SL2, 1986 Suburban, 1962 Triumph TR4 CT2846L
LOON, MAC pethier@isd.net http://www.mnautox.com/
"It makes a nice noise when it goes faster"
- 4-year-old Adam, upon seeing a bitmap of Grandma Susie's TR4.
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