CSN Founder’s Message – Armed Forces Appreciation Day!
Truman’s Moral Fiber was Behind Military Appreciation Day
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Note From the Founder…
Dear Citizen Voice readers,
Tomorrow is Armed Forces Appreciation Day and it is fitting to honor those in the military today for so many obvious reasons and some not so obvious. The Citizen Sentinels Network is offering this message to provide a better understanding of why it is still important to honor our armed forces, despite the recent adverse effects upon those in active service in one branch of the military or another. It is not clear whether national sentiment is clear in separating those who serve from those who are exploiting the men and women in service to their country.
The discernment over what has taken place at the beginning of the new millennium, and what is currently taking place, may not be easy to digest for the average American citizen. But, citizens
should be concerned and should care about how our men and women in the armed forces have been treated by civilian leaders in our government. Those who serve may need more support at this time than they have ever needed the support of “We the People.” I offer my article to honor the men and women who have taken upon themselves the responsibility to serve the cause of Freedom – not government corruption and criminal, perhaps even treasonous behavior.
Truman’s Moral Fiber was Behind Military Appreciation Day
Armed Forces Appreciation Day was established to be commemorated on the third Saturday each May. However, America has gone through much political evolution since the first Armed Forces Appreciation Day was celebrated on May 20, 1950. And of all the American holidays to honor the nation’s military, the ones that are most widely recognized are Memorial Day and Veterans Day; yet, Armed Forces Appreciation Day is a legitimate U.S. holiday. In fact the entire month of May is now designated as MIlitary Appreciation Month.
Armed Forces Appreciation Day was established during the presidency of Harry Truman, whose birthday is in the month of May. But Truman was a Democrat, and any democrat publicly offering honor or respect to honor the men and women of the United States military is hard to fathom in our day and age. Yet, it is true that democrats used to support the military, and the history of Truman’s efforts behind initiating such a holiday is quite dramatic.
Unfortunately, it is not hard to witness how current democrats handle honoring our nation’s veterans. The American Indians used to say that “the White man speaks with forked tongue.” Many still do, We call them politicians. Most can talk a good talk, but one needs only to look at the recent controversy over removing homeless veterans from temporary accommodations in upstate New York to make room for the recent influx of illegal aliens flooding into the nation across the southern border. This has recently been noted by the New York Post: Homeless vets are being booted from NY hotels to make room for migrants: advocates and the Washington Times: Homeless veterans booted from N.Y. hotels to make room for migrants, nonprofit says
It represents a serious commitment that current Party elitists have made, choosing between those who have been allowed into our nation at the peril of the population and those who risked their lives defending the nation. This recent display of disrespect for our nation’s military reminds the older generations of how Armed Forces Appreciation Day came to be established by Harry Truman. But, it can be tragic when a nation forgets its own history, or cannot comprehend how events transpiring in the present are repetitions of past failures. It is hoped that by revisiting the history behind Military Appreciation Day, it could strengthen citizens’ moral fiber today.
The true origins of the holiday are linked to another dark period in America’s history, and linked to the aftermath of World War II. The world, and America were still very dangerous places after the second world war and the beginning of the Cold War. In such a time, President Truman had the vision to create a more unified focus on national defense. Mr. Truman wanted a reorganized military to protect the United States, and to be capable and ready to defend the nation (compare this to the current Biden Administration’s open border policy). Truman wanted to consolidate all the individual holidays supporting the four separate branches of the military into one Armed Forces Day as a unified holiday as part of this overall reorganization. Yet, Truman had a deeper reason for establishing a day to honor those men and women in service to their country.
On Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in 1946, a young black veteran named Isaac Woodard Jr., a former sergeant in the United States’ Army, was traveling home after serving his country in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He had been honorably discharged after returning to the states. He was simply going home to his family, but en route, Sergeant Woodard was forcibly removed from a Greyhound bus by police in South Carolina, and beaten so badly that he lost his vision for the rest of his life. After this incident he was never the same.
Isaac Woodard’s story was shocking and tragic and the grisly tale touched off a great deal of indignation throughout the country not long after the war. Today, it would have touched off major race riots. The story was recounted again and again in the media in northern cities, but it did not seem to be newsworthy in the deep South. It was virtually ignored by Democrat-biased media. A truth-challenged media still ignores many serious issues, as today silence often persists amidst real atrocities. Additionally, a biased MSM mainly tends to force people to see only a single side of an issue. Amazingly, the similar political affiliations exist between Big Media and the dominant political Party in his day that existed in the Deep South in Woodard’s day. It’s useful strategy.
Similar stories of beatings of returning black veterans with tragic outcomes sometimes trickled out of the South, however, and when President Harry Truman became aware of these accounts of such vicious racist atrocities, he beame appalled. Historians have revealed that when an old friend wrote to President Truman at the time, appealing to him to go “easy” on civil rights, as a fellow Southerner, the President’s return comments included:
When a mayor and a City Marshall can take a Negro Sergeant off a bus in South Carolina, beat him up and put out one of his eyes, and nothing is done about it by the State Authorities, something is really radically wrong with the system…
Isaac Woodward’s tragedy in particular had captured the president’s attention, and near year’s end, on December 5, 1946, Harry Truman issued Executive Order 9808. This executive action established the President’s Committee on Civil Rights (PCCR). This Committee was an effort aimed at proactively addressing the exploding problems of violent racism in post-war America.
Yet, Truman’s decision to desegregate the armed forces was definitely a serious political risk, and especially within his own Democratic Party. There seemed to be an attempt to disown him. Truman not only had to ‘buck’ his own Party as they resisted fiercely, but even his own mother and wife were against the extremely controversial move of the integration of the military. Many Democrat advisors promised to offer support in the election, if only he would back off of his desegregation efforts. Truman remained adamant and stood his ground:
My forebears were Confederates… Every factor and influence in
my background — and in my wife’s for that matter – would foster the personal belief that you are right.
But my very stomach turned over when I learned that Negro soldiers, just back from overseas, were being dumped out of army trucks in Mississippi and beaten.
Whatever my inclinations as a native of Missouri might have been, as President, I know this is bad. I shall fight to end evils like this.
By October 1947, the Committee published “To Secure These Rights: The Report of the President’s Committee on Civil Rights.” The report proposed, among a number of remedies, the establishment of a permanent Civil Rights Commission, a Joint Congressional Committee on Civil Rights, a Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, and an effort to develop federal protection from lynching, as well as the abolition of poll taxes.
But even more broadly during this trying period, Truman also challenged Congress to help reorganize the branches of the military to be more efficient and effective. Serious deliberations within both houses resulted in the sweeping initiatives of the National Security Act of 1947. This legislation ultimately brought four major branches of the U.S. military initially under the National Military Establishment. Additionally, the Act also reorganized the Army Air Corps into the new branch of the U.S. Air Force and created the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Later, a 1949 amendment to the National Security Act, renamed the NME the Department of Defense.
Underlying such changes to the armed forces was President Truman’s concerns over the lack of appreciation and respect for returning veterans, as well as appreciation of the value of the U.S. military as a whole. Truman additionally addressed this by consolidating the various holidays supporting each separate military branch into a single unified holiday to honor all four branches together. Implementation of this day occurred on August 31, 1949, when Truman’s Secretary of State announced the establishment of a joint Armed Forces Appreciation Day to take the place of the former tradition of having separate days to honor men and women in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and the new Air Force.
The new Department of Defense explained the intent of Armed Forces Day was to help the American people better understand the function and role of the military, but the essential intent was to enable public recognition and appreciation of the military and to provide a means for the public to thank men and women in uniform for their service to their country. It is fitting and proper to do this: to thank men and women in uniform (regardless of their race or ethnic origins) for their service to their country.
Beyond the underlying changes to the military, President Truman still had the audacity to offer the nation a way to express appreciation and respect for those men and women serving in the Armed Forces. What had originated with his serious concerns for addressing the vicious attacks upon returning servicemen, Truman transformed into his efforts to improve the appreciation for the value of the U.S. military as a whole. So, not only did he integrate the U.S. Armed Forces, Truman also insisted upon respect and appreciation for those in uniform. It was truly Truman’s conscience that compelled him to stand against his own political party to do what was right.
At the very least, grateful Americans can do what would be right and offer thanks to the men and women who still stand to protect our nations’ values, and that is the real intent behind Armed Forces Appreciation Day. God bless ‘em!
From American Center for Law and Justice: A Slap In The Face To Veterans – 5/15/23
From MILITARY.com: Military Appreciation Month 2023
From Washington Examiner: Emasculation of the US military is the price it has paid for going 'woke' – 5/17/23
From New York Post: Homeless vets are being booted from NY hotels to make room for migrants: advocates – 5/12/23
From Washington Times: Homeless veterans booted from N.Y. hotels to make room for migrants, nonprofit says – 5/14/23
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We’re passing on an announcement for the guys at Last Call radio: Last Call Radio.com, which is a production from MInutemen United. This week's broadcast promises to be one of, if not the most powerful, broadcasts that we have produced in years. Children can stir up emotions like no other entity and be an incredible force for both good and bad. The guests, whether sharing their own childhood experiences and/or experiences with their children, will stir your heart and remind each and everyone of us what a blessing children are meant to be.
Guests in the first hour will be Peter Hays, Jim Harrison and Rusty Thomas. Should be interesting especially when BJ interviews Mr. Harrison. In hour #2 we will talk with author and community volunteer Stephanie Mann, who brings hope to many children before they ever think about becoming a problem.
CHILDREN: OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE . . . and our adversaries know it!
Folks, America is in incredibly bad shape, a direct reflection of today's Broken Families. Fix the Family and we fix the foundation and if you don't fix the foundation of what purpose are other home improvements, Amen? Or as we like to say, "as goes the family, so goes the nation"
This week we honor children. Are you celebrating our Natural Family Month? If not , for heaven's sake why not? Get ‘er done there Christian
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Remember we’re Celebrating the Natural Family!
Pursuing A Natural Family Celebration! - As a positive approach to repairing our nation, Mr. James Harrison, National Director of Natural Family Strong www.naturalfamilystrong.com has initiated a new holiday in his area as a way to celebrate the Family! In concert with other local community leaders, Natural Family Strong proposed earlier this year to make the time period between Mother's Day in May through Father's Day in June an annual celebration of the Natural Family. At the LightWing Messages, we believe in the effort and support it wholeheartedly. We’re attempting to offer as much support as possible by keeping readers up to date on efforts aligned with such a month-long celebration at the local or regional levels. Those who would like to get involved, or to get more information, please call 614-890-4008 for more details and please don't hesitate to leave a message. Let them know if you’re interested in learning more or participating.
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