thedrifter
10-12-05, 06:29 AM
Article published Oct 12, 2005
lancastereaglegazette
Soldiers deserve proper welcome
TIMES have changed since Americans embraced the notion embodied in the song: "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again." Or have they?
Remember the lyrics? "When Johnny comes marching home again, hurrah, hurrah. We'll give him a hearty welcome then, hurrah, hurrah. The men will cheer, the boys will shout, the ladies they will all turn out and we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home."
Well, maybe times haven't changed all that much, after all, or perhaps we've come full circle.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Columbus Friday to welcome Marines from the Lima Company, which lost 16 members to combat in Iraq. That company is part of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, which reported the deaths of 48 reservists.
Despite the rising tide of opposition to the war in Iraq and the decline of President Bush's approval rating, Americans in general and Central Ohioans in particular still publicly show their support for our troops.
That's a great thing, but it wasn't always so. Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who returned from the Vietnam War recall being cursed at and spit upon when they came home. Near the end, that war was extremely unpopular.
What makes things different now? Maybe the nation has grown up. Maybe now we realize these are our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors who just went to do their duty.
Guess what? They don't all agree with everything the president does or that our country does, either. But they served. They walked the walk and talked the talk and put their lives on the line.
For that, we owe them our thanks, in both public and private. Lining a parade route and cheering the return of our local servicemen and women is the least we can do to show our thanks.
Welcome home, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome home.
Ellie
lancastereaglegazette
Soldiers deserve proper welcome
TIMES have changed since Americans embraced the notion embodied in the song: "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again." Or have they?
Remember the lyrics? "When Johnny comes marching home again, hurrah, hurrah. We'll give him a hearty welcome then, hurrah, hurrah. The men will cheer, the boys will shout, the ladies they will all turn out and we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home."
Well, maybe times haven't changed all that much, after all, or perhaps we've come full circle.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Columbus Friday to welcome Marines from the Lima Company, which lost 16 members to combat in Iraq. That company is part of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, which reported the deaths of 48 reservists.
Despite the rising tide of opposition to the war in Iraq and the decline of President Bush's approval rating, Americans in general and Central Ohioans in particular still publicly show their support for our troops.
That's a great thing, but it wasn't always so. Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who returned from the Vietnam War recall being cursed at and spit upon when they came home. Near the end, that war was extremely unpopular.
What makes things different now? Maybe the nation has grown up. Maybe now we realize these are our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors who just went to do their duty.
Guess what? They don't all agree with everything the president does or that our country does, either. But they served. They walked the walk and talked the talk and put their lives on the line.
For that, we owe them our thanks, in both public and private. Lining a parade route and cheering the return of our local servicemen and women is the least we can do to show our thanks.
Welcome home, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome home.
Ellie