The Greatest Generation, or Social Petri Dish? – Opinion

“There are ways in which a ruler can bring misfortune upon his army:…by attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army.”

–        Sun Tzu, The Art of War  

Seventy-eight years ago today, America’s Greatest Generation and our allies ran headlong into a massive German gauntlet on the shores of France. D-Day. D-Day. They came from Ohio, California and Iowa. They had it all: rich, poor, and everything in-between. They answered the ultimate challenge. Our freedom, and the freedom of those in many other nations, was challenged, and they stepped up, as President Reagan said during that memorable speech given at Pointe du Hoc commemorating the 40th anniversary of that day, because they “knew that some things are worth dying for.”

We all know that certain things are worth dying to get. One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. You all loved liberty. You were all willing to resist tyranny and knew that the people in your country were with you.

Estimated deaths (sadly, we’ll never know precisely), were approximately 2500 Americans and 1900 allies. That’s a lot of Gold Star families. What percentage of Americans do they know this? Do you know how many Americans are aware of the heroic actions taken by those soldiers in the Operation that won the War on the European Front. Evidently, it is not enough. We are here.

The world can be dangerous. Around 12 percent served in the military during World War II. Today, it’s less than 1 percent. That means that very few people even know someone who’s served in the military, and it’s led to a huge disconnect, folks. Our contemporary culture doesn’t get it. We’ve lost the connection. We’ve lost the goal, the understanding of the purpose our military serves. There’s a phrase I’ve used in the past which I now regret: “Our military exists to kill people and break things.” While that’s very true, it’s limited, and we exist for so much more. In the same time, the US military is the biggest guarantor to freedom, liberty and humanitarian assistance in the world. This is again from President Reagan

It has been forty years since you were here. The day that you took these cliffs was young. Many of you were younger than the boys and experienced the most joyous moments of your life. You risked it all here. Why? Why did you do it? How did it motivate you to abandon your instincts for survival and take on the risk to conquer these cliffs with your own life? Why did all these men join forces to conquer the cliffs? You look at us and we see the answer. Faith and belief were the key; loyalty and love was our answer.

During a few of the years when Bill Clinton was catting around the White House, I was his Air Force Military Aide and carrier of the “Nuclear Football,” the President’s Emergency Satchel and everything POTUS needs to launch nuclear weapons. My position wasn’t an appointment. It wasn’t political; it was a military assignment. It didn’t stop me from observing what was going on around me, though, and later (after my retirement), I wrote the bestselling book “Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America’s National Security.”

What became immediately apparent to me was the Clinton administration’s warped view of our military and its role in a functioning republic. Over the years, the one thing I have always known about the US army was its unpolitical character and dedication to victory. Our military’s core mission, obviously, is to win our nation’s wars. During the Clinton years the mission got wrapped up in politics and the larger culture war, of which our national defense should never be a part — and now, here we are.

As has become all too clear in the 18 months or so that the Biden administration has been in charge, they’re continuing the failed policies of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and even George W. Bush. This weekly column will focus on these failings, and the steps that must be taken to rectify them. 

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first weekly column from Lieutenant Colonel Robert “Buzz” Patterson, United States Air Force (Retired), our newest contributor. Watch for “The Buzz Cut” every Monday.)

WATCH: President Ronald Reagan’s Address for the 40th Anniversary of D-Day at Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, France.