Veteran’s Day

Everyone who is serving or has served in the US armed forces has taken the oath of enlistment, or the oath of office.  Every naturalized citizen of the United States of America has taken a similar oath.  Every person elected to public office, local, state or federal government) has taken an oath of office.  The oaths differ, but the essence of each is that the person who takes the oath swears or affirms to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;” and will “bear truth and allegiance to the same.”  The word “oath” means a solemn vow or promise.  Sometimes I think every US citizen who reaches voting age should be required to take this oath—“to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” and to “bear truth and allegiance to the same.”  Now, it is important, of course, that anyone and everyone taking such an oath should be familiar with the Constitution.

As the Holy Scriptures of various religious faiths can be interpreted in many different ways, so, too,  the Constitution can be interpreted in many ways.  In spite of this, the “spirit” of the document, the principles and separation of powers it sets forth, seem to be generally accepted and agreed upon. 

While there are many non-military “veterans” who have sworn to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,”  and have in every sense given their lives to that purpose, we honor today the 20-million veterans who have taken the military oath of allegiance.  Those who signed a “blank check” to support the Constitution with full knowledge that they  might have to “cash it in” some future day.  I honor those 18  and 19-year-olds, who wrote their “last will and testament” at the moment of taking that oath.  I celebrate and honor those veterans with whom I had the privilege of serving with in the US Air Force for over 38 years.  I honor those who have been wounded and maimed because they took that oath and lived it out in the field of combat.

On this day, however, I also hope that every citizen will read our Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution and swear to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States (not the flag or the national anthem, and other spurious forms of patriotism now floating around) against all enemies, foreign and domestic” and will “bear truth and allegiance to the same.”