DETERMINING WHO THE “REAL AMERICANS” ARE
by One Pissed-off Vietnam Vet
(Oct. 9, 2011) — We’re going to play a game now: I’ll describe the circumstances, and you supply the answer. In World War II during the Battle of the Bulge, the Germans needed fuel for their tanks, desperately, so they sent in specially-trained troops masquerading as Americans to disrupt our advance to thwart the German attack. The Americans discovered that road signs were pointing in the wrong direction and found a bunch of our soldiers shot in the back and came to the conclusion that there were infiltrators; so whenever they come across other Americans, they devised a set of questions that in no way the Germans would know the answer to in order to determine if those guys were on our side.
Okay, those are the ground rules: I’ll ask the questions and you prove that you’re an American. “Mom, the American flag, and . . .?” Good for you. What about the definition of “illegal”? Is it, 1) okay behavior, 2) against the law, 3) people who use the word “illegal” are racist. You’re doing good, and so far I’d say you’re a real American.. The Constitution of the United States, is it 1) flawed, 2) outdated, 3) too complicated to understand, 4) fine with the way it is. Next question: a police SWAT team breaks into your house at 4:00 a.m., kills your dog and comes charging up the stairs. You‘ve no idea what‘s going on, who these people are, what they want; all you know is that your dog is dead, so you grab your double-barrel 12-gauge. No, sorry, that’s a dumb question: too obvious an answer.
It’s Christmastime, and every year we get to see some really great Hollywood gems, movies that have stood the test of time, as has our Constitution. There’s a movie that we all really enjoy because it’s so real, so American, that just about every station shows it. I used to watch it for the great story, the great dialog, acting, sets, camera angle, lighting, continuity, montage, the whole shebang. During the last ten years or so, I say to myself every year that I’m going to sit down and watch it from the very beginning and, by God, I’m not going to cry. And I sit there and, dang it, I get all stuffed up and tears come rolling down and I’m actually saying out loud, “I’m not going to cry. I’m a grown man and I’m not going to cry” as I’m crying. What is the name of the movie?
My favorite book about Vietnam is A Rumor of War. My favorite movie is “Dogfight.” We each have our own favorites, but we each also have a common cause, or we used to. Some of us have strayed from the path of common sense and justice. Some think nothing of stealing, of taking what isn’t rightfully theirs, and they justify their illegal actions by convincing themselves that, somehow, they deserve it and, somehow, the person who earned it, doesn’t. A set of wheels, money, a life, a country.
We have within our country a bunch of infiltrators who look like us and speak as we do, but they’re not Americans. If they’re from somewhere else, they’re the enemy; if they’re citizens, they’re traitors. And unlike the twenty questions our troops asked the Germans, present-day infiltrators are easy to spot: they have the distinct guilty look of denial written all over their faces. “He showed his birth certificate” and mum about the Social Security number. Shirking our responsibility to pass the torch of freedom to future generations doesn’t sit well with me, nor should it for any Patriot. So here’s what it will take: if you want to live under the flag of Communism or Sharia, leave, but don’t try and drag me down with you, because I’m not going. You can leave by walking or in a pine box.
I heard a veteran proudly say “if there is war, I’m going”. I said “you aren’t going, the enemy is here”. In defense of our homes, our families and our liberty we are united and right.
One Pissed-off Vietnam Vet – you have a great way of simplifying a complicated issue and making it easy to understand and deal with. Thanks.