Today I was incensed at the conclusion of a traditional
Serbian-Orthodox funeral for my beloved 85 year old uncle, Daniel Martich, who
proudly served in the US Army during The Korean Conflict. During the committal
service at a Pittsburgh cemetery the local military detachment performed their
ritual, then folded and presented the American Flag to my aunt. As I'm sure you
have witnessed during military funerals, a soldier bends to one knee and
recites a scripted message to a surviving relative that begins 'On behalf of
the President of the United States and a grateful nation, I wish to present you
with this flag in appreciation for your husband's service ...'. However, today
the dialogue was 'On behalf of the Secretary of Defense and a grateful nation
...' After the service I approached the soldier who presented the flag to my
aunt to inquire about the change in language. His response was "The White
House notified all military funeral service detachments to immediately remove
'the President' and insert 'the Secretary of Defense'. I couldn't believe what
I heard and the soldier smiled and said "You can draw your own conclusion
sir but that was the order". He, too, was ashamed of what he was required
to say.
This president has taken off the gloves. My only response to
this endless cesspool of Anti-American rhetoric dripping from his mouth is to
borrow a phrase (with one minor change) uttered by another temporary Washington
resident living in government housing:
"Today for the first time in my adult life I was ASHAMED of my
country". I did not serve in the military but my love of country parallels
that of people like my late uncle who bled Red, White and Blue. As a second
generation Serbian-American who's heritage produced many patriotic military men
and women who fought for freedom both in The United States as well as in the
former Yugoslavia (most recently in Kosovo against the slaughter of Serbs by
Muslim extremists) I implore you to make the American people aware of this
little-known or, at least, publicly acknowledged fact.
May God Bless you and your family during these difficult
times. Your voice of reason is a welcome change from the insanity plastered
across the country by the liberal media. Keep up the great work and thank you
for your service to our country.
Sincerely,
John G. Martich
Weirton, WV
