there's always a first and a last
I graduated high school in May 1976, during America’s bicentennial, from the fourth of four high schools. I’d just turned seventeen, while the country would be two hundred on the fourth of July. Two forms of government having been implemented to get the nation to the present moment, the first having failed. Now, my life to this point had been a series of moves, as Dad, the fighter pilot, had just retired. He’d spent a career either flying combat missions or training for them. Me though, merely a military dependent, or better still, an expendable, subordinate to all the pawns who wore the uniform of the day.
Graduation was at the Theatre of Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas, with all the pomp and circumstance highlighting the occasion. Before things began, a teacher had grouped the students together and showed everyone a masking taped box on the stage floor. He wanted each individual, when receiving their diploma, to step inside, shake hands, receive said diploma, then walk off. As usual, I missed the mark. As my first day of kindergarten ended with a note pinned, my last day as a senior culminated in a stretch in more ways than the one. When the ceremony ended, my parents were thankful beyond belief, ecstatic truly too simple a word to use while offering the principal handshakes, high fives, and backslaps. Forgetting the occasions reason being me, they whisked him off to dinner, leaving the lone graduate, standing in the empty theatre holding a “did he actually earn” diploma, looking for a ride home.
But the more interesting aspect of the day, or better, era, was the reason dad had incessantly trained for and flown two tours of combat had come to an end: Vietnam. At the time, it was America’s longest, most costly war, both financially, and life expending. Over 56,000 Americans killed, and 1,579 missing in action. And let’s not mention those injured, maimed, or poisoned. The worst part was the average age: twenty-two. No chance for life or a future as most when they turned eighteen were drafted, unless. The other component, while the military went to win, politicians went to profit monetarily, sacrificing those they sent by morally losing the conflict, and willingly prolonging hostilities with “rules of engagement.” Their only goal: overflowing their personal bank accounts while bankrupting the nation and its citizens both financially and morally. The vicious cycle I’ve always mentioned.
On April 30, 1975, Saigon fell as the remaining American forces in country evacuated those they could. A humiliating defeat for the military, a who-cares for the power-hungry in DC. Worse, our government’s promise of supporting the South Vietnamese government afterwards being a full-fledged lie. By July 2, 1976, two days before our nation’s two-hundredth birthday, the country would officially be the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Hanoi would be renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Millions more would then pay by death from America’s dereliction of duty by the abdication of promising to support when the nation had no intention of ever doing so. The repulsive black hat every citizen now wears for the actions of those they elected to serve then. A fallacy of ingrained ideals: truth, justice, and the American way. And as much as one might try to whitewash, you cannot erase disgrace. What America’s government did to itself in Vietnam; sacrificing the boots on the ground who served and those they promised to supply. In truth, what should have dampened the birthday festivities, only proved how fast things are forgotten. Life being cheap as long as it’s someone else’s.
History though is a fascinating topic, especially if one can discover it with unjaded eyes or a perspective to find truth. It’s always there, somewhere in the middle. Or depending on the duplicity of government, at times on the fringes of reality, but it’s there. Anyway, going to the Constitution, the Framer’s wanted both an Army and Navy. The key being, and one can argue semantics, or events, to be used for defensive, not aggressive purposes. But power begets power, while money drives ambition, and greed consumes souls.
So, by dividing the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as defensive and offensive periods (the arguable part) of American history, think of war in an all-new light. Especially when those who join the military swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, not serve the ambitions of either the executive, legislative, or war machine branches. First though, one must understand expansionism has always been part of human nature, and after the Civil War, the country was hellbent on stretching its borders at any cost over those who were in the way. Once done, the desire was then so strong, government had to look beyond CONUS, thus creating the dilemma citizens of America have faced. Only, we’re now staring down the double-barrel of what could possibly be the country’s undoing. As such, the games being played should have everyone asking why tens of thousands have had to die for not, and thousands more may soon be sent to face the same fate. And for what? A two-fold deceit perpetrated on the gullible by those who’ve politically sworn to protect and defend yet are in truth draining and destroying.
While the wars America has placed itself in have always been political by nature, they were fought militarily. Yet, in the desire to wholesale change the country, WW II started and ended politically. Once it was in the books, American government made the decision to lose every war it entered by fighting politically, wealth being the object of outcomes. And one need look no farther back than the Spanish-American War to see the duplicitous nature of using the country’s resources (human life) to extract the financial benefit for the few. The object of that event was to create a new State as Cuba was considered the “Gibraltar of America.” Only, look at the Island today. Sure, government chased Spain away (the start of regime changes), but was that our nation’s purpose for existence? And, in the end, based on outcomes, didn’t America actually lose the war?
Moving through the years and wars, today we have Ukraine, and the nation’s drive to place the country squarely in the middle of hostilities with boots yet again on the ground. And yes, there are citizens who proudly “Stand with Ukraine!” I wonder though, are they willing to don a uniform and die for another country or personally write the checks needed, knowing full-well someone else’s son will be doing their bidding. And while this is ongoing, the government is allowing the southern border to be overrun as it provokes division across the populace. Transgenderism, LGBTQ-plusism, racism, equity, and a host of other non-sensicalisms (if one truly believes in the Constitution) which have no bearing or place in politics, while both political parties are complicit in the duplicity. The bedrock the nation’s foundation was laid upon being pulverized into shifting sand. Continuing the current path, the house will eventually fall. So, as government drives the self-destruction of country, and forces the issue in Ukraine, I believe, this war and the internal push will be our undoing. Sadly, it doesn’t have to happen, but it will. And like Iraq and Afghanistan became the costliest wars, surpassing Vietnam, ask who benefits before Ukraine out-costs every one of them combined. And while the government deception to change America is ongoing, China is fostering alliances with nation states, weakening our nation’s position in the world, yet no one cares. The “isms” of today more important than national strength.
To close, in life, there’s always a first and a last. From the first war being the American Revolution to what most likely will be America’s end, Ukraine, people need to wake up. The clock is ticking. Additionally, my desire in Ricology was believing if folks understood the nation’s foundation, they could better see the where and why of how the nation should stand. I truly believed the gift of writing came from God. Plus, the reason I included my youth experiences was to convey the absurdity of being able to convey knowledge. Yes, I’ve been misguided on multiple fronts. So, after seven months of trying on Substack, including previous attempts elsewhere, I believe this will be my last, having somehow always missed the mark.
I feel for the youth of today. I also ask their forgiveness, as they’ll always be looking at things from a lack of knowledge perspective. The intentional deceit of teaching to change education today. Truthfully though, WE THE PEOPLE probably could not have controlled the outcomes of deception perpetrated while allowing all of this to happen. Possibly a fallacy in WE THE PEOPLE from the onset. The best analogy of what I see taking place is the pocket Constitution I’ve carried everywhere for almost twenty years. A good visible example of what we’ve allowed to happen to the country. I’ve decided to retire it as well, and no longer use it. Like the country, it’s falling apart. The constant taping a reminder of what I see going on around me. To believe I could have changed a river’s course: laughable and foolish beyond belief. So, to the miniscule few who’ve suffered through, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Regards!
I’ve lived the same history and like you, want so badly for our American dream to continue. I am saddened for our children because I have reached conclusions similar to yours. My solace is that ultimately, good prevails eventually, even if our country doesn’t. Rick, as brats, we’ve always been looking for our true home. It’s not in this world. Retire the pocket constitution and replace it with a pocket New Testament. Spoiler alert: God wins.
Nice picture of good neighbors