They all look like hometown heroes

Dear Editor,

After my letter 2 weeks ago regarding our ex felon and chief’s disrespectful remarks about our troops.

I was saddened by the number of people who defended the felon. Those that agree with Trump’s assessment that these men were suckers and losers are the real suckers and losers.

Those that died, sacrificed everything–their futures, their wives were widowed, their children orphaned, what else did they have to give for democracy?

Historically when a society no longer reveres its history and its heroes, it is on the sunset side of its history.

Memorial Day Mass at St. John the Evangelist in Allenton is one of my favorite Sunday services.

We honor all the branches of our military service. Father Mike announces a branch of the military, and our organist plays a rendition of that branch’s anthem that makes you want to enlist. Veterans of all ages stand ramrod straight at attention during their anthem.

Those anthems are more than patriotic songs to them, they have special memories for those Vets.

Some Vets are teary-eyed during their anthem; just like you and I during the playing of our national anthem or America the Beautiful.

Those people joined a service knowing they may be asked to lay down their life for our democracy and our society.

I have never seen any Veterans at that service that look like suckers or losers. They all, to me, look like hometown heroes.

After Mass on Saturday evening my wife and I stopped at the Allenton Cemetery to pay our respects to more friends than I like to count there.

It was drab and drizzling; they must have put new flags on all Veterans’ graves.

They seemed to glow in the dim light as if they were florescent. I was surprised at the number of veterans buried at that small cemetery.

Driving home we passed homes with Trump signs on the lawn; I wondered to myself, do those people concur with Trump’s assessment that our military has been staffed throughout our history with suckers and losers?

— Tom Janicki
Almont