Veteran's Day Address

My name is Clifford Gissell; I’m the commander of the Cullman & Morgan County chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a veteran’s service organization for combat wounded veterans. If you’re a Purple Heart recipient or you know someone who is and doesn’t belong to our organization please see me sometime this morning.

I want to talk about veterans in general and combat veterans in particular this morning. Sometime last year there was a post going around the Internet that went like this:

A veteran - whether active, inactive, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life." Some may think that’s an exaggeration but it’s not. If you wore a uniform in the past there was a possibility for you to be sent to a combat zone. If you wear a uniform today, there is a very good possibility that you will be sent to a combat zone. And, if you’re in a combat zone, you may die. Let me give you some examples of soldiers who have died recently from enemy activity:

SPC Samuel Pearson – 376th Finance Co. US Army Reserve, Wausau, WI
SPC Ciara Durkin – 726th Finance Bn. Massachusetts National Guard
SSG Lillian Clamens – 1st Postal Platoon, 834th AG Co. US Army Reserve, Miami, FL

Everyone is at risk in a combat zone, everyone.

If you have worn or do wear the uniform you have placed yourself in a position of possible danger serving this country, that’s why we honor all veterans on Veteran’s Day.

No matter the motivation that brings someone into the military, there’s one trait that differentiates them from civilians. That is the warrior ethos. Ethos is defined as the disposition, character, or fundamental values peculiar to a specific person, people, culture, or movement. To be very specific about this let me simplify the definition of warrior ethos: it’s the willingness to place oneself in a position where you may die. This is not a death wish; they don’t want to die anymore than you do. So why do they do this? They put their lives on the line to safeguard our way of life, our beliefs, our children’s future, and because they know that someone must do it. If not them, who?

The ethos of combat soldiers is especially strong. Young men have a tendency to think they’re immortal. This erroneous belief is rectified once they experience combat and they realize they can be killed. But, they return to engage the enemy again and again, acutely aware of the dangers they face. The warrior ethos compels some to return and allows others to confront the enemy even though they’re anxious or fearful of the consequences. These are warriors.

It’s difficult to explain the anxiety, the fear, the uncertainty, and the brutality of combat but you can get a sense of the inherent danger of war by visiting a Civil War battlefield. Go to Gettysburg and stand at the base of Little Round Top and imagine being part of the 15th Alabama during the assault or stand between Seminary and Cemetery Ridges pretending that you’re part of Pickett’s Division as they assault the Union line. Could you do it? Could you go up the hill? Could you march toward the Union line? That was a different time and place but the warrior ethos is the same. Something inside allows warriors to be warriors.

I admire the soldiers we have today. They’re from the much maligned Generations X & Y. They’re the ones fighting the Global War on Terror. They’re the ones enduring hardships most people can’t even image. They’re the ones making the sacrifices needed to preserve our way of life. They’re the ones bearing the psychological and physical wounds of today’s brutal warfare. They are all that stand between us and bowing towards Mecca five times a day, living in an Islamic hell on earth. I have full faith in their ability to protect us IF they are allowed to do so. I salute them. Thank you for allowing me to speak.