Veterans Day- 2023

I was ruminating this morning after my morning shower. It is to honor everyone who is serving or has served in the U.S. miliary. No one questions our honoring of Sadao Munemori.  You can read his Medal of Honor citation here.  He was part of the 442ns Regimental Combat Team, a unit made up almost exclusively of Japanese-American men. What made Army PFC Munemori unique among his unit is that he was the only Japanese-American to be awarded his Medal of Honor during or immediately after World War II ended. However, the fact that his family was interned by the U.S. during the war was something he shared with others in the 442nd.

No one thinks twice about our honoring of CAPT John Sax, USMC. He was killed in a training accident in 2022.

No one thinks twice about honoring a USAF LTCOL that I served with at Homestead Air Force Base. His military legacy was to crash an F-4 fighter jet right after take-off. He failed to ensure his jet had full tanks of fuel.

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The question on my mind is whether or not those who served and became traitors to our nation should be honored on this day? Take the case of McKinley Nolan. He was serving in Vietnam on 11/22/1967 with the 1st Infantry Division when he slipped away from his unit and turned himself over to the Viet Cong. The Pentagon classified him as a defector. Should he be honored among other veterans today?

How about Martin James Monti? During WWII he defected to the Nazis with a stolen aircraft. He volunteered for duty with the SS. Should his service be honored today?

One more. Charles Robert Jenkins was serving as part of the U.S. Army unit that patrolled the Korean Demilitarized Zone. He deserted his post and defected across the DMZ.  Do we honor him?

I do not have an answer to this question. Maybe you have one.