Remembering When....

                                                                                                            

    I was born in 1947 but my real memories begin in the mid fifties. I mean there are fragments of memories from younger days but there was not really a sense of who I was or who I wanted to be. Growing up in the fifties I was exposed to country music icons like Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, George Jones and more. My heroes were Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, the Lone Ranger, and Lash Larue. Of course there were others as well. A few years went by before I became a huge John Wayne fan. Of all of them I guess John Wayne influenced me the most. To me, John Wayne was a perfect example of what a man was supposed to be.

   But the fifties and sixties were also a time when Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and other rockabillys were influential. I never really got awe struck by Buddy Holly so it took a few years before I even became aware of him. So, on the one hand there were these country music legends that influenced me and on the other this early rock-n-roll sound. The Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison were a hit. Michigan's own Del Shannon was popular back then.

    Western movies and war films were the kinds of things that helped me to get a sense of the patriotism that has been important to me. I remember going to a movie called "Pork Chop Hill" starring Gregory Peck in the lead role. Later, when I was in the U.S. Army I served under the officer that Gregory Peck played. He was a Lt. Col. Joe Clemens then and commander of the Battalion, in which I served. It's funny that I had to look up his name. I still have my dress uniform from those days. I think I might be able to fit one arm it in!

     One thing I remember clearly is a sense of being an American with a rich history of heroes. In those days teachers actually taught the truth about American history. We said the Pledge of Allegiance before classes and we always stood with our hand on our heart when our National Anthem was played. We learned about the exploits of George Washington and we read about Abraham Lincoln and Patrick Henry and a host of others. I remember reading of Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, Jim Bridger, Kit Carson and more, holding them in high esteem. Back then we didn't try to dig up dirt on people like we do now! We let the heroes stay heroes and kids like me had examples of manliness and bravery. We could distinguish the good guys from the bad guys and it was easy to do so.

     Now I know that when you go through that list of people that I named, some real, and some fictional, you will note that, really, none of them were perfect. The all had failures, some more than others, but as a kid I didn't know about their shortcomings. Who would have dreamed that Rock Hudson was a homosexual? I guess what I'm saying is that, even though kids of my generation did some pretty bad things there was still a sense of innocence. Yes, I tried smoking and cussing and I probably would have tried beer if I'd had the opportunity. But my folks kept me busy enough for me to stay out of trouble. I loved the girls too! I'll leave that for another time though............

     Still, though I was not raised in a Christian home we all had a sense of honor. We were taught to love country and family. If a preacher came by we treated him with kindness. As I recall we were always patriotic. I mean there was never any question about it!

                                                                                        

     Then, as a young man, serving in the military, coming home and entering the work force that patriotism continued. The first time I ever had any embarrassment for our country was during the presidency of Jimmy Carter. I had voted for him because he said he was a Christian. In fact, that was my very first vote! You just can't imagine how downhearted I became when Iran held American Hostages and Jimmy Carter seemed so weak. But then, a bright light appeared in the person of Ronald Reagan. When I heard him talk it was just like I was hearing my cowboy hero, John Wayne giving the bad guys an ultimatum. Straighten up or get you A_ _ kicked! The hostages got released and that sense of Patriotism grew! I've never voted for a democrat since, and never will! Ronald Reagan taught us to be strong and firm. He was a man of compassion and you just knew that if the bad guys came into town he would deal with them. Here was a real life hero! And, he even occasionally wore a cowboy hat! Reagan would NEVER have apologized for calling the kettle black!

     Well, here it is 2012 and John Wayne is no longer here. Ronald Reagan is gone and I just keep hoping for another like them. I know one thing for sure. American pride is a dream and it's getting dimmer all the time. We keep asking God to bless America but then we wonder how much longer He can! I saw a picture of president Obama wearing a cowboy hat; somehow it just didn't work!