Plenty of questions here that don’t get asked. Not asked by veterans, newspeople, school teachers, and maybe school students.

Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea to children that The Troops are in distant lands- fighting for American rights and freedoms- as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.

In Washington State, these assemblies are mandatory.

The VA tells teachers that The Troops are Defending Liberty and Freedom.

Love to see a student ask: If The Troops fight for your right to sit, stand, kneel, etc.- why were black people still riding at the back of the bus after the big WWII victory?

Love to see a student ask: If the wars aren’t won- how can they protect our freedom?

Love to see a student ask: Whatever happened to lessons about Armistice Day?

Sports/entertainment industry:

Hey @NFL fans, don’t forget to tweet #SalutetoService as many times as you can today to raise money for our veterans! #Veterans #GoHawks

Do any of the groups that raise money for veteran’s services advocate for phasing out undeclared/unwon wars that never end?

Port Angeles Veterans Day event:

“It’s called taking care of the country and taking care of the Constitution,” he said. “That’s the most important thing we do and we have done.”

Another of many examples where freedoms may come & go- completely unrelated to military operations in distant lands.

Seattle Times- AP WAS THERE: Supreme Court legalizes interracial marriage:

June 12, 1967

“…an interracial couple who had been sentenced to a year in jail for violating Virginia’s ban on marriage between people of different races.”

1967- not 1867

Did the Joint Chiefs of Staff send The Troops to safeguard American freedoms?

Was it the Viet Cong that set up laws in 16 US states to prohibit interracial marriage?

More here: Jet Noise Made Them Free?

When the US Armed Forces are sent to Lebanon, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Vietnam, etc.- how is that defending the US Constitution– or our rights and freedoms, or our physical security?

Whatever happened to the formal congressional declaration of war?

This would be the time to hear from elected leaders and top generals on all the issues that have doomed the Department of Defense track record for winning wars since DOD was established in 1949.

Is post-Vietnam guilt OK with undeclared/unwon wars that never end?

How do The Troops defend The Constitution?

Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.

It took a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of a glass of wine- why no constitutional amendment to authorize a federal prohibition of marijuana?

More here: How Do The Troops Defend The Constitution?

One of the nation’s largest, oldest and most respected veterans organizations tells us: Veterans, not politicians, ‘give us the right to vote,’ observers at Amherst Veterans Day ceremonies told

Hey school teachers–

If veterans fought for our right to vote- how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?

Growing up in the 60s & 70s– veterans were all around- church, school, Boy Scout leaders, family, the neighborhood, etc. It was all just an average thing. These folks weren’t seen as a separate part of American society.

People weren’t stepping over to say “Thanks for your service” to my Dad- who did time in the Navy in the 50s- but looked just like anyone else out in public.

These guys weren’t lining up for free dinner promotions marketed by major restaurant chains.

Meet a veteran who isn’t shy about going out & grabbing a couple free meals- it’s a proud thing:

Armistice Day Is Now Free Chow Day

Goodbye Armistice Day – Free Meals, Deals and Discounts

The Troops are defending our freedoms?

US foreign policy goals and objectives are mapped out at the very highest levels of government.

Ask yourself- is there someone at the table- in those high level planning sessions- who makes sure that military operations overseas include a mission to protect American rights and freedoms?

Does someone make sure the mission is to defend the constitution?

Is there anyone who verifies that the mission is to protect our physical security?

How does the executive branch of government defend the constitution via US foreign policy?

Back home- freedoms come & go:

Legal marijuana, concealed carry of handguns, federal minimum drinking age, interracial marriage, gay marriage, voting rights, etc. None of these are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, or the outcome of military operations in distant lands.

As the decades of undeclared/unwon wars stack up (The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.) the greater the cultural urge to glorify people who do, or did time in uniform.

If there is an honest reason to send people away into decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas let’s hear all about it.

Just Be Honest.

“…if you can read English, you might consider thanking a veteran, for you do not salute the ancestry of the Third Reich…”

The free and well armed people who populate the North American continent could be forced to speak a language not of their choosing by people wearing military uniforms?

Doubt it.

Please see Operation Sea Lion.

The world’s most modern & powerful military force has had their hands full for years now in Afghanistan.

We’ve got such a good handle on the situation- National Guard units are doing multiple tours in distant lands– absent any military emergency, draft, or declaration of war.

“It was a day to celebrate our nation’s heroes – Veterans Day.”

You don’t have to look too far to find comments that refer to the troops as “heroes.”

Some are.

No one who has done time in an average military unit would be comfortable with everyone present being called a hero. Some units would be the exception, but for most people who have done time over the years, calling everyone a hero would have no connection to reality.

Reality, and an honest understanding of why we send The Troops to far away places isn’t what we’re about though.

More here: Hero?

Local paper in a military town-

About two years ago, hometown pride was running high when they posted:

“For the past couple of years, the Whidbey News-Times paid the insurance for the Veterans Day Parade, about $200, because it was a small way of saying thank you to the men and women who sacrificed so that we may have our liberties, including our Freedom of Speech.”

Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?

Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?

Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?

In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our physical security. That’s as good as it gets.

In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.

More here:

National Guard in Afghanistan

Glorifying Military Service

Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt