Patriotism

Among the core values of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of America (VFW)… • Always put the interests of our members first • Treat donors as partners in our cause • Promote patriotism • Honor military service • Ensure the care of veterans and their families • Serve our communities • Promote a positive image of the VFW • Respect the diversity of veteran opinions …why do we find “Promote patriotism”?

It’s simple really. We who have served in combat theaters have seen the alternative and it’s not worth promoting.

Travel, it is said, broadens horizons, expands our knowledge and appreciation of other peoples and other cultures. That may be true, but most tourists only see the good side of foreign lands, the side that others want us to see.

Those who have served in combat have seen the other side. Whenever I led a mission “outside the wire” in Vietnam, I frequently heard someone utter “I wish my mom/my sister/my girlfriend/my wife could see this,” as we passed the homes of the Vietnamese, both in the cities and towns, as well as in the villages and countryside. We saw the way they lived, not only in the midst of the ravages of war, but also in places of peace and quiet. We were awestruck at the contrast to our way of life. It’s a phrase echoed from my own mouth as well as the mouths of other American warriors fighting other wars in foreign lands. (Of course, I can't but speculate on how women warriors might respond. There were none in my time in service.) And I hear the same phrase from the mouths of refugees fortunate enough to find new homes in America. They know better than we that the families and friends they left behind will never enjoy what we have in the two and a half centuries of our Republic. Few have enjoyed the benefits of freedom as have We the People.

Yet we see and hear Americans who are not patriots, who do not love America, and we feel compelled to remind them of the benefits of freedom that they are all too willing to exchange for freedom from responsibility, responsibility for ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, and our nation, responsibilities that attach to our freedoms like the obverse sides of the same coin.

We do not advocate love for America right or wrong, but rather love to not only preserve, protect, and defend it, but also to guide it back to its core values when it goes astray. Thus, we actively support the teaching of true history and Constitutional values. We demonstrate our love of America in our homes, in the streets, and in classrooms. We encourage our families and neighbors, and especially children to share that love and help them learn to shoulder the responsibilities that come with freedom.

-- Jack Durish, Chairman, Youth & Education Programs, VFW Post 5871