My Duty as an Airman and Veteran

I am thanked far too often for my service in the military. Perhaps that doesn't apply to all veterans, but there was nothing heroic about my enlistment or the time I spent in the Air Force. If the truth is told, I joined the Air Force because I was causing too many problems at home. I'm not the only person who enlisted for that reason.

Everyone who joins the military must swear to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, and we took that oath just before they shipped us off to basic military training. From there, I was sent to the 62nd Civil Engineering Squadron, and more specifically to the heating shop. Though I liked the work and the people at my main job, my favorite duty was as a member of the Honor Guard.

What the Honor Guard did mostly was attend funerals as the military presence for Air Force veterans. In addition to the people in charge, there were seventeen members needed for a funeral. There would be four in the color guard, seven in the firing squad, and six pall bearers. As one of the lower ranking members, I was most often a pall bearer. We were responsible for the handling of the flag during the service.

I don't know how many funerals I participated in, but it was in the dozens. Never once did the idea of breaking with ceremony and tradition cross my mind. Part of that was because I really liked what we did, and the bigger part was that I would be in huge trouble if I had tried to step out of line while performing our duty. We just knew better.

That was when I was an airman. I was subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). I'm a veteran now. I am no longer subject to the UCMJ. That said, I still place more value upon the oath to defend the Constitution than I do upon ceremony and sentiment. Not only am I not John Wayne, but I don't want to be anything like John Wayne. The image he portrays as American is racist, nationalist, and misogynist.

As a veteran who swore to defend the Constitution, I not only consider the rights to assemble and seek redress almost sacred, but I think those are the most American things we can do to awaken society to problems that exist. When we learned about the Boston Tea Party, it wasn't taught as if the participants were terrorists. The guys protesting the tax on tea were the good guys in the story.

The subject of protesting was discussed recently on a thread. The topic was the ubiquitous kneeling for the national anthem protest, which, to me, is constitutional and so, logically, I must defend it. One of the people who was angry at players who kneel said that many people died defending the flag. I challenged him on that. I asked him which branch of the service he had served in, and would he provide the names of the soldiers who gave him permission to claim they died for no other cause than to defend the flag.

Of course, no one has that authorization. Speaking on behalf of dead soldiers is an emotional appeal made when there is no substance to a logical argument. This particular guy had not served, but he still has his rights. When I told him about being in the Honor Guard and fulfilling this nation's last promise to dozens of veterans, he thought I should be more upset about what he sees as disrespect. That is when I told him about the pledge I took.

I pledged to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign or domestic. He was attacking the first amendment of the Constitution, and I was defending it as I had sworn to do. Beyond that, however, I told him that I am standing with and behind those who kneel to protest the unjust treatment in the justice system of our Black brothers and sisters.

That is my duty as a veteran.