There’s always someone who’s given more.
New military recruits feel sheepish about not being activated. Soldiers activated for domestic emergencies feel second to those who have deployed abroad. Sailors deployed abroad may feel they need to go to a combat zone. Those in combat zones might yearn for hazard pay. Those on hazard pay might envy the combat badge holders. The combat badge holders may feel guilty they didn’t earn an award for bravery. And on and on it goes.
In the first Trump administration, I escorted one of America’s most legendary combat heroes of World War II, Chief Warrant Officer Hershel “Woody” Williams, to meet the president at the White House. If you don’t know about Woody, he received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman for his service on Iwo Jima. But even Woody – who held our nation’s highest award for heroic gallantry under intense enemy fire – felt he could have given more. On the flight back to his home in West Virginia, just the two of us aboard an Air Force jet, he wept for those Americans who gave the last full measure of devotion on those volcanic islands in the Pacific.
Those who truly feel the call to service are burdened by a yearning to give more. It’s a trait that runs deep in America’s military tradition.
Thus, I’ve watched with dismay as Alabama’s U.S. Senate race to succeed my former boss, Tommy Tuberville, has devolved into ugly rhetoric about Rep. Barry Moore’s veteran status.
Moore is a veteran. Period.
Our military is the nation’s biggest team. Pilots can’t operate safely without mechanics. Gunners wouldn’t last long without quartermasters. Snipers rely on nurses, supply officers, and staffers. Old salts all began as pollywogs. We rely on one another.
To diminish Moore’s service because he didn’t deploy abroad insults the service of hundreds of thousands of brave Americans who have raised their right hands to defend the Constitution. I was humbled by the veteran community’s support in my own race for U.S. Senate, and I stand with leaders like former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Col. (retired) Casey Wardynski in defending Moore’s record.
I’m grateful for Moore’s service and for the service of all who have worn the cloth of our nation.
Morgan Murphy is a former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate and veteran of the War in Afghanistan.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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