On this Veteran’s Day 2022, Secure 1776 remembers all those who have honorably worn an armed forces uniform in service to our nation. We encourage all who have not yet read our 2021 feature, “Fear is a Confusion Weapon,” to do so today. It is an inspirational story. In that posting we highlight the leadership of World War II veteran Roddie Edmonds. He continued to fight against evil, even while a prisoner of war. We salute the courage of all the soldiers who stood with him there, and throughout the history of our nation. We also take a moment to recommend a bit of Chicago journalism posted today. That article profiles the photographic work of Thomas Sanders. We recommend all passing through Midway Airport to see his photo exhibit of American veterans. We proudly join those today remembering our military veterans.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Courage is a Choice
Particularly when the risk of death is imminent, fear is a natural, instinctive human reaction to danger. Fear is often used a weapon by some who embrace evil to cause others to comply. Courage is an individual force of will to resist fear. Courage is a choice.
In our Veteran’s Day post last year, we spoke of the courage of Master Sergeant (M/Sgt.) Roddie Edmonds. He was among the American soldiers captured by the German Army during the “Battle of the Bulge.” While the ranking American soldier then in Stalag IX-A, a Prisoner of War (POW) camp in Ziegenhain, he refused to allow the identification and segregation of the Jewish soliders among the prisoners. He refused to do so with a pistol pointed directly at his head. M/Sgt. Edmonds knew that allowing the Nazis to segregate the Jewish-American soldiers would have been to place those soldiers in grave peril.
Even as a prisoner of war under threat of execution, M/Sgt. Edmonds did not allow fear to win. He displayed courage in the midst of evil. We highly encourage all to read the full article now.
Confusion is a weapon of fear. We live in newHQ times that challenge us. Many seek to confuse us.
To break free of fear and confusion, we cannot surrender. We must think critically. We must stay true to our faith. We must stand in defiance of fear, totalitarianism, and evil. We must choose to have courage.
Sun-Times Article Features Veterans Photo Exhibit
Today, the Chicago Sun-Times provided a rare opportunity to praise Chicago’s remaining legacy newspaper industry. In the article, “Unlocking a painful wartime past through photographs,” Stefano Esposito featured a photo exhibit of American veterans. The exhibit is the work of Thomas Sanders. The American Heroes-Portraits of Service exhibit is on permanent display in the pedestrian walkway that connects the CTA Orange Line to the terminals at Midway Airport. Sanders, now a college professor in Georgia, began the project 17 years ago while he was a student. You can view the portraits here.
The photo exhibit on display at Midway, is part of a larger collection of portraits maintained by Belmont Village, a senior residential housing company. As indicated on the exhibit webpage:
“The images selected for the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) galleries remain true to the project’s intent, showing a diverse group of men and women who served in a wide range of ranks across multiple branches of the United States Armed Forces. Their stories and attitudes vary with their experiences, but all share the common thread of service. The galleries are intended to honor these veterans and all who have served, before and since.”
We extend a “well done” to Thomas Sanders, Belmont Village, and the Chicago Department of Aviation.
To All Who Have Served: Happy Veteran’s Day!
To all who have served in America’s armed forces, Secure 1776 is proud to say: “Thank you for your service!”
We are interested in your thoughts, and invite you to comment below.
