Remember always

By Published by The Editorial Board

Published: July 29, 2008

Two veterans of World War II were honored this past weekend in Rockingham County. We are proud of the brave men, Conrad Alberty, a former prisoner of war, and Clyde Martin, who suffered a shrapnel wound to his right shoulder while fighting in the Pacific.
It’s heartening to know that we still remember these military veterans, and that they hold a special place in our hearts. But we can never discount or forget their sacrifices.
Martin received the Purple Heart, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and a Presidential Unit Citation, among other honors, which came 63 years after he was wounded in action.
U.S. Rep Brad Miller, who presented the award to Martin on Sunday, said many World War II veterans have no medals to show for their sacrifice because many felt they were no more deserving than the millions of Americans who shouldered some of the burden of war.
“To many, it was an entire generation in harm’s way,” Miller said. He said a sense of humility kept many veterans from asking or applying for their medals.
Alberty, who survived the Bataan Death March, was honored with the Welcome Home Warrior Citizen Award. The award was established to honor Army Reserve soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, but Anthony Reed, an ambassador at-large for the Army Reserve, got special permission to present it to Alberty.
Reed said he often hears stories about men and women who complete their military duties and return unheralded.
“They just went back to pumping gas, working in the bank or whatever,” he said. “I’d seen so much of that, and I just told Ed, ‘We’re going to fix this and make it right.’”
Few veterans of World War II are still living, and Korean vets are getting older, as are those who served in Vietnam.
Alberty told us one other member of his company of 125 men remain today – only about 100 from his entire regiment.
“I’ve had a great life, but I think of so many men then and still today that gave their lives for their country,” he said. “As Abraham Lincoln said, they ‘gave the full measure’ for their country.”
American troops continue to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, which is becoming more intense and problematic by the day. In some way, we should honor our troops each day—so we cannot forget. If not, who knows whether our children—and their children—will remember the troops’ sacrifices and their dedication to America some 60 years in the future.