As
the nation, if not the Commander-in-Chief, observed the 75th anniversary of the
Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor on December 7, it became obvious that the
“Greatest Generation,” will soon be no more.
Fewer
and fewer members of that extraordinary group of men who were born during World
War I, saw their parents struggle through the Depression and came of age in
planes over Germany and the Pacific, on the cliffs of Normandy and along the
Bataan Death March, are able to participate in the annual commemoration at the
site of the attack that answered Winston Churchill’s prayers and thrust the
U.S. into World War II.
One
of them, Harold Estes, died at age 97, enlisted in 1934, serving 23 years
before, during and after that war, retiring as a Master Chief Boatswains Mate
and ending his days in what he called a “rest home” in Hawaii.
Before
he died, however, Estes put pen to paper and wrote the new president, Barack
Obama in 2009, a letter straight from the heart – and the gut, sparing the man
he called “young man” none of the hard truths he felt Obama needed to hear and
that he felt entitled by virtue of his age and service to tell him.
The
letter was written just as Obama took off on his “apology” tour in the months
after his inauguration, but as the president completes eight years in office,
it sounds tragically timely as Estes almost predicted the direction the Obama
years would take – disrespect for law enforcement and the military, obsession
with race, and a lack of love for America.
“Dear President Obama,” the then-95-year-old veteran began,
“One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind,
blunt and direct even to the head man,” and then he did just that.
“I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die
before I do but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish. I can’t figure
out what country you are the president of…”
Estes turned Obama’s own words on him, quoting, “America
hasn’t lived up to her ideals,” and schooling the new president on American
history 101.
He
reminded Obama of the “11,000 farmers and shopkeepers who died for to win
independence from the British” and the half-million men who died for the “ideal
that no man should be a slave to another.”
The
old sailor made it personal, too.
“I hope you didn’t mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers,
husbands, and a lot of fellahs I knew personally died for in WWII.”
Nor
did Estes mince words.
“I don’t think you mean the ideal that says equality is
better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people
understood when they helped to get you elected.”
And
then, calling himself, “a very old geezer,” Estes had some hard advice for the
president who was half his age.
“Shape up and start acting like an American.”
In
2009, Estes already had the measure of the man from the way he jumped at the
chance to call Cambridge, Massachusetts police stupid and yet “lectured”
Americans about not doing the same about the Ft. Hood shooter.
Estes
saved the best for last, noting that while Obama “never served in the military
and never had to defend your country with your life, you’re the
Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job.”
Thank
you for your 23 years of service and your fearless honesty.
Rest
in Peace, Master Chief Estes.
Source : usherald.com