A Soldiers Shame – Or Why I Won’t Wear My Uniform

The day I retired from the United States Army I had my dress uniform cleaned and pressed and I hung it in the closet ready to put back on. I have only worn it on a very few special occasions since that day. One memorable time was a proud day that I was privileged to participated in my older daughters’ graduation from training in the United States Navy. The other occasions were of course very special events and celebrations of national and military honor and tradition. You see, I believe that one of the great privileges of being a soldier is that after you retire you can put that uniform back on and celebrate with great pride yours and your nation’s accomplishments.

Today I am taking an oath to not put that uniform back on. Let me explain why.

I have endured much in my life. Please don’t misunderstand because I say that with great and humble pride. I have endured much because that is what my family has always done since the revolutionary war. You see my family just happens to be one of those families that have chosen to serve the nation by serving in the military. That is simply what we do. I will not go into all of the details because I have mentioned them in several posts before but suffice it to say that for well over 200 years virtually every generation of my family has served in the United States military in defense of our constitution; that would be the Constitution of the United States of America. We have done so in peace and war and with pride and humility and we have all walked tall because we have always viewed our nation as a beacon of liberty in a world all to often filled with despots and tyranny. But today all of that has changed.

Today I hang my head in shame and I take a sworn oath and I take it as freely and solemnly as I took my oath of enlistment. Today I swear that I Sergeant Major Myers, United States Army Retired, will not put on my uniform again, for any reason what so ever, until George W. Bush is removed or leaves office and the abomination that has just passed the Congress of the United States is struck down by the Supreme Court or rescinded by an Act of Congress.

It has not been enough that this President has taken this country to war with a web of deceit and lies and it is not enough that he has by his actions and lack of leadership, in the words of former President United States and Noble Laureate Jimmy Carter, "brought discouragement and sometimes international disgrace to our great country," but now he would compound our disgrace and remove the rights of Americans as defined in our constitution and defile humanity by attempts to legalize torture of other human beings. I must also say that what is just as disgraceful and humiliating to this nation is that there are members of Congress, both in the House and the Senate, that would go along and support, no, even encourage such efforts for obviously crass political, personal, and economic gain.

No, enough is enough and this tired old soldier has one more fight left in him and it will be to do all that is in my power to defeat this blatant assault on our nation from within and I say to Mr. Bush, you sir are an abomination for a President and an abomination for a Commander in Chief. Your actions have removed any mantle of moral authority you may have had. You have in every way, imaginable and possible, broken the oath you took to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I love my country sir but I possess not one iota of respect for you.

I say to you sir, in spite of you, this nation will DEFEAT TERRORISM NOT SACRIFICE LIBERTY.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.