I'm currently reading Stephen E. Ambrose's novel, Band of Brothers. It is his attempt to chronicle the men and the actions of one of the most elite light infantry units of WWII: Easy Company of the 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne.
As I read through the account of the paratroopers' jump into Normandy on June 6, 1944, one soldier's words in particular captivated my attention. This man was the commanding officer of Easy Company as they entered into combat for the first time. His name is 1st Lt. Thomas Meehan...
On May 26, Meehan had written his wife Anne a letter in which he described why he, and all his men, were sitting in the planes, waiting to go into France to liberate it and conquer Nazi Germany. Among other things, he wrote, "We're fortunate in being Americans. At least we don't step on the underdog. I wonder if that's because there are no 'Americans'—only a stew of immigrants—or if it's because the earth from which we exist has been so kind to us and our forefathers; or if it's because the' American' is the offspring of the logical European who hated oppression and loved freedom beyond life? Those great mountains and the tall timber, the cool deep lakes and broad rivers, the green valleys and white farmhouses; the air, the sea and wind; the plains and great cities; the smell of living-all must be the cause of it. And yet, with all that, we can't get away from the rest. For every one of our millions who has that treasure in his hand there's another million crying for that victory of life. And for each of us who wants to live in happiness and give happiness, there's another different sort of person wanting to take it away…
"Those people always manage to have their say, and Mars is always close at hand. We know how to win wars. We must learn now to win peace… If I ever have a son, I don’t want him to go through this again, but I want him powerful enough that no one will be fool enough to touch him. He and America should be strong as hell and kind as Christ. "
-Thomas Meehan, First Lieutenant, Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
His last sentence specifically was especially poignant. And I think every man deep down can relate to his desires. The warrior inside him wants to be strong... strong enough that he can win any fight. And the father inside him wants the same for his son, a desire borne from love and a need to protect his own. But more than his will to fight, I respect his understanding that strength in arms must be tempered with strength in spirit. I admire that despite the fact that he was trained to kill, his desire for his son and for his country was to be "kind as Christ" so those coming after him would not have to go through what he did.
I can't say it any better than he did, and I dare not try, for his words are perfectly inspirational just as he wrote them so many years ago. Our country, our military, our churches, and our homes could use more men like Lt. Meehan. Unfortunately for his generation, his plane was shot down before he could jump and show the Germans how strong he was. However, the words that he wrote still carry his strength and I know he has instilled a desire within me for myself and for my future son if I have one... to be strong as hell and kind as Christ.
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