Every generation will see war. Every mom and dad since 1776 wonders if their child will go to war or be killed by an enemy. History doesn’t lie nor do smart people forget this fact.

Maybe the idea of memorial day is the remember. We tend to only look at the grave and recall the dead. And I agree we must never forget the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters. Yet there is a deeper forgetting that is happening that scares me.

I walked up and down the streets of your country and the average person has forgotten our collective past. The books in school have no factual reflection on the past of the Unites States. Opinion and politics have rewritten the part of history that needs to be ingrained in every American. There is and always will be darkness and an enemy. There hasn’t been a gap more than 3 years since 1775 that we have not been in a conflict or battle. Right or wrong, believe it or not, war happens. So prepare yourself and your family and stop listening to the media or people who deny the realities.

Here is what you have forgotten and like most history it is factual and boring. Facts are boring, fantasy is exciting. Facts repeat themselves, fantasy never happens. 

American Revolution (1775-83) against Britain, France, Spain and the American natives. Cherokee wars were from (1775-1795) against the Cherokee. Northwest Indian wars (1785-93) against the Brits. Shay’s Rebellion (1786-87) against government protestors. Whiskey rebellion (1791-94) against frontier tax protestors. Quasi war (1798-1800) against French pirates.

First Barbary War (1801-05) against Islamic pirates in the Mediterranean. 1811 German Coast of Haiti against a slave uprising. Tecumseh’s war 1811 for land. War of 1812 against the Brits, spain and natives for land. Creek War (1813-14) against the natives for land. Second Barbary war in the med (1815) against Islamic pirates.

First Seminole War (1817-18) against Spain and the Seminoles for land. Texas Indian wars (1820-75) against the commache for land. Arikara War (1823) in Missouri against the natives for land). Aegean Sea pirate War (1825-28) against greek pirates. Winnebago war in Illinois (1827) against the natives for mineral and land rites. First Sumatran war (1832) against pirates). Black hawk war (1832) against the brits and natives over land. Second Seminole (1835-42) over land. Second sumartan (1838) against pirates and for shipping lanes). Aroostook War (1838) against the brits for the maine land. Ivory coast (1842) to prevent slave trading in Africa. Mexican war (1846-48) for texas and California. Cayuse indian war (1847-55) in Oregon for land. Appache Wars (1851-1900) for texas land. Puget Sound war (1855-56) against natives for land. First Fiji war (1855) for shipping and land. Rogue river war (1855-56) against natives for land. Third Seminole war (1855-58) against natives for land. Yakima war (1855-58) in Washington state for peace and land. Second opium war (1856-59) in china for trade and shipping and opium, and you forget the drug wars are not a new thing. Utah War (1857-58) against the mormones. Navajo wars (1858-66) in new mexico for land.

Second Fiji war (1859) to put down the Fiji rebellion.

Now all this was a part of the day to day life of us here in the new Americas. And we all have completely forgotten not only the life styles we led than but also the massive conflicts we were in.

John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry ( 1859) the beginnings of the American civil war which was initially a taxation issue for food and produce and cotton and then devolved into a human trafficking issue. First and second Cortina war (1859-61) in texas against bandits killing and steeling along the border. Paiute war (1860) in Nevada against the natives for land.

Then begins the American civil war (1861-1865) primary for who was in charge the govt or the states. The south made all the food and clothing and the north began to tax it and regulate the south.

The native indian wars in the Arizona (1861-1875)against the apache and yumas in the southwest, against the Sioux in the Dakota against the Cheyenne in Colorado for land and control.

The Shimonoseki war in 1863 in japan for control of trade routes through the Konmon straights.

Then back to indian wars with the snake river war against the bannock and the Shoshone in Oregon from (1864 -68), and the powder river wars from 1865-68 against the Sioux and red cloud and we actually lost and gave the land back.

1867 -1875 we fought the Comanche too.

1872 we defeated the moddoc tribe in California and finally beat the Cheyenne and Comanche and kiowa in texas and Colorado. From 1873 – 1923 we had native Americans and US soldiers in a battle every year.

In 1867 we had a little conflict with Formosa or Thailand due to piracy. And in 1871 we had our first battle with korea

In 1889 we pushed the germans our of Samoa and the Spanish our of cuba in the Spanish America war.

1900 we had a conflict and deployed troops to the Philippines. And at the turn of the century we deployed to china and the boxer rebellion insued.

Our southern boarder we a combat zone with four major military interventions from 1900 through 1914 from mexico, cuba, Haiti, Dominican republic and Nicaragua

In 1914-1918 the world went to war seemingly with itself in Europe. In 1918 russian civil war pushes all outsiders out.

In 1923 the Utes led the last indian uprising in the united states

1939-1945 we all took sides and fought for power and land and our men and women deployed into hell.

1953 we went to war with korea as china and Russia joined and wanted access and power along that region.

Also in 1953 we went into Loas and stayed until 1975.

1958 we fought in Lebanon. In 1961 the bay of pigs in cuba. In 1964 the simba rebellion in the congo.

 

1955-1975 we fought and died in Vietnam. 1965-1983 we fought against communism in Thailand. And against the Khmer in Cambodia.

 

1965-75 we fought in Bolivia, cuba, and the Dominican.

 

1978-1989 we fought zaire, libya, Lebanon, and against iran.

 

1989 we deployed to Panama.

 

Then begins my military career for fighting where ever you send me campaign.

In 1990 we invade Iraq. In 1992 we fight in Somalia. In 1992-95 we fight in bosnia.

In 94-95 we fight in Haiti. 98-99 we fight in the Kosovo war. In 1998 we engage Afghanistan. In 2001 we invade Afghanistan and are still there. 2003 we fight in Iraq and are still there. From 2003 until now we have pushed in somilia, Libya, Syria, Uganda, and Yemen.

 

Don’t just weep for the dead today. Weep for the people who have forgotten and never want to serve. For the darkness is coming whether you want it to or not. So prepare yourself by celebrating the dead by recalling the facts that lead us into each conflict.