Understanding What America Means to the World and Our Allies

My memory of a life changing moment is still fresh in my mind although it was only 12 years after the end of WWII.

When I was 18 years old, already in the United States Air Force and serving on foreign soil, a Base dress parade was held on the tarmac of Wheelus Air Base, Tripoli, Libya.

There were several hundred of us in our freshly starched and pressed uniforms, standing at attention while the Libyan National Anthem played over the base sound system. We were experiencing diplomacy, where the host country's anthem was played first. When the anthem finished, our national anthem began. We were already standing at attention but at the first notes of the Star Spangled Banner one could hear starch breaking in the uniforms as we stiffened to a different level of attention to our flag and our country. It was an amazing awakening to what we then meant to the world and our allies.

Those things can't be taught, neither can they be forgotten.

Why is some illegal behavior tolerated and sometimes applauded by many in the media because it conforms with their own political views? Have opinion and news merged in the newsrooms? It is obvious that is and has been the trend, magically it seems, since the election of someone not named Hillary.

Meanwhile the mobs (sometimes called demonstrators) continue to find complimentary transportation to events near and far where they often display violent tendencies. It makes for good TV, right?

The elephant in the room, however, Trumps them all. Busy at rebuilding the nations prestige abroad, and the economy at home, our president shows each and every day the wisdom of those who chose him over Hillary.

The USA has always been up to challenges, in peace and in war. Is there any doubt which condition exists today? It is frightening to recall a time where Americans were so inflamed against each other. History does repeat itself. Unfortunately, too few of us have lived too little of our own history and neither understand nor respect it.

Even our new immigrants are seen by some as potential partisans to be bribed for their votes. This in exchange for the oath of allegiance previously expected of all of our immigrants who willingly gave it and enriched the nation.

Dave Henderson was born in 1937 and lived his earliest years in Hickman Kentucky on the banks of the Mississippi River, once called the prettiest town on the Mississippi by Mark Twain. Hickman was blessed to have a Carnegie Library at that time. It was there that his love of reading and dreaming began. A highlight of his professional career was to have led the public response to General Westmoreland's battle with CBS over their TV program, "The Uncounted Enemy, A Vietnam Deception." He also served as the General's press spokesman during the following years leading up to and during his libel suit in Judge Pierre Leval's Federal District court in New York. Dave contributed his services and expenses during those years. He previously served on The American Spectator board of directors. He is the author of the book "The Arkansas Project: From the United States Jaycees to the United States Justice Department and Whitewater." To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.