Posted on 09/04/2011 8:35:27 PM PDT by stolinsky
The tenth anniversary of 9/11 is upon us. Rather than ruminating on pious platitudes or reporting the trite remarks of gaseous politicians, I thought it might be appropriate to update some prior columns that attempt to shed light on the subject. This is this third.
A Memory Check for Americans
David C. Stolinsky
Sept. 5, 2011
Upgrading the memory of a computer can improve performance dramatically. So can upgrading the memory of a nation. But before you upgrade the memory of a computer, it is best to check what memory you have. To do this you can download simple software. My purpose here is to do the same thing for our national memory.
Test your memory:
http://www.frankresearch.info/Naudet911/JULES%20NAUDET%20App%202_files/Rescorla.jpg
What are these men doing?
a. Advertising beef burritos.
b. Auctioning repossessed cars.
c. Auditioning for “American Idol.”
d. Saving 2,700 people (but not themselves) on 9/11.
Answer: (d).
Rick Rescorla, chief of security for Morgan Stanley, safely evacuated all 2,700 employees on 9/11, except for six. Four of the six were himself and his three deputies (two pictured above): Wesley Mercer, Jorge Velasquez, and Godwin Forde. That’s true multiculturalism. Rick was last seen going back into Tower 2 shortly before its collapse. When he was told he should get out, he replied, “As soon as I make sure everyone else is out.” His body was never recovered, but U.S. troops at Fallujah remembered him well.
Rick was a hero in Vietnam − prophetically, his photo is on the cover of “We Were Soldiers Once, and Young.” In the film “We Were Soldiers,” he was the young soldier who picked up a bugle dropped by the enemy. He was a hero again on 9/11. To sign the petition to award him a long-overdue Presidential Medal of Freedom, click here.
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http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/thomasburnett.jpg
What did this man say that made him famous?
a. What’s for lunch?
b. Give me a Jack Daniel’s, rocks.
c. Can I have a pillow?
d. God help me. Jesus help me. Are you ready? Let’s roll!
Answer: (d).
Todd Beamer was a passenger on United Flight 93. The film “United 93” shows only a small part of his heroism on 9/11 and − like much of our media − omits anything of religious significance. But what happened was verified by the telephone supervisor with whom he spoke. They recited the Lord’s Prayer together, then he said his timeless words. He played a key role in the passengers’ revolt against the terrorists. As a result, the airliner crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, and not into the Capitol Building or the White House, thereby saving many lives.
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http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DofLEXUVwIE/Rw54ogKxyiI/AAAAAAAAChM/_1jEcTGRHSQ/s400/mike%2Bmurphey.jpg
What is this man?
a. A homeless person.
b. A bass guitar player in a rock band.
c. A model for outdoor clothing.
d. A SEAL.
Answer: (d).
Michael Murphy graduated with honors from Penn State with dual degrees in political science and psychology. Then he accepted a commission in the U.S. Navy and completed rigorous training to qualify as a SEAL. Murphy led a four-man unit on a mission to find a top Taliban leader. They were surrounded by vastly larger Taliban force in Afghanistan. Despite overwhelming odds, the SEALs held off the enemy for two hours.
But the SEALs were in a dead spot for radio reception. To call for backup, Murphy intentionally exposed himself to heavy gunfire to reach higher ground, successfully called in support, said “Thank you,” and was killed. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. This episode is vividly described by Marcus Luttrell, the only one of the group who survived, in “Lone Survivor.” If you want to learn about heroism and the will to survive and overcome, read it.
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How did you do on this mini-test? How good is your memory? But regardless of how well it is functioning, we can agree that the nation could benefit from a memory upgrade. Let’s resume teaching real American history and civics in schools.
We need to have some knowledge of our heroes of the past and what they fought and died to preserve for us. Then we will be able to appreciate and honor our current heroes. How many recent recipients of the Medal of Honor can you name? Have you seen stories about them in newspapers or on TV? If not, what does this reveal about the mainstream media? Have you made a donation to send Care packages to our troops?
Once we remember where we come from and who we are, we will be able to decide where we want to go and who we want to be − and necessarily, where we don’t want to go and who we don’t want to be. As Norman Cousins wrote, “History is a vast early-warning system.” But it is also a very costly, and therefore very precious, source of role models.
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Dr. Stolinsky writes on political and social issues. Contact: dstol@prodigy.net.
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