This letter is addressed to President Barack Obama:
Because this Veterans Day will be your last as commander in chief, I want to tell you about an exceptional group of girls.
These girls are members of the Amherst (Massachusetts) Regional High School varsity volleyball team. It is not their 20-0-0 record or their ranking of third in the state and 219 in the nation that is impressive.
It is how these girls conduct themselves off the court that is inspiring. When faced with what first appears to be opposite political positions, these girls united and stood together as one team.
I am honored to tell you their story.
Recently, I was approached by the coach of the girls’ volleyball team. Because my daughter played on the junior varsity team and I am a veteran, the coach was concerned I might have been offended by the actions of the varsity girls. During the playing of our national anthem, all but one of these girls took a knee with hands on hearts to support Black Lives Matter.
I assured her I was not offended and in fact I believe the girls’ actions had honored our veterans. After explaining my reasoning, she invited me to speak to the girls and I told them the following story.
When I joined the Marine Corps in 1967, I took an oath to defend the Constitution. I was sent to Vietnam and served with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.
My reconnaissance team conducted classified covert missions, operating in the jungle, deep inside enemy territory. The team consisted of as few as three Marines. Contact with the enemy was often made at 10 feet or less. The team survival depended on each Marine doing his job.
In a way, the girls’ volleyball team is like a reconnaissance team. While their mission is different, their success depends on every team member doing her job.
During the playing of our national anthem, it took courage for these girls to proudly take a knee in support of Black Lives Matter. It took even greater courage for one girl to proudly stand.
Did these differing political views show a division within the team? The answer is a resounding no! These girls united as a team. They linked together by holding hands. They demonstrated that above all, they are a team.
Most people know that on Nov. 11, America celebrates Veterans Day. What most people do not know is that on Nov. 10, the Marine Corps celebrated its 241st birthday. Because of these upcoming events, I was honored to tell the varsity girls the story of a true American hero, Pfc. Ralph Henry Johnson.
Pfc. Johnson was a 19-year-old, African-American Marine who gave his life in service to our country and more importantly, for his team, his friends. Even though he may be long forgotten, his family, and his Marine brothers and sisters will forever remember him. We Marines share a bond deeply rooted in history and tradition.
His story is best told by the following Medal of Honor posthumous citation:
“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a reconnaissance scout with Company A, in action against the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong forces. In the early morning hours during Operation ROCK, Pfc. Johnson was a member of a 15-man reconnaissance patrol manning an observation post on Hill 146 overlooking the Quan Duc Valley deep in enemy-controlled territory.
“They were attacked by a platoon-size hostile force employing automatic weapons, satchel charges and hand grenades. Suddenly, a hand grenade landed in the 3-man fighting hole occupied by Pfc. Johnson and 2 fellow Marines. Realizing the inherent danger to his 2 comrades, he shouted a warning and unhesitatingly hurled himself upon the explosive device. When the grenade exploded, Pfc. Johnson absorbed the tremendous impact of the blast and was killed instantly.
“His prompt and heroic act saved the life of 1 Marine at the cost of his life and undoubtedly prevented the enemy from penetrating his sector of the patrol’s perimeter. Pfc. Johnson’s courage, inspiring valor and selfless devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.”
When we join the military, we take an oath to defend the Constitution. I believe the most important freedom granted under the Constitution is freedom of speech.
PFC Johnson gave his life defending our Constitution. What better way to honor his sacrifice and the sacrifices of all our veterans, past, present, and future, than to peacefully exercise our right of freedom of speech?
There are many reasons America should be proud of Pfc. Johnson and the Amherst girls varsity volleyball team. The most important reason is they are a shining example of what it truly means to be an American. It is often the young who teach us the most important lessons of life.
We as American need to follow their example. We cannot let our differences destroy us. We need to remember that as Americans, we are a team. We need to hold hands and act as a team. For when we do, we achieve great things.
Ernest J. Dalkas, Sgt. USMC (Ret.), of Amherst, is a Disabled American Veteran. He served with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion in Vietnam from October 1967 to December 1968.
