My American Pride and Patriotism - A Civilian Perspective

As I sit back and watch the world crumble around me and watch as our national pride falls apart I know deep down there are still people that believe and think the way I do. Granted most of them are older folks that have lived through very hard times like WWI, WWII, The Great Depression, etc. I was born in 1977 during the Cold War. Not a war with any real battles, but an arms race. And for those reading this that have no idea what I am talking about, when I say arms I mean weapons. Most of them as the mass destruction variety (i.e. nuclear, atomic, H-bomb).

As I sit here and read about what North Korea is doing and what Iran is silently doing and what our president is not doing, I can't help but think of the past history of our nation. I come from a line of serviceman in my family. First my grandfather, Cpl. Willard O. Sheppard (Army). Fought in WWII in the Pacific. Purple Heart award and a Bronze Star among others. Having researched his unit, 37th Infantry, in the Philippians and finding out how the liberation battle went I find it hard to believe that we actually won that battle. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a hard fought battle that resulted in 7 soldiers getting the medal of honor. 2 of which were posthumous.

Next my uncles and father. Sgt. Douglas Sheppard (Marines), Sgt. Clifford Sheppard (Army National Guard), Specialist Jeff Sheppard (Army), and Master Sgt. Scott Sheppard (Air Force). All of whom I am EXTREMELY proud of. I regret my decision to not serve every day of my life. Since I am 40 now I cannot go back and make that decision again. The cut off is 38. I am not even draft eligible any more. It pains me greatly that I made that choice. So my job now is to pass on that history and that American Pride to my kids. Pass on the history of our family, on both sides. Andrea's grandfather also served in the Pacific during WWII in China with 1st Marine Battalion. I only knew him for a very short time, but from what I could see he was a very gentle soul that loved everyone no matter what. Even in that short time he had an impact on my life.

The flag to me represents so much. It represents freedom, power, pride, and choice. First Freedom, the freedom to make life what I want it to be. With hard work and determination you can be and do anything you want in this country. The only person holding you back is you. Next Power, Our nation is the world’s police. Sad but true, but we also aid a lot of the world. We give a lot of money to third world nations to help them out. We give billions to Africa to help fight AIDS. We give billions to Ethiopia to help fight hunger and poverty. There are many others. We also have one of the world’s largest economies, that along with China dictate a lot of the world trade and commerce. Along with that power comes Pride. Pride that I live in a nation of opportunity, justice and freedom. Next Choice. I have the power to Choose what I wanted to be and how I wanted to live my life. There are not many other places where you can get all those things. Freedom, Power, Pride and Choice are summed up in one word, PATRIOTISM.

Love for country, love her people and choose to do the right thing. Being a patriot runs deep. I will be the first to help anyone if I can. Most people that know me know they can count on me for just about anything. Honor the flag of a great nation. Honor the history and forward thinking of our founding fathers. Times are different know, but the concept remains the same. History cannot be erased or changed. What happened, happened. Remember that and pass it on so we do not repeat it. Life in the United States is what YOU make it. You have the Power and Choice to do what you want to do.

And that's all I have to say about that..........for now.

God bless America and our troops.

Signed,

Brian Sheppard, humble citizen.

To Be or Not To Be.....................Alive. That is the question!!

     Over the last several days I have been thinking about an issue that previously didn't hit me as hard as it did the other day. Abortion! I am Pro-Life and view abortion as wrong in ALL instances. My wife and I had to make a trip to Illinois last week to bury my sweet cousin Megan. On the way down my wife and I had a conversation about Planned Parenthood and abortion in general. I hadn't read much of the articles or watched the recent spy videos released by CMP, so I was much in the dark about the subject. She started to explain what was going on and what her medical books define as human life. I had certain questions, questions that I really didn't want to face the answers on. I kind of knew them, but needed to hear them. Those answers brought a tear to my eye.

How have we fallen so far? How has a human life been devalued so much? I know how, we left God and tried it on our own. I read an article today about StemExpress shipping intact born-alive fetuses to research facilities. Some without the mother giving consent. How can these people sleep at night willfully knowing what they have done? Looking at my family and having witnessed the miracle birthing a child is I ask myself, "When will Jesus return and get me and my family out of this crap.?" Human life is so precious and people now a days think nothing of it. When you can get more prison time for abusing and killing animals then a person something is wrong. Something is very wrong.

I was working on Andrea's computer the other day and she had one of her books open to a page about babies. She had highlighted that at 8 weeks a fetus is unmistakably human. 8 WEEKS!!!!!!! Do you realize that most partial birth abortion are done between 18-25 weeks? Babies have been born as early as 22 weeks and have survived. Sure they were in the hospital for a year, but they lived. 8 weeks is not that long to be considered human.

I know America is a great nation, but if we don't start valuing the human life again we are going to burn for this! That is a fact! Only God can save us from our ways. We are not too far gone for a savior that has already died and rose again for our sins. I am literally heartbroken over all the things I have read and learned about this process. Deeply saddened as never before for us as a human race and us as Americans. I pray we find our way back to God and his love, grace and mercy. He is the only one who can save us.


Brian

 

Love for God and Country

In recent days I have read several articles that have dissed the flag I love so much. As many of you know, and if you don’t you’re about to, I am VERY patriotic. Many have told me that I am the most patriotic person they know. My parents are two of those people. My parents raised me the best they knew how. Kids don’t come with a manual; as I am finding out for myself. That is beside the point. Parents are supposed to pass on certain things to the next generation. My parents not only passed onto me a love for God and family togetherness among other things, but a passion to what it means to be American and live in the United States of America. Being born and raised here, having a grandfather that fought in 2 battles in WWII, having my Uncle’s Doug, Jeff and Scott and also my dad, Cliff serve in the military I have come to be so thankful for what they fought and served for. When I see articles like I’ve seen in the past few days I am both sickened and enraged at the same time. Sickened to see what parents and schools are not passing on to the next generation. At the same time immigrants coming over and trying to change us into them. I know we are the “bad guys” in the middle east; and that is fine we were just trying to help people be free to make their own decisions, but apparently they don’t want that. These liberal minded people are making us out to be the “bad guys” in our own country. To that I say, SO NOT COOL!! One person in an article I read said “…..the flag triggers me…..”, and ”US flag symbolizes racism”.

WELL YOU KNOW WHAT; IT TRIGGERS ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It triggers me because my family and millions of other families have fought, served and DIED so you can have that right to speak your mind. Yes my family immigrated here in the early 1900’s, but the second, third, and fourth generation of my family were born HERE!!!

I am American, we are American.

The feeling runs so deep in me and I am so enraged over these comments. Is this nation perfect, No. Is this nation great, yes. Is this nation helpful, you bet. We send billions of dollars around the world every year to help people. What if we stopped doing that? What if? I would love to watch the world crumble and beg for help. Does that sound like the world can't live without the U.S.? Not at all, it's just a fact. The United States is taken advantage of not only by other countries, but from her government as well. That’s right Mr. President, I’m speaking to you now. You make us look weak in front of our enemies. If we had a president that actually served in the military I don’t think ISIS would be going basically unchecked in Syria. GW wouldn’t have let it go on this long. I don’t even think Mr. Clinton would have sat idly by this long before responding to this threat. Same thing with Boko Haram in Nigeria. This is your legacy Mr. President how are you going to handle it? I want an answer! I didn’t vote for you, but I am a taxpayer paying you to DO YOUR JOB!! If I could, I would fire you.


And lastly, this picture.

Apparently people think this is disrespecting the flag. This is the greatest picture ever in my eyes. A military family proud to serve and raise their child as an American. This is from Vanessa Hicks. Please stop by her facebook page and leave a comments if you like this picture.

Vanessa Hicks Photographry

Thank you Vanessa, and Mr. and Mrs. Clevenger for this picture. We need more of this.


To that I end my rant. Good day Merica!!

Brian (Legally Born Citizen)

Second Lieutenant Walter D. Ehlers (1921-2014)

Born on May 7, 1921, in Junction City, Kansas, Ehlers joined the Army from the city of Manhattan in October 1940. He and his older brother Roland served in the same unit and participated in the fighting in North Africa and Sicily.

By D-Day on June 6, 1944, Ehlers was a staff sergeant and squad leader in the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. His squad, part of the invasion's second wave, waited off shore in a Landing Craft, Infantry, while the first group of soldiers landed. When the first wave became pinned down on the beach, his unit was transferred to a Higgins boat and sent forward early to assist. They fought their way off the beach and by June 9 were near the town of Goville, 8 miles inland. On that day, he led his unit's attack against German forces and single-handedly defeated several enemy machinegun nests. The next day, his platoon came under heavy fire and he covered their withdrawal, carried a wounded rifleman to safety, and continued to lead despite his own wounds. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor six months later, on December 19, 1944.

On July 14, more than a month after D-Day, Ehlers learned that his brother Roland had died at Omaha Beach when his landing craft was struck by a mortar shell.

He appeared in the 1955 film The Long Gray Line, starring Tyrone Power.

Ehlers died on February 20, 2014 of kidney failure in Long Beach, California. He was 92 years old.

Medal of Honor citation

Staff Sergeant Ehlers' official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 9–10 June 1944, near Goville, France. S/Sgt. Ehlers, always acting as the spearhead of the attack, repeatedly led his men against heavily defended enemy strong points exposing himself to deadly hostile fire whenever the situation required heroic and courageous leadership. Without waiting for an order, S/Sgt. Ehlers, far ahead of his men, led his squad against a strongly defended enemy strong point, personally killing 4 of an enemy patrol who attacked him en route. Then crawling forward under withering machinegun fire, he pounced upon the guncrew and put it out of action. Turning his attention to 2 mortars protected by the crossfire of 2 machineguns, S/Sgt. Ehlers led his men through this hail of bullets to kill or put to flight the enemy of the mortar section, killing 3 men himself. After mopping up the mortar positions, he again advanced on a machinegun, his progress effectively covered by his squad. When he was almost on top of the gun he leaped to his feet and, although greatly outnumbered, he knocked out the position single-handed. The next day, having advanced deep into enemy territory, the platoon of which S/Sgt. Ehlers was a member, finding itself in an untenable position as the enemy brought increased mortar, machinegun, and small arms fire to bear on it, was ordered to withdraw. S/Sgt. Ehlers, after his squad had covered the withdrawal of the remainder of the platoon, stood up and by continuous fire at the semicircle of enemy placements, diverted the bulk of the heavy hostile fire on himself, thus permitting the members of his own squad to withdraw. At this point, though wounded himself, he carried his wounded automatic rifleman to safety and then returned fearlessly over the shell-swept field to retrieve the automatic rifle which he was unable to carry previously. After having his wound treated, he refused to be evacuated, and returned to lead his squad. The intrepid leadership, indomitable courage, and fearless aggressiveness displayed by S/Sgt. Ehlers in the face of overwhelming enemy forces serve as an inspiration to others.

This my friends is what an American Hero is. This is the very definition of hero. Like I posted on Facebook this morning with a link to Mark Levin's show clip honoring him. With a heavy heart and tears in my eyes I cannot say thank you enough. It was 33 years before I was born that this man risked his life to protect my freedoms, my parents freedoms and everyone's freedoms. I know I have honored my family that has served, but I need to, no we all need to honor every solider that has ever fought to protect the United States. So I say this, while I am honored to have had a grandfather serve in the South Pacific during the liberation of the Phillipines; I am honored to have had someone like this fight for someone like me so long ago. Honoring soldiers shouldn't just happen on veterans day or Independence Day, it should happen everyday. Even if someone tells me to stop, I never will. I will never forget. I can only imagine what they went through.

To all the soldiers that have served, are still serving or that have fallen.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I cannot say that enough. You are all part of me and my family. My patriotism runs deep and I hope to pass that along to the next generation.

Signed (With tears in my eyes),

Brian Sheppard, Humbled American Patriot

Missing My Buddy.........

As many of you know my Uncle Jeff went home to be with Jesus on Monday Sept 9th. I know not a lot of you knew him like I did. Even though he lived in Illinois and I did not actually see him that much I still felt connected to him on a different level. A connection I only feel with a few people on this planet. Not a connection like a parent, sibling or wife, something much different. I don't know why my connection is so intense for me, I can't explain it.

Jeff Sheppard was a husband, a father, a brother, a grandfather and an Army veteran. I will miss you more than you know. Your infectious smile, your contagious laugh, your humor at the expense of your brothers (all in good fun of course). I will miss the 6:30 am text from you just to say "Thinking of you. Hope you have a great day. Love you." A year ago you finally get on the tech bandwagon and got a smart phone. For the first time we could talk whenever we wanted to and we did often. It was really great to see you at Brad & Lora's wedding 6 weeks ago. It was my pleasure to present you with that gift I gave you. I got exactly the reaction I was looking for.

I am so heartbroken that you are gone. I have been finding myself staring at your picture, sometimes for hours. The other day I looked at your picture so long my phone died. It still hasn't sunk in yet that you are gone. You absolutely left this world way to early.The world is now a little darker without you in it.

Jeff Sheppard is survived by

Wife - Michelle
Son - Chris
Son - Adam
Daughter - Courtney
Grandson - Miles
Grandson - Caison
Granddaughter - Ava

Brother - Doug
Brother - Cliff
Sister - Nancy
Brother - Scott

Nephews - Brian, Patrick, Jesse, Brad, Craig, Josh, Jacob
Nieces - Lexi, Megan

Great Uncle to Hannah, Carly, Emma, Allison, and Bethany

I will think of you often and remember you properly on my family hero wall in my man cave. Thank you for being part of my life. I will always miss you. Rest in Peace.

From Left: Doug, Cliff, Jeff. At Brad & Lora's wedding.

Presentation of my gift.

The gifts were replica of their dad's WWII medals. I had such fun doing this for them. Uncle Scott if you are reading this I will be bringing yours with me this weekend.

Friend or Foe

No doubt in recent weeks you have heard of the NSA leaker Edward Snowden. The Obama Administration is calling him a "whistleblower" and have charged him as a criminal under parts of the Espionage Act. The OA (Obama Administration) slammed Hong Kong and be raided Russia for the release of Snowden which they say is not their problem. The OA is also threatening Ecuador if they grant Snowden asylum. To which they say "We no longer require or want your aid. And in a dig to Washington has offered the US $23 million dollars in aid for "education about human rights". Sounds to me like they are really scared of what the OA is going to do if they protect Snowden. That was sarcasm if you didn't get it. When China and Russia snub you over your stupid treats that's one thing, but when smaller countries are now starting to do it it make the US look really pathetic. President Obama has ruined this country so bad with his foreign policy that I do not think it will ever recover.

To me Edward Snowden is a national hero. I have long suspected that the government was spying on its own citizens, but not like that. It’s not even funny how unsafe I feel. I feel like I am being watched all the time, even in my own house. Our rights are being trampled every single day and no one is held accountable for it. The scandals the OA is involved in are terrible. How come NO ONE is talking about impeachment here? It makes me sick. First this thing with Benghazi, then the DOJ gathering stuff on journalist, then the IRS thing, and now the NSA leaker. WHY IS OBAMA STILL IN CHARGE????? He says he knows nothing about what is going on. COME ON!!!! You're the President of the United States and you don't know? That is like a boss asking if he has any employees. How can you not know anything? 

This administration is a wreck. First you have Hilary Clinton saying "What's the difference?" during testimony for the Benghazi hearing about the killing of an ambassador and 3 Seals. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE??? 4 AMERICANS DIED AND YOU DID NOTHING TO HELP THEM. That's the difference. Don't even get me started on Eric Holder. That guy just needs to crawl into a hole and never return. He is such a space cadet. Also saying that he wouldn't resign. PATHETIC!!!! Then comes the IRS Director Lois Lerner who pleaded the fifth in her first round of testimony at a hearing a few weeks ago. She's guilty!!! Again, PATHETIC!!!!

This country is in severe need of a reset. Viva la Revolution!!!!

Signed,

Legal, natural born AMERICAN, patriot citizen.

Constitutional Freedoms

To day is May 30, 2013. On my lunch hour at work I have had the disgusting fortune of finding 5 articles on Fox News from Todd Starnes. These 5 articles have to do with teacher in schools and students against school boards. Below are the article headlines.

1.) Teacher punished for telling students about constitutional right.

          At teacher in an Illinois school district, John Dryden, advised his students of the Fifth Amendment right  no to incriminate themselves when the school district had him administer a survey to his students about at-risk behavior. When the school district investigated the matter he was had a formal reprimand and docked one day's pay. 

Reference URL: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/teacher-punished-for-telling-students-about-constitutional-rights.html

2.) Christian teacher under investigation for opposing homosexuality.

          Union Township, NJ. A teacher posts on her private Facebook page her christian faiths views on homosexuality and how it is a sin. Steven Goldstien's Gay right group had this comment.

“I find what she wrote on Facebook endangers the learning atmosphere for students beyond repair and violates the school district’s own policy of a safe and comfortable environment for all,” Goldstein said. “She’s no longer in a position to teach in the classroom because she will make many students fearful of her hatred.”

Since when is it wrong to state ones opinion or belief.

Reference URL: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/christian-teacher-under-investigation-for-opposing-homosexuality.html

3.) American student punished for refusing to recite Mexican pledge.

          A Texas high school student has filed a federal lawsuit against her school and her teachers after she was punished for refusing to salute and recite the Mexican pledge of allegiance. The Thomas More Law Center filed the suit on behalf of Brenda Brinsdon alleging the McAllen Independent School District violated the 15-year-old girl’s constitutional rights when she was forced to recite the Mexican pledge and sing the Mexican national anthem. 

Brinsdon, who is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant and an American father, refused. She believed it was un-American to pledge a loyalty oath to another country.

Ironically, the school district has a policy that prohibits a school from compelling students to recite the American Pledge of Allegiance.

The district also has a written policy that excuses students from reciting text from the Declaration of Independence if the student “as determined by the district, has a conscientious objection to the recitation.”

“There is a sad trend in public schools across our nation to undermine American patriotism,” said Richard Thompson president of the Thomas More Law Center. “But it’s encouraging to see students like Brenda stand up for America despite pressure from school officials.”

Reference URL: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/american-student-punished-for-refusing-to-recite-mexican-pledge.html

4.) Teacher faces possible firing for sharing Bible verse

          The Phillipsburg School Board said Walter Tutka broke two policies – distributing religious literature on school grounds and another policy that directs teachers to be neutral when discussing religious material.

The controversy has generated outrage among the region’s religious community – with many claiming that Tutka is being “persecuted” for simply being a Christian. The electrical company retiree is a well-respected member of the community.

“It was appalling,” said Joe Imhof, a close friend of Tutka. “They read him the riot act. They used words like separation of church and state and inclusion. And then they sent him home for violating school district policy.”

Reference URL: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/teacher-faces-suspension-for-sharing-bible-verse.html

5.) Teacher Stomps on American flag inside classroom

          Michael Copeland’s daughter was in the classroom when the incident occurred. He told television station WIS that the teacher’s actions were disrespectful and unpatriotic.

“He drew a couple of symbols, like one of them was a cross, and he said, ‘What does this represent’ and everybody said ‘Christianity,’” Copeland said. “Then he proceeds to take down the American flag and said, ‘This is a symbol, but it’s only a piece of cloth. It doesn’t mean anything,’ and then he throws it down on the floor and then stomps on it, repeatedly.”

Malcolm Kline, executive director of Accuracy in Academia, told Fox News he was impressed that the school district took action.

“I’m astounded by this,” said Kline, whose organization exposes political bias in public school classrooms. “What you usually hear is students suspended for actually wearing an American flag.”

“I would have expected something like that somewhere in the northeast rather than below the Mason-Dixon line,” he added.

Reference URL: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/teacher-stomps-on-american-flag-inside-classroom.html

There is a massive attack on not just us as adults, but it is bleeding into schools as well. This is not the first time I have read articles about this type of thing. These people are teaching our kids. It is our jobs as parents to defend and know what our kids are being taught or asked to fill out. In that first article the school super said that the Fifth Amendment has no place in a class room because the school district has a policy that students cannot incriminate themselves that will lead to police action. WHAT!!! The Fifth Amendment has no place. If not there then were? Our children need to be taught what their constitutional rights are. I have been out of school for almost 20 years. When I went there was a required class called "Government". We all had to take it. It was taught by a very good teacher. She was tough, but effective. We learned about the government stuff. Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence and all the other stuff that goes along with it. No one had to inform us of our rights, we were already taught them. 

As it stands right now our kids are being taught not to think for themselves and that the government owes them something. This is very disturbing to read these and how we are being attacked as a nation from within and at the most lowest level. Teachers are there to teach and inform our children about life and society. It is our job as parents to reinforce that and encourage our children to be free thinker so they can make informed decision and be a productive member of society.

As I watch my children grow up and start to attend school I am watching very closely what they come home with and how they are being taught. When my oldest daughter Emma was getting ready to start Kindergarden, my wife and I threw around the idea of just sending her to public school. I figured I'm paying the taxes for it anyway; why not take advantage of it. After thinking and praying about it I think we made the right choice to send her and her sister to a private school. They will be attending this school for the entire time they are in school. We have thrown off public school in favor of a more rounded structure and where they can feel free express themselves and there faiths. I will still pay close attention to how they are taught though. I am anticipating a few course corrections, but hopefully it will go as smooth as possible throughout their lives.

That is all for now.

Signed,

Concerned Parent

B