Have you ever lay face down while thirty caliber machine gun rounds screamed and cracked near your head? We have.
Have you ever heard the harsh cry of “doctor!” and knew that a fellow soldier was seriously injured? We have.
Have you ever knelt beside the broken body of a fallen hero, your heart so shattered you struggled to breathe? We have.
Have you ever tied dog tags to a friend’s boot laces knowing that his wife and children would never fully recover from the profound loss that would change everything in their lives? We have.
We stand side by side in front of family, friends and a nation and pledge allegiance to our flag and our country. We pave the way through intense training because we refuse to let our nation or ourselves down. We pledge to serve with honor, courage and dignity. We pushed our bodies out of the open doors of powerful planes; removed from landing helicopters; and we forced our way out of armored vehicles to engage and destroy the enemy.
We are the infantry; The front line; defenders of democracy; the few men and women who kept America safe and paid the highest price. We have been the impenetrable barrier that has preserved these truths, that all people are created equal and endowed with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are here, in this place and everywhere our nation sends us. We are the infantry: proud, capable, determined.
Honor and salute this flag that still stands. Pledge to support the free nation you represent, even if it means taking the last full measure. Stay strong for America. We have.
Michael K. McMahan served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1972. A field artillery officer, he was awarded the Silver Star for valor on November 6, 1968, in Vietnam while assigned to an infantry company. He is a member of the OCS Field Artillery Hall of Fame at Fort Sill Oklahoma.
This article originally appeared in The Gaston Gazette: YOUR TURN: Honor and salute this flag that still stands
