Enemies Become Friends

My brother, Gary, served his career with The United States Air Force. We can say he truly loves this country. During our first annual LAND I LOVE, hosted outside in our backyard on a warm summer night in July of 2001, he stood to give the following remarks. He spoke aloud the first sentence and then, overcome with emotion, handed me his paper to read for him. I didn't fair much better. I have referred to it often and would like to share his thoughts. He says:

The true greatness of a nation is not always measured by what her friends think of her, but rather by what her enemies think of her. The greatness of a nation is not measured by her wealth, but by her generosity. No other nation in the history of this Earth has been more generous, more magnanimous in victory, more selfless in the treatment of its enemies.
Following the dastardly attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, this nation was roused from isolationism and peacefulness. We set about, in a very short time, to build up our woefully inadequate military and become the strongest armed force this world has ever seen. We assembled a force of over 12 million men to face not only the Japanese aggressors but an even greater threat to world peace, the Nazis of Germany. They were all ground into oblivion by the United States Military within four years. That was the greatest achievement any country had ever performed. We now had control of over half the world. What would we do with it? Keep and control it as ancient Rome had done? No, we not only gave it back but we paid to have it restored to its former state. The Marshall Plan gave millions to feed starving Europeans, including the Germans, Italians and Japanese who had started the war. In Japan, we fed and rebuilt and restored, and out of the ruins of war emerged countries that to this very day are not hateful or revengeful people, but friends and allies.]
I don't think there has ever been such a country as ours, and I am sure there will never be another. The greatness of America lies in her kindness and in her willingness to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. It is interesting how a people totally and unconditionally defeated in battle can hold this nation and its people in such high regard. This became clear to me a few years ago while living in Germany. The United States Army had been stationed in Germany for fifty years when I arrived, not as an occupation force but as defenders against the Soviet Union. As that threat was diminishing, U.S. Forces were pulling out and going home. As the garrison in the city of Karlsruhe was preparing to depart, the city decided to hold a farewell. The U.S. Forces were assembled for the last time and a long line of tanks and trucks and other equipment were in formation to leave town. The route out of town was lined by tens of thousands of Germans. They had not come to celebrate the departure, but to mourn and say goodbye. At the reviewing stand that day, as the American Commander was saying his farewell, a disturbance broke out in the crowd near the reviewing stand. A very old and crippled German lady was trying to push her way to the front of the crowd and was making quite a fuss about it. She reached the front of the crowd and was finally allowed to approach the stand. When she was right in front of the American General she opened her purse and removed a very old and tattered American flag. She never said a word, but with tears streaming down her face, she stood and waved that flag at the Americans on the stand.
The greatness of a nation is not always best measured by what her friends think of her, but by what those she has defeated in battle come to think of her.

Lt. Col. Gary Griffin