Column: Thoughts from Dr. Joe: A city recognition he’s proud to share
In the movie “Saving Private Ryan,” Tom Hanks portrays the fictitious character John H. Miller. As a captain in the 2nd Ranger Battalion, Miller commands a company of sky soldiers, who on June 6, 1944 land at Omaha Beach on the Normandy coast of France. The initial moments of the movie are not for the faint of heart. The scene portrays American soldiers attempting to exit Higgins boats and move forward into kill zones commanded by entrenched automatic weapons and German 88s. Yet they do, and that’s why they’re called the Greatest Generation.
After the beach is secure, American forces move inland. Miller is tasked with a mission to find the remaining brother of the Ryan family, Private James Ryan, and bring him to safety. Ultimately, his patrol of six soldiers finds Ryan, and after a fierce fight with German Panzer units, Miller lies mortally wounded. Only one of the six soldiers and Private Ryan remain alive. Miller addresses his last words to Ryan, “James, earn this. Earn it.”
For the past 15 years, the sentiments expressed by that character, Capt. John H. Miller, have been the reason for my involvement in the La Cañada Memorial Day Commemoration. I believe it is my duty to provide a forum where the community comes together to commemorate the memory of the countless numbers of soldiers from Valley Forge to Afghanistan who never made it home. I view my involvement as a continuous installment of reverence to earn the sacrifices they made.
Last week I was the humble guest of the City Council and received a proclamation recognizing my community service, particularly my efforts in the La Cañada Memorial Day Commemoration. Although I am flattered by this gesture and appreciate the honor, I feel it is earned on the backs of the soldiers who never made it home.
As Mayor Terry Walker read the proclamation, it was a special moment. The mayor’s heartfelt effort showed all in attendance that I was not just another pretty face. It was a serendipitous moment because my youngest daughter was present to witness that, unbeknownst to her, I am not just a supercilious geek.
I accepted this honor in the spirit that to do so validates the Memorial Day Commemoration Team who champion this cause. Therefore, this proclamation is their proclamation. In the weeks leading up to Memorial Day every year, I tell my team: “We do this for the soldiers.” They are kids, and I am pleased to say that they get it. They understand that what they do on the field of Memorial Park matters in continuing the solemn memory of those who never made it home.
The children of the community drive the commemoration. The sacrifice of soldiers is ultimately for the next generation, and it is fitting they pay tribute to the character Miller’s last words, “Earn this.”
The Gettysburg Address, given by Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pa., is one of the most profound speeches regarding the American national purpose. Lincoln implies that the country may forget what he said at Gettysburg, but it should never forget the soldiers who died. He then implies that it is up to the living to create a country so the soldiers did not die in vain.
I offer a warm thank-you to the City Council. I accept this proclamation on behalf of the soldiers who never made it home and the La Cañada kids who honor their memory.
JOE PUGLIA is a practicing counselor, a retired professor of education and a former officer in the Marines. Reach him at doctorjoe@ymail.com. Visit his website at doctorjoe.us.
