To the Editor:

I volunteered to serve during wartime. We had experienced the Cuban Missile Crisis and had military advisors training foreign nationals in Vietnam. Things escalated quickly and we found ourselves, “Neck deep in the big muddy ....” to quote the song by Pete Seeger. Our nation slowly slid into commitments that would cost thousands of young Americans their lives. 

Recent events make it clear why senators warning military personnel about the dangers of following illegal orders was so very important. The warning was that the Department of Defense Law of War Manual clearly states that military personnel should not follow illegal orders. Following such orders may make the person following the orders guilty of a war crime. 

In the cacophony of politics, one truth must remain clear: America’s armed forces swear allegiance not to a man, not to a party, but to the Constitution of the United States. That oath is the bedrock of our Republic. It is the firewall against tyranny. And it is being tested as never before. 

Can my patriotism be politically neutral, separated from my country’s actions if I disagree with those actions? Can it be separated from those who call themselves patriots but who don’t embrace the ideals I think this country stands for? Yes, it can, and I can call myself patriotic while still yelling the loudest when I think this country has gone off track. 

Retired Air Force Col. Moe Davis is stepping back into familiar turf — running for Congress in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District. 

“I just keep looking at what Chuck Edwards is not doing for the district,” Davis told The Smoky Mountain News May 5.

Tuscola High School senior Hunter Sollie has received a prestigious appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, one of the nation’s most selective and esteemed military institutions.

According to surveys and government data cited in the online article “The Changing Face of America’s Veteran Population,” 40 years ago about 18% of Americans were veterans. Today that number stands at 6%. 

Started in 1992 by Morrill Worcester with the donation and placement of 5,000 wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery during the Christmas season, Wreaths Across America has grown to state and national cemeteries holding ceremonies of their own across the country to “remember, honor and teach” about our veterans — remembering not their deaths, but their lives in service to our country. 

The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 980 holds its regular meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. in the Sara Brown Town Hall in Clyde. 

To the Editor:

I wish to say something about Memorial Day, which is coming up this Monday.

I know most Americans have big plans for Memorial Day weekend. After all it’s the beginning of the summer season with all the wonderful outdoor activities it brings.