An American Soldier's Reflection on Thanksgiving

Chairman West's Monday Message for 11.23.20





An American Soldier's Reflection on Thanksgiving

 



Greetings everyone, and yes, Happy Thanksgiving! This is a special and blessed
day when we gather in our homes with our loved ones to give thanks and count
our blessings over a sumptuous meal. The tradition in the West Family household
is fried turkey and fried spiral ham. Hey, I am from down South, anything can
be fried and made absolutely delicious. The first time I fried turkey for our
family, that was it, no going back to baked turkey. And, so, we shall renew our
tradition here, in our home, in Garland, Texas, as a family.

 



A truly special moment for me on Thanksgiving Day is my early morning run. It
is then that I reflect back on my career active-duty soldier, on Thanksgiving.
I remember those Thanksgiving days when I could not be with my family because I
was deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan or stationed near the DMZ at Camp Casey
Korea. It was those times, when I sat with my other family, my fellow brothers
and sisters who were also deployed. There we were gathered in the respective
"chow halls" -- sorry I ain't politically correct and never liked the dining
facility moniker -- eating our Thanksgiving meal. We all had that desire to be
back home, but we all knew our task and purpose for being where we were.

 



We sat at our tables, laughed, and shared stories of what we thought our
families would be doing on that day. I remember Thanksgiving in Kandahar Air
Base in Afghanistan and watching the soldiers from Romania taking pictures of
the Thanksgiving feast . . . heck, the chow hall crew even did ice sculptures!
You know what, y'all? Those Romanian troops could eat! And, it was heartwarming
to hear them, and other foreign nation troops, wish us a Happy Thanksgiving.
One of the best things was that we even got to invite some of our
interpreters/translators to dine with us on Thanksgiving.

 



Thanksgiving is a uniquely American experience based upon the Pilgrims, who
fled religious persecution in England, surviving a harsh winter in their new
home, our home, the one we call America. We congregate on this day to remember
our blessings.

 



That is what we were so proud of, as troops deployed, that we were
safeguarding, defending the blessings of liberty and freedom for the
longest-running Constitutional Republic the world has ever known. We had the
opportunity to share this special day with others, and tell our stories of
America over a great meal. As the Christian song goes, "Count Your Blessings,"
and, so we did . . . and, at the end of the day, we hit the rack, and prepared
to carry on with our mission. Some of those deployed were standing guard on
remote outposts, or on patrol, yet, somehow, we always found a way to ensure
they got a little taste of Thanksgiving.

 



This Thanksgiving, in 2020, we are all counting our blessings as this
abominable year draws to a close. And, even this day, Thanksgiving, has come
under a politicized assault.

 



I find it unconscionable that there are those -- Jay Inslee, Andrew Cuomo,
Gavin Newsom, and Ralph Northam, all Democrat (Socialist) governors -- who are
making absurd declarations to restrict Thanksgiving. To tell any American
family who they can have within their own home on this special day of giving
thanks and remembering our blessings is beyond perplexing, it is tyrannical.
For someone such as Gov. Northam to believe he can guilt-trip people into
believing that restricting their Thanksgiving is an "act of love" reaches a
level of absurdity that no one would believe.

 



Ask yourselves: is this really what our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines,
and Coast Guardsmen are proud to defend as they are separated from their
families this Thanksgiving? How have we devolved into the acceptance of a
complete and utter disrespect of our private property rights, when government
officials are under the delusion that they can mandate the activities within
our very homes?

 



Not just that, but consider the words of one Democrat running for US Senate in
the State of Georgia who stated that our men and women in uniformcan't serve
God and serve the military <[link removed]>. These
words are so offensive, it is beyond belief. How does that make our men and
women in uniform -- deployed and away from their families -- feel as they sit
and thank God for the simple blessing of the meal they and their survival?

 



As a retired US Army veteran living in Texas, I can attest that I am not
thankful for the nearly 5.2 million Texans who voted to end our oil and gas
industry, relegating us to foreign energy dependence. They voted to open our
borders to illegal immigration. To defund our police. To allow for the rule of
the mob on our streets. To murder unborn babies in the womb right up to birth.
To end private health insurance. To take away our Second Amendment right to
defend ourselves. To institute a socialist economic model for this State and
our America.

 



They voted for a corrupt career politician who in 47 years of elected
officialdom has only one legislative achievement . . . and that was to lock up
young black men he referred to as "predators."

 



I am not thankful for the people who voted for the Democrat ticket, because
they voted against the very oath that I, members of my family, and many others
took, which is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of
America. The rule of law means nothing to them. They have told us, the
Guardians of this Republic, that suppressing religious freedom, restricting
free speech, curtailing freedom of expression, and denying the right to
peaceably assemble are only acceptable based upon their progressive socialist
ideological agenda. They have shown us that they are willing to use fear,
intimidation, coercion, threats, and violence to achieve your deranged and
destructive ends.

 



They say that there are things you cannot discuss at the Thanksgiving table.
Maybe if we go back to what those men and women throughout our history have
fought for, and lost their lives to defend, and discuss that at the
Thanksgiving table we would not be in this precarious situation for the future
of our Republic.

 



Yes, I am one of those who clings to his guns and religion. Yes, I am one of
those who stood guard upon the ramparts of freedom. Yes, I am an American --
Georgian by birth, Texan by choice -- and dedicated to preserving our
individual rights, freedoms, and liberties. I will always discuss this at our
Thanksgiving table . . . the question is, will you?

 



If you choose not to, then perhaps one day, this nation will be ruled by those
who are telling us who and how many we can have in our homes for Thanksgiving.
Remember that one of Karl Marx's planks in his Communist Manifesto was the
abolishment of private property rights . . . and, it is also part of this
"Great Reset" dogma. 

 



Fortunately, that will never happen because Americans will never be
collectively subjugated to the wanton evil of progressive socialism, Marxism,
statism, or communism.

 



Always remember: there is no Thanksgiving Day for Russia, China, Cuba,
Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, or Saudi Arabia. Sadly, there are Americans,
Texans, who voted for the same type of governing philosophy that dominates
those despotic regimes. So, I give thanks for true American patriots, defenders
of liberty, and those men and women who are deployed, and not able to be with
their families for Thanksgiving this year.



God's blessings; Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Steadfast and Loyal,







LTC Allen West (Ret.)
Chairman, Republican Party of Texas

#WeAreTheStorm

 

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