On his recent “World Apology Tour” the President of the United States felt compelled to apologize for “American arrogance” when the only arrogance on display was his own in assuming that we needed to apologize for anything. The only thing on display in greater abundance than his arrogance was his ignorance of American history.
Without further ado, I give you twenty-two reasons why we needn’t apologize to Europe or the world for our “arrogance.”
1. Aisne-Marne Cemetery and Memorial in France, the last resting place of 2,289 Americans who fought and died liberating France during the summer of 1918 in the Marne Campaign in WWI. There are an additional 1,060 names of those missing in action within the chapel. Belleau Wood is nearby and US Marines captured much of this ground during the summer fighting here.
2. Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium, where 5,329 Americans are laid to rest. Most died during the “Battle of the Bulge.” There are an additional 462 names of those missing in action inscribed in the chapel.
3. The Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial in France, contains the remains of 4,410 Americans who died liberating Normandy and Brittany in 1944. There are an additional 498 names of those missing in action inscribed in the chapel.
4. Brookwood American Cemetery and Memorial in England, contains the graves of 468 Americans and the names of 563 missing in action are inscribed in the chapel.
5. Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial site in England contains the graves of 3,812 Americans. Within the chapel are an additional 5,127 names of the missing in action.
6. The Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in France contains the remains of 5,255 Americans who died during the fighting in the Heasbourg Gap during the bitter winter of 1944-45. An additional 424 names of the missing in action are inscribed in the chapel.
7. Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium where 368 Americans who gave their lives liberating Belgium in WWI are buried. An additional 43 names of those missing in action are inscribed in the chapel.
8. Florence American Cemetery and Memorial site in Italy contains the graves of 4,402 who died liberating Italy during WWII. An additional 1,409 names of the missing in action are inscribed on the memorial.
9. Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium where 7,992 Americans who died liberating Belgium in WWII are buried. An additional 450 names of those missing in action are inscribed on the memorial.
10. Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in France contains the largest number of American WWII dead in Europe. The 10,489 Americans buried here died liberating France during WWII. There are an additional 444 names of the missing in action inscribed on the memorial.
11. Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial where 5,076 Americans, most of whom died liberating Luxembourg are buried. General George S. Patton is also buried here. An additional 371 names of the missing in action are inscribed on the memorial columns.
12. Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines is the largest overseas cemetery for American war dead. It contains the remains of 17,202 Americans who died defending and liberating the Philippines and New Guinea during WWII. There are an additional 36,285 names of the missing in action inscribed in the memorial.
13. Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial in France contains the largest number of American war dead in Europe. Most of the 14,246 American Soldiers buried here died liberating France during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918. There are an additional 954 names of the missing in action inscribed on the memorial.
14. North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Tunisia where 2,841 Americans who liberated Muslim Tunisia are laid to rest. An additional 3,724 are remembered on the Wall of the Missing.
15. The World War II Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial is the only American cemetery in the Netherlands. It contains the graves of 8,301 Americans who died liberating the Netherlands during WWII. Stretching along the sides of the court are Tablets of the Missing on which are recorded 1,722 names.
16. Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 and the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. Buried here are 9,387 Americans, most of whom died on D-Day and in operations immediately following the landings. An additional 1,557 names are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing at the Memorial.
17. Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial in France contains the remains of 6,012 American war dead, most of whom lost their lives while fighting to liberate France in this vicinity in 1918 during WWI. An additional 241 names are inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing.
18. Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial in France contains the remains of 861 Americans who died liberating southern France in August, 1944. The memorial an additional 294 names of the missing are inscribed.
19. The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial site in Italy contains the graves of 7,861 Americans who died liberating Sicily from July through August 1944 and who died at Anzio from January to May 1944. An additional 3,095 names of the missing are inscribed in the chapel.
20. The World War I Somme American Cemetery and Memorial in France contains the graves of 1,844 Americans who died liberating France in WWI. The chapel contains and additional 333 names of the missing.
21. The World War I St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial in France where 4,153 Americans who died liberating France during WWI are buried. An additional 284 names of the missing are inscribed in the chapel.
22. Originally a World War I cemetery, the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial just outside Paris, France now shelters the remains of U.S. dead of both wars. contains the remains of 1,541 Americans who died in World War I and 24 Unknown dead of World War II. Bronze tablets on the walls of the chapel record the names of 974 World War I missing.
Americans do need to apologize to the world for something else. We need to apologize to the world for electing someone so ignorant of past American sacrifice, so ignorant of American history and so filled with hatred for America that he is willing to destroy your security along with our own. This man who has accomplished nothing in this life beyond self-aggrandizement and playing to the intellectual laziness of American citizens, who was spawned from a family of “Hate America Firsters” and learned to loathe America on the knees of communist mentors, whose closest friends are all about hating everything America once stood for has been foisted upon the world by our laziness, not our arrogance.
The lowliest private buried in these cemeteries accomplished more in his lifetime than our anti-American President of the United States. And this man, who bears the title of Commander-in-Chief, is so filled with hubris that he thinks to mock their sacrifice with an apology.
For those who have not been keeping count, the twenty-two reasons above include a total of 184,453 Americans who did not return home from wars to liberate other people. That’s 124,139 who have marked graves in foreign soil and an additional 60,314 who do not. These twenty-two reasons are just for WWI and WWII. Keep in mind that a total of 116,516 American soldiers died in WWI and 405,399 died in WWII. Most of these Soldiers died rescuing Europeans in wars started by European arrogance.
On this Memorial Day weekend, remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice liberating those who, without our blood, would not have been free.
America need apologize to no one!
And remember, you have a President who apologized for the sacrifice of over half a million American Soldiers from two world wars!
To learn more about the last resting places of Americans who actually did something for our country and who paid the ultimate sacrifice, visit American Battle Monuments.
9 comments:
I love your list of 22. Thanks for sharing it. Most Americans aren't aware of the extent of the sacrifice our soldiers have made. I have to admit that although I've visited a few of these cemeteries I didn't know there were so many.
But saying that Obama hates and loathes his own country is over the top. You know me to be a critic of American foreign policy. You also know me to be a fellow veteran, a staunch advocate of American ideals, and the first to tear up when visiting hallowed ground.
The two (criticism and adoration) aren't self-contradictory. I love my country every bit as much as anyone else, and I'll bet Obama does too.
Thanks John. Much appreciated, and apparently much needed.
Keep up the good fight.
Stephen,
You've served your country and been willing to go in harm's way on her behalf, so you have a little more leeway to be critical.
To date, Obama has shown only that he loves himself and is willing to throw anyone under the bus, even lifelong associates, if it will further is political ambitions.
Obama's lifelong associations, his words and actions say otherwise of his love for country. Every notable association in his life is an avowed hater of America. To imagine that those associations had no negative influence is naive.
"The Constitution is a quaint, archaic document." (Obama) Words spoken by a true lover of the foundations of our country.
Obama has been critical of every aspect of the US his entire life and has accomplished nothing of substance on her behalf.
Joseph,
Thanks back. I'm not letting my country go down to the socialists without a fight.
I agree the association with Jeremiah Wright was an exercise in poor judgement, to say the least. But you don't even know all of Obama's "lifelong associations," let alone are able to dismiss each one as "an avowed hater of America." Granted, your principles and premises are different from Obama's. But that doesn't mean he hates America. I think such language is an expression of your frustration rather than an honest and fair assessment of the President of the United States.
Do you have a reliable source for the quote, "The Constitution is a quaint, archaic document?"
Do you have a reliable source for the quote, "The Constitution is a quaint, archaic document?"Seriously, John. I've googled and googled and can't find it. You'd think that if he actually said it, it'd be all over the web.
Where did you get it?
Steve,
I withdraw that alleged quote that I was making from memory, but I too did not find where I thought I originally saw it.
I do not, however, withdraw my assessment of the man. At the very least he's dangerously naive, but if he's as smart as all you worshipers think he is, then I think his motivations are far more sinister. Take your pick.
The only thing he's been apologizing for is the callous disregard his predecessor showed for the entire rest of the world and the United States Constitution (Torture? Spying on our own citizens? What country did we live in?)
I've never been more proud of my country than the day we got rid of that bumbling disgrace who couldn't even string two sentences together. Who tanked our economy and our credibility on a deceitful and unnecessary war, who sent our soldiers into battle without adequate armor and without an exit strategy.
The Inauguration speech was all about returning our country to everything that makes it great. I can't understand how anyone who really listened to that speech can think the man who made it is anything less than deeply in love with his country.
When did we become so jaded that we accuse as "dangerously naive" a true statesman who actually dares to put forth his ideals?
I can't think of two more audaciously daring and naive (for the time) documents than the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
tkersh,
Ah, another gutless anonymous liberal blog troll drunk on the Kool-Aid and enthralled by the “The One” raises its ugly head from the MSM miasma to spout crap.
The only thing he's been apologizing for is the callous disregard his predecessor showed for the entire rest of the world and the United States Constitution (Torture? Spying on our own citizens? What country did we live in?)No US President in the history of this country, not even that ethically-challenged Bill Clinton, has had such ill-grace as to continue campaigning against his predecessor after he assumed office.
Disregard for the Constitution? Sorta like refusing to provide proof of natural birth in the United States? Sorta like using the legal system to prevent exposure of college records that might show he applied as a foreign national? That’s disregard for the Constitution. If he were really so concerned about the Constitution, he could immediately put all those questions to rest, but he chooses to obstruct, obfuscate and prevaricate instead.
Torture, hmm…rendition, the process of sending terror suspects to countries with fewer scruples about unpleasant necessities involved in extracting information from thugs, reached its zenith during the Clinton Administration. Of course, that doesn’t bother you holier-than-thou liberals. After all, it isn’t torture when your side does it. Then there’s your lying Speaker of the House and other liberals in Congress who, fully briefed on what was going on, elected to remain silent because gee, it was OK then. It only became not OK when they could use it for political advantage.
Spying on our own citizens? That was going on long before President Bush. It’s called counter-espionage. Your thrall master hasn’t done anything to set aside the laws passed with the acquiescence of the Dems during the Bush Administration on wiretaps and the like. In fact, his Secretary of Homeland Security issued a study indicating that they were about to turn those laws against Obama’s domestic political opponents.
What country did we live in? How about the one that didn’t suffer a single terrorist attack after 9/11 because there were grownups in charge instead of the narcissistic fun crowd that currently occupies the White House.
Response to tkersh continued...
I've never been more proud of my country than the day we got rid of that bumbling disgrace who couldn't even string two sentences together. Yeah, like the one now who can’t string three words together to form a single sentence without his teleprompter. The one who refuses to answer questions that haven’t been pre-screened so that his lackeys can provide the answers for him, ensuring they are loaded in his teleprompter. Right, a really impressive fellow.
Who tanked our economy and our credibility on a deceitful and unnecessary war, who sent our soldiers into battle without adequate armor and without an exit strategy.Perhaps you could name a specific policy that tanked the economy. How about your Obamasiah’s Congressional allies who resisted regulating Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac right up to the moment they collapsed? Tell me again, who was the number two recipient of lobbying money from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae behind Chris Dodd? Someone by the name of Barack Hussein Obama maybe?
Tanked our credibility? Gee, after we took down Saddam, Khadafi got real reasonable. Settled up on the Lockerbie claims, agreed to dismantle his own WMD programs and allowed unhindered international inspections. Why? Because we had credibility. The group hug thing doesn’t seem to be working too well with Iran and Korea now, does it.
Deceitful war? You’re just mouthing the liberal mantra. Every major intelligence service in the world believed Saddam had a WMD program. There was nothing deceitful about it and everything that we thought we knew was out on the table. Even Bill Clinton has agreed that all available information at the time said Saddam had WMD. Saddam could have stopped everything in its tracks had he only allowed complete and open access to the inspectors. He did not. At the time, the war had overwhelming support.
How about Afghanistan? Even “The One” thinks this war is important enough to win. Time will tell if his actual actions match his rhetoric on Afghanistan, but given his words about “negotiating with moderate Taliban,” I’m not holding my breath.
Our troops were adequately prepared to fight a war against a conventional enemy. We beat that enemy handily and with minimal fuss. When the insurgency erupted, we were in the process of drawing down our forces in Iraq. Most of our tanks had already been sent south to Kuwait. So there was an exit strategy. I happen to think that the Bush Administration flubbed the peace, but got the war right. The only really useful exit strategy is victory.
The Inauguration speech was all about returning our country to everything that makes it great. I can't understand how anyone who really listened to that speech can think the man who made it is anything less than deeply in love with his country.The man’s actions speak louder than his teleprompted words. You who are moved by mere words are the ruination of our country.
When did we become so jaded that we accuse as "dangerously naive" a true statesman who actually dares to put forth his ideals?On what grounds is he a “true statesman?” I don’t think we have any of those anymore and he sure as hell isn’t one. He’s a narcissistic blow-hard and political hack. What great act of statesmanship has this fool every accomplished? NOTHING!
I can't think of two more audaciously daring and naive (for the time) documents than the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.Neither document was naïve. They were well-reasoned and grounded upon solid principles. The Declaration of Independence was audacious and daring, but more so because of the risk taken by those who signed it. The Constitution wasn’t audacious or daring, but it was a unique concept at the time.
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