Colonel Terry Fobbs has passed on to join the hundreds of thousands of America’s soldier warriors who have brought honor and integrity to America through war and peacetime service. For many Americans the patriotic service of the citizen soldier has personally touched their lives and families as in many wars, like in Afghanistan, or in defense of America’s sovereign interests around the globe. What is truly remarkable about the nature of the conservative soldier warrior is the noble spirit that engages the heart to go forward into battle and not away from responsibility.
The pillars of courage which Americans have seen in their own family’s sacrifice when a son or daughter has volunteered to seek a greater cause than a backyard barbeque or a quick political posting that denigrates a soldier’s service, is heartwarming. America has always been home to the hypocrite and the coward, because that is the nature of hypocrisy and cowardice; to run, to hide, and to pitch rocks until the soldier has secured their freedom. Even in the Revolutionary War, there were cowards who would rather sale out their freedom for the comfort of powerless slavery.
But the nation, and the soldier warrior need not be concerned about the coward or the hypocrite, for their kind would do more harm than good if they could find momentary steel in their hollow backbone.
The greatness of the conservative warrior soldier is found in the heart of a soldier and officer like Colonel Terry Fobbs, who decided that even in the midst of national civil rights turmoil in his native Detroit and in protests in the streets over Vietnam, he saw the higher purpose. He volunteered to defend the U.S. Constitution and to protect it and the nation with honor, duty and courage, because where others sought baseless complaints to identify with, he sought solutions that would strengthen America.
That is the trademark of a true American soldier warrior. It did not matter that there were protesters cowering in groups with signs of dissent or hiding behind their marijuana cigarettes, and peace pipes, America’s true heroes who protected those rights, knew to avoid duty, honor and service is to surrender one’s values, one’s principles and eventually one’s nation.
If America is to remain free, its soldiers have to remain above those who love to stand against protecting the nation, and who would rather find a way to elect political leaders who attempt to negotiate away America’s freedoms, its borders and its sovereignty. The weakness of those who talk away the nation’s freedoms are never as strong or as enduring as the Colonel Fobbs of this nation who stand up and fight to defend and strengthen the pillars of freedom.
Veteran’s Day is fast approaching and it is important, yes even essential that each American takes the time to embrace as well as to celebrate their very own Colonel Fobbs or Sergeant Wagner or Private Garcia in their family. Take the time to understand and embrace with your heart what it means to have their honor and their courage.
Fifty years ago, on May 12th in 1962, in an address to the U.S. Military Academy, General Douglas MacArthur described the loyal patriotic devotion that military leaders like Colonel Terry Fobbs possessed. He affirmed that military leaders and soldiers must display three cherished and necessary qualities.
“Duty, Honor, Country” — those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.” General Douglas MacArthur
The nation has long admired the nobleness of soldiers who answer the clear clarion call to duty, honor and service. Soldiers like Colonel Terry Fobbs did so during the Vietnam era, the cold war era, Desert Storm and even taking leadership in police action in Kosovo and other military engagements in America’s defense.
Soldier warriors do not relish a fight for fighting sake. They relish freedom; they relish principles of courage that is both moral as well as biblical. They relish honor, which gives them the ability to possess on the battlefield the will to preserve against unimaginable odds, because their cause is noble and it is just.
General McArthur insisted that the nobility of service as a soldier and warrior for America’s freedoms was based in the true essence that only the soldier and military leader stands as the Nation’s war guardian.
Colonel Terry Fobbs did not depart the nation through his death, because warrior soldiers like Colonel Fobbs do not disappear. Their honor, their bravery, their righteous service to this nation is part of the ever evolving fabric which makes America unique. America’s safety is their creed. America celebrates the profession of the soldier warrior that Colonel Terry Fobbs devoted his life, both military and civilian career to.
“Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory, that if you lose, the Nation will be destroyed, that the very obsession of your public service must be duty, honor, and country.” General Douglas MacArthur
COL (Ret) Terry Fobbs — December 4, 1952 – October 22, 2012
Colonel Fobbs’ service never faltered, never failed. Courage, leadership and faith in a loving God to continue to inspire the nation’s noble warriors with honor, duty and service for country.
We collectively say thank you good and faithful warrior.
Old Soldiers Never Die
