Honor 'Greatest Generation,' respect rights they gave us by Vince Berna

I would like to start this year off with a bang, but I can't. It is reported that we are losing 1,000 World War II veterans per day. This recently hit a little closer to home when my Uncle John passed away. It wasn't a long illness and for that I am thankful. He went rather quick with his family at his side.

Uncle John Heraghty fought the Japanese in the South Pacific - Saipan and other islands. He was awarded two Purple Hearts and bronze and silver stars. He served in the Army from 1939 to 1946.

He was born in the Bronx, N.Y., John Francis Heraghty, an Irish Catholic American, in 1921. He was married to my dad's sister Camille for more than 55 years. He is survived by his wife, two children John Jr. and Jackie, seven grandchildren and four great-grand children.

Uncle John came from the tenements of the Bronx to Michigan following my Uncle Pat, along with my mother and father and other aunts and uncles who worked in the building trades - Iron Workers-Riggers Local 25. Uncle John also was one of the founding fathers and served as vice-president of Veteran's Haven Inc. from 1995 to 2003.

I would like to thank my friend Roger Kehrier, former State Senior Vice Commander Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Plymouth Canton VVA and members of Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter No. 41 Westland for providing the honor guard. They did a great job and I know the presentation of the flag to my aunt meant a great deal to her. Uncle John was very proud of his service to God and country.

Many kids today are not taught about the Great Depression, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam or any other war, in our schools, so I've been told. These people were America's "Greatest Generation." After the war, they helped build this country into what it is today. They have witnessed many changes and historical events. Many advances in modern medicine that have helped preserve and save their lives. After they're all gone, a chapter of the people who saved America will be closed forever.

The next generation are the Korean vets who never received the recognition they deserve. If President Truman had allowed General Douglas MacArthur to go into China after the "Big One," many problems we face today could have been avoided. There might not have been a Korean War that ended in a stalemate, dividing that country into the Communist North and Democratic South, where today we have thousands of troops stationed, another drain of American taxpayers' money.

The Communists were the boogie men of the '60s and '70s. Our government lost the war in Vietnam. It was not a stalemate as once stated by Walter Cronkite. They spent and made billions of dollars and lost more than 58,000 lives. The Berlin Wall came down under Reagan's administration and everybody started singing "Oh Happy Days."

Today we face a new threat: terrorists that hate our way of life and want to kill us and apathy in America. I hope for our sake, the people of the "Sleeping Giant" wake up and realize what's going on. Respect the right we were given by those that came before us, vote and always support our troops, because they will always be our first line of defense.

Vince Berna is the founder of Veterans Haven in Wayne which provides assistance to disabled, homeless and disadvantaged veterans.