Published: October 21, 2009 08:00 pm      

MARK MAYNARD: Veteran teaching patriotism 10/21/09

Dr. Glennard French of Russell is an Army veteran who served in Korea in 1951 and ’52. He was awarded a Purple Heart after “getting in front of a machine gun.”

French has always been patriotic and remains so to this day. Nothing is going to change that.

And nothing burns him up more than the lack of respect shown when he’s at a ball game or other event when the National Anthem is being played and the colors are being presented.

“To watch grown men at ball games stand up and keep talking while the national anthem is being played, or they won’t even take their hats off ... I’ll tell you, it really gets under my skin.”

French considers it a time of reverence. He knows well the price of freedom.

“I remember the first time I saluted a flag in uniform,” he said. “It gives you a good feeling.”

French, who lives in Russell, stays active in the affairs of veterans. As a Purple Heart recipient, he’s also active in talking about that award to civic groups or school classes. He’ll be speaking to one at Russell on Nov. 10, which is the day before Veterans Day.

It is French’s theory that patriotism isn’t being taught to young people like it should be.

“They don’t know what that means,” he said. “They need to be taught.”

French doesn’t mind spreading the word any way he can.

He said about five years ago in was browsing around a flea market in Florida when he saw a bucket full of Purple Hearts.

“He had nine Purple Hearts,” French said. “He said ‘I’ll sell you one of them or all of them for $15 apiece.’ I looked at them and none of them had an inscription on the back, which means the person didn’t die of their injuries.”

There was also no way of knowing who the Purple Hearts belonged to or what the soldier had to go through to earn the honor — or the desperation that led to the flea market bidder now owning the medal.

“It’s sad that a GI would get in that bad a shape where he’d have to sell his Purple Heart,” French said, shaking his head. “I can’t imagine how that must have felt.”

French wants to remind veterans that it is their right to salute the U.S. flag during the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem, instead of just placing their hand over their heart, even if they’re not wearing a uniform.

A congressional amendment sponsored by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 specifically states that “members of the armed forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute.”

Veterans and service members represent the military services even when not in uniform, Inhofe reasoned.

“I want to encourage veterans to not be shy about saluting,” French said. “Although I don’t know why they had to pass a law to get a man to salute the flag.”

Nobody ever had to tell Glennard French to salute the flag. His patriotism wouldn’t allow him not to salute, in uniform or not.

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.