[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 92 (Thursday, June 28, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1241-E1243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        AMERICA HAS EARNED OUR RESPECT AND ALLEGIANCE EVERY DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROSCOE G. BARTLETT

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 28, 2001

  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, on July 4, our nation will 
commemorate the 225th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of 
Independence--an astounding historic achievement for liberty and 
freedom. It's sad that in 2001, political correctness has replaced 
patriotism and respect for America's achievements with cynicism and 
even disrespect.
  James Merna, Past Maryland Commandant of the Marine Corps League 
brought this example to my attention during his speech entitled, 
``Heroes and Role Models for Today and Tomorrow,'' at the Elks Club 
Flag Day Observance in Frederick, Maryland on June 10.
  In May, Mr. Fran Parry, a track coach from Gaithersburg High School 
in Maryland was suspended for 12 days. Why? He confronted and 
reprimanded a student who was disrespectful during the Pledge of 
Allegiance. The student replied that he wasn't American and didn't have 
to be respectful during the Pledge.
  It took support and pressure from other students, parents and the 
community after the incident became public before Coach Parry was 
reinstated.
  America has earned our respect and allegiance every day.
  I submit Mr. Merna's entire speech for the Record and I urge my 
colleagues and all Americans to read it.

Remarks of James E. Merna, Past Maryland State Commandant, Marine Corps 
 League, at the Elks Club Flag Day Observance, Frederick, MD, June 10, 
                                  2001


           ``HEROES AND ROLE MODELS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW''

       Thank you for inviting me. I am honored to speak to the 
     Elks, one of America's largest and most influential fraternal 
     organizations.
       At the outset, allow me to extend my congratulations to the 
     Frederick Elks Lodge on the celebration of your 100th 
     anniversary this year. This is an accomplishment of which you 
     should be justifiably proud, for a century of service in 
     brotherhood to each other, to your community, and to the 
     nation. I wish you many more years of good fellowship and 
     service.
       I have a number of ties to the Frederick community, forged 
     in years of friendship and admiration. Let me mention just 
     three:
       (1) The Shangri-La Detachment, Marine Corps League. This 
     great organization was originally formed here in Frederick, I 
     believe, in 1948. After many years of service, it became 
     somewhat inactive. A few of us came here in 1968, helped 
     reissue its charter and get it reinvigorated, and today it 
     flourishes as one of the most active detachments in the 
     entire League. I made many good friends here, among them, 
     your own Tommy Grunwell, Ken Bartgis, and the late Charlie 
     Horn.
       (2) Ben Wright, your football coach here at Governor Thomas 
     Johnson High School. Earlier in his career, before he coached 
     your Patriots, he coached three of my four sons when he was 
     the head football coach at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, in 
     Greenbelt. He's a true winner in every respect, athletically 
     and morally.
       (3) My son John Merna, Major, U.S. Marine Corps. Two 
     summers ago, John commanded a reinforced Marine rifle company 
     (Echo 2-5) on a five month cruise in the South China Sea. The 
     float was part of the Seventh Fleet whose purpose, besides 
     being a good will mission for the U.S., was to conduct 
     amphibious exercises and training with designated Asian 
     forces.
       Nonetheless, let me offer a few of my observations on the 
     current fervor, or the lack thereof, for patriotism in 
     America today, and what needs to be done, if anything, 
     particularly with regard to our youth.
       We can start by asking ourselves, who still observes Flag 
     Day today? We may see a few houses in our neighborhoods who 
     will fly their flags on their porches or in their front 
     yards. But, increasingly, we no longer feel compelled to 
     honor the flag. That kind of patriotic display is steadily 
     be'regarded as old-fitshioned or tedious. Contrast today to a 
     little more than 100 years ago when Flag Day in 1894 drew 
     some 300,000 people to city parks in Chicago alone. 
     Unfortunately, powerful forces in our society, popular 
     culture, and political circles oftentimes emphasize our 
     cultural differences, rather than our unity as Americans.
       Let me mention a recent incident that occurred only two and 
     a half weeks ago, just down the 270 Pike from here, in 
     Gaithersburg, Maryland, which should give us cause for 
     concern. Many of you may already know the story. It was in 
     the Washington Post on May 23rd. It involves a local high 
     school track coach from Gaithersburg High School who was 
     suspended for 12 days for confronting a student who was 
     disrespectful during the school's reciting of the Pledge of 
     Allegiance.
       I was incensed as soon as I heard of this incident. Here we 
     have a 27-year veteran of the Montgomery County school 
     system, a highly successful track coach who has won three 
     state and 15 regional titles, suspended from his teaching and 
     coaching jobs only because he attempted to get a student to 
     show respect while the Pledge of Allegiance was being recited 
     in the school.
       The coach's name is Fran Parry. He lives a stones throw 
     from here, in nearby Clarksburg. I called and spoke to Coach 
     Parry Tuesday, just five days ago. He told me that it was a 
     spontaneous event, that the student who is a football player 
     and who was on the track team, rushed past the coach who 
     asked him to stop while the Pledge of Allegiance was being 
     recited. The student angrily replied that he wasn't an 
     American and didn't have to. The coach told him that was a 
     bad attitude and that he had relatives who died for the very 
     freedoms that the student enjoys. The student just laughed at 
     Coach Parry and said ``So what.'' The coach told me he didn't 
     think too much of the incident until the next day when he was 
     summoned to the principal's office and told he was being 
     suspended from his duties and placed on administrative leave.
       The student is black. Coach Parry told me 80 percent of his 
     track team is African-American and they backed the coach 1000 
     percent. There was not one dissenting voice among them. The 
     coach met with the student's parents, expressed regret over 
     the incident but told them he wouldn't change his message. He 
     was then told by the Deputy Superintendent that he was on 
     leave indefinitely and that there would be an investigation 
     focusing on whether he was a racist.
       Coach Parry told me that the commimity was unbelievably 
     behind him. Families and students called. He had 29 calls one 
     night from people that he didn't even know, from all 
     cultures. Chris Core, on WMAL Radio,

[[Page E1242]]

     Washington's most popular afternoon radio talk show, had a 
     two-hour call in. Chris Core supported the coach ``110 
     percent.'' Only two callers dissented. The very next day, 
     Coach Parry told me, he was called by the principal and told 
     he was being reinstated.
       So here's a case of a student who shows blatant disrespect 
     for the symbol of our freedom and the American way of life, 
     who places the tenure and career of an outstanding and highly 
     successful coach in jeopardy, and walks away blameless. At 
     the same time, Coach Parry was told that he was ``too 
     caustic,'' was suspended from his job for 12 days, and given 
     a letter of reprimand.
       Something's wrong here. The wrong guy has been punished. 
     This is political correctness at its zaniest. Whatever 
     happened to accountability and personal responsibility for 
     one's own behavior? Instead of being portrayed as the 
     villain, Coach Parry should be hailed as a patriot. Webster's 
     dictionary defines a patriot as ``one who loves his country 
     and zealously supports its authority and interests.'' The 
     coach did what you and I would have done
       There's more to this story, as I found out in talking to 
     Coach Parry. As I said earlier, the student used to be on the 
     track team at school. He and the coach knew each other well. 
     The student sometimes ate his lunch in the coach's office, 
     used his microwave. Coach Parry even drove him home after 
     track practice at times when he needed a ride. But the 
     student had an attitude problem, and it came to the fore with 
     his disrespect for the Pledge of Allegiance.
       Where does Coach Parry derive his patriotic fervor? From 
     his dad and his uncle who fought with the Marines on Iwo 
     Jima, the bloodiest battle in World War II. His uncle was 
     with the Third Marine Division. He landed on the beach at Iwo 
     with 48 Marines in his platoon. When he left on a stretcher, 
     40 of the 48 Marines were killed. The remaining 8, including 
     himself were wounded. Coach Parry's dad was with the Fourth 
     Marine Division. After he learned that his brother was 
     wounded, he visited him later aboard a hospital ship off Iwo.
       And if that isn't proof enough of Coach Parry's patriotic 
     heritage, I learned that his great-great-great grandfather 
     served in the American Revolutionary War as a sergeant in the 
     First Maryland Regiment, and was wounded in battle in New 
     Jersey while pulling down a British flag. What a legacy. I 
     mention this family history only to put in perspective the 
     total picture. The bottom line, as Coach Parry told me, is 
     that ``people do care--I'm testimony to that.'' He told me 
     that he had just received in the mail an unsolicited musical 
     tape of patriotic songs from a group called ``Friends of 
     America'' from Fort Collins, Colorado. One of the songs was 
     ``I'm Proud to be an American.'' To that, I can only add, 
     thank God that Coach Parry is an American. He's All-American, 
     first team, in my opinion.
       From this example of Coach Parry, it proves the point that 
     coaches hold a unique place in the educational system of this 
     country. They are not only teachers of young men and women, 
     they are also their leaders. They test their spirit, and at 
     the same time force them to test themselves. Coaches do as 
     much to build the character of the future leaders of our 
     country as any other group
       Let me tell you about another great coach--one who I 
     regarded as the best coach in America--my high school coach 
     at St. Agnes Home for Boys in Sparkill, New York, one of the 
     two orphanages where I was raised.
       His name was Jim Faulk, an inspirational leader 
     unsurpassed. When he was inducted into the Rockland County 
     Sports Hall of Fame in 1978, the program citation read: ``Jim 
     Faulk not only was the coach, he was `Mr. Everything' at St. 
     Agnes. He did it all. He was the athletic director, the 
     guidance counsellor, the social worker, the disciplinarian, 
     the trainer, the varsity and J.V. coach for all the sports, 
     which included football, basketball, baseball, wrestling and 
     golf. In his spare time he also ran a full sports program for 
     the alumni. He even drove the school bus.'' In his acceptance 
     speech, he said, ``I made it only because of the gutsy kids I 
     coached at St. Agnes.'' I know he said it because I was 
     there.
       Jim Faulk came to St. Agnes in 1933, fresh out of the 
     University of Alabama. Through the years, he turned down 
     lucrative offers from Villanova and other prestigious 
     colleges to remain at a much lower salary with the orphan 
     boys and kids from broken homes. He devoted his life to St. 
     Agnes--and to the Dominican nuns there--helping needy 
     youngsters advance through life.
       He produced football teams so tough that few schools wanted 
     to play him. One of the schools that accepted the challenge 
     was St. Cecelia's High School in Englewood, New Jersey. Its 
     young coach then, just out of Fordham, later went on to fame 
     as head coach of the Green Bay Packers and the Washington 
     Redskins--Vince Lombardi.
       Coach Faulk tried to set up a game with the New York 
     Military Academy, an
       During World War II, Coach Faulk took a leave of absence 
     from St. Agnes to join the Marines. He was a Captain in 
     command of artillery units and saw extensive combat in the 
     Pacific, including action at Guadalcanal. He remained in the 
     Marine Corps Reserve in later life and retired as a full 
     colonel.
       He wrote many inspiring letters from his combat assignments 
     during the war that were reprinted in a newsletter sent out 
     by the nuns to St. Agnes men serving in the military around 
     the globe. He always addressed his letters ``To the 
     Fightingest Boys in the World.'' In one of his letters, as he 
     was aboard ship and waiting to go over the side, he wrote:
       ``There is absolutely no group of men in this wide world as 
     loyal and devoted to its alma mater and to each other as you 
     fighting boys from St. Agnes. No doubt, as you move from 
     place to place in your travels to all continents and mingle 
     with men from all states and nations, you must begin to 
     appreciate more and more that spirit of St. Agnes--the spirit 
     that is so much a part of your daily lives.
       ``No one but a St. Agnes boy could understand that deep 
     loyalty and respect you have for each other. Stick together 
     in war as you did in peace. Let the Sisters back home know 
     where you are and what you are doing. Whether a private or a 
     captain, you all speak the same language; you all have the 
     same ideals and you are all heroes in my book. The Sisters 
     feel likewise. They are bursting with pride and joy over your 
     accomplishments.''
       That's the type of man Coach Jim Faulk was--always caring, 
     inspiring, encouraging and motivating St. Agnes men to excel 
     and achieve. And many St. Agnes graduates heard his message 
     and followed in his footsteps. Let me mention some of them.
       St. Agnes had as many as 600 kids fighting in World War II. 
     Over 40 were killed, hundreds were wounded, and many were 
     decorated for bravery. Guys like: Charlie Loesch, who lost 
     his leg in the muddy mountains of sunny Italy. (His reaction: 
     ``when I get my artificial leg, everything will be just the 
     same as when I had two genuine legs''); 1st Lt. A.J. Fabrizi, 
     who completed 50 bombing missions over enemy territory with 
     the 15th Air Force in Italy; Francis Mahon, who went back to 
     Walter Reed Hospital for the third operation to save his eye; 
     the mother of Bill Callahan wrote to let us know her son was 
     a P.O.W. His address then was Stalag 17 B, Germany; Frank 
     Napoli paratrooper, won the Silver Star and the Purple Heart 
     after major landings in Sicily and Salerno, Italy; Sam 
     Torresse who Coach Faulk wrote to and said, ``I was sorry to 
     hear about your wounds . . . it will take more than a Nazi to 
     flatten you''; Jim Nestor--Coach Faulk talked to other 
     Marines who were with him when he gave his life on a ridge in 
     the Marianas ``trying to prevent a breakthrough of fanatic, 
     drunken Nips''; and Captain David Loeser, Army, killed in 
     action in Luxembourg, the first St. Agnes kid to attain the 
     rank of Captain.
       I could go on and on, but as Coach Faulk said, these were 
     gutsy kids, and true heroes they were. They were my legacy, 
     they are yours, and they are America's.
       Literally hundreds and hundreds of St. Agnes men, including 
     two brothers and myself, joined the Marine Corps, inspired by 
     the example set by Coach Faulk. I had two other brothers join 
     the Navy. Coach Faulk was, in my opinion, probably the 
     greatest unofficial recruiter the Marine Corps ever had.
       Jim and his wife Betty were never blessed with children. We 
     took care of that. Some of us named our children after him. 
     My oldest son is named James Faulk Merna. Coach Faulk was 
     very proud of his namesake and visited him with much pride 
     when he was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy. Our son 
     graduated with the Class of 1987, is married with two 
     children, and is a lawyer with the most prominent law firm in 
     Atlanta.
       Coach Faulk once told me in a letter, while I was in Korea 
     during that war, ``One character trait that I admired in all 
     of you St. Agnes men--you went out into the world with two 
     strikes on you, and never expected to be embraced, gave your 
     all for your country when it asked, and, now, most of you are 
     raising families who can truly say--my father came up the 
     hard way.''
       Now you can see why I said earlier that someone like Coach 
     Faulk was the greatest coach that I have ever known. Our 
     nation needs strong coaches like Coach Faulk, Coach Parry, 
     and Ben Wright, because they are doing as much to build the 
     character of our future leaders as any other group of men or 
     women.
       One last final thought. Our nation is in the midst of a 
     huge nostalgia fest with the Second World War. A number of 
     ``Greatest Generation'' books have been written, the best by 
     Tom Brokaw of NBC News, box-office attendance records have 
     been set for the new blockbuster movies like ``Saving Private 
     Ryan'' and now ``Pearl Harbor.'' There has also been 
     significant publicity about the World War II Memorial now 
     finally approved for the Mall in Washington, D.C.
       Let us build on this momentum. We have elections coming up 
     next year, and another Presidential election in 2004. As 
     George Will pointed out recently, during the last 
     administration, at times, we had a president, a CIA director, 
     a Secretary of Defense, a Secretary of State, and a National 
     Security Advisor, none of whom had any military experience. 
     It's almost as appalling in the Congress. According to the 
     National Association for Uniformed Services, in 1965, 82% of 
     the members

[[Page E1243]]

     of Congress and 80% of the staffers had military experience. 
     Now less than \1/3\ of Congress and 5% of their staff have 
     had any military experience. And on the civilian side, only 
     6% today of Americans younger than 65 have ever served in 
     uniform.
       Those numbers by themselves are not alarming because it's 
     recognized that we are not at war and we have at present an 
     all-volunteer military. We just need to be sure that we elect 
     public officials who have a greater understanding and a 
     strong commitment to support our national security and 
     defense by deeds, not mere words. We need their solid 
     support, as well as from local school board officials, for 
     military recruiters who were denied access to high school 
     campuses 19,228 times in 1999.
       Thank you for inviting me to participate in your Flag Day 
     celebration today. As members of the Benevolent and 
     Protective Order of Elks, you have long set an example the 
     rest of us must try to follow if we are going to preserve for 
     our future generations the same priceless treasures of 
     liberty and freedom which our forebears passed on to us.