Will Smith wrecked the alien spacecraft in a big chase scene in the flick, ‘Independence Day’ and then he did a victory dance with a rather long list of self aggrandizing pap aimed at burnishing his legend for his adoring public. He ‘spiked the ball’ after scoring a hit on the alien invader.

I am a collector of war stories. Over the past couple of decades I have probed and prodded old veterans  till they spilled something of their experiences. It was rather difficult to get some of the old men to open up. Some had never talked about their war experiences, all had been raised not to brag.

Omaha beach, the Battle of the Bulge, Iwo jima…the list of battles waged by these old warriors  is endless, and their exploits are always rendered in quiet terms, without fanfare and bluster.

A good sport, we have been taught, dos not brag or beat his chest. I feel such  quiet heroism increases the status of the soldier. He is seen as a true man, whose word is subdued but as binding as steel. Such strong and silent men are fading from the American picture. They have been replaced by the braying jack-ass who is jumping around acting the fool and thumping his own chest.  The  real man quietly retired to his life after saving the world. The barking  man-boy  is the standard of the day.

Bless the quiet heroes. On this July fourth find an old vet and thank him. They are leaving us at about ten thousand a day and soon it will be too late to express our gratitude. Enjoy this rendering of a mornings work to  the greatest generation. Relax and watch every second of the vid. Then thank a vet this forth. And thank you for stopping by this fourth of July.