While rooting thru some more files I came across this article written by my beloved wife! I thought it was great and decided to share it here on the Dark Matters Radio forum.
Decker
by Vicki Ecker
It’s been many years since Don and I have attended a UFO conference, or any other type conference, for that matter. But our chosen retreat changed in August when we spent time in downtown Los Angeles at this year’s national convention of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), of which Don is a member. The Congressionally mandated organization, founded in 1782 by none other than George Washington, honors combat-wounded veterans from all the wars America has fought. For those still living, the distinction seems to appeal more to older veterans, so most MOPH patriots seen at these confabs sport gray hair and a slowing gait; some are in wheelchairs or are otherwise infirm. These are noble veterans, deep pride in their service showing on well-worn faces, harboring impressive memories etched from wars in Korea and Vietnam, though a good number of remaining World War II vets also claim membership in MOPH.
When I first walked into the event, making a comparison was inevitable: Like those first days of our UFO conferences of yore, here and there tight groups of friends and acquaintances were excitedly catching up, while exhibitors’ tables were being neatly arranged with Purple Heart memorabilia to be sold by vets and others needing to make a little money from this special interest event. All organizations feed the beast, however. Some in-group gossiping occurred; complaints and frustrations were aired now and again and the usual political conflicts and one-upmanship made for some tense moments, but for the most part the MOPH brotherhood stood strong and unified in the recognition of their own heritage of sacrifice in the name of American freedoms.
That’s where the contrast between UFO conferences and this one strikingly hit home. Unlike the UFO community’s periodic gatherings of men and women trying to find some unity within their ephemeral and misunderstood “special interest,” veterans are automatically linked on a deep level by having tasted first-hand the bitterest costs of freedom. They’ve witnessed violent, often pointless deaths and many still suffer lingering illnesses and trauma borne of taking on America’s enemies. They have lived to tell about it as best they can, hoping to emphasize the profound importance of what soldiers do on behalf of the U.S. Most vets take this as a near-sacred responsibility. What soldiers, living and dead,*are—their character and commitment—means even more, but the far too many “politically correct” Americans they often observe failing to fully acknowledge these heroes, or even thwarting their mission, lends a sad undercurrent to their great cause.
California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made an appearance to present awards to National Guard veterans from the war in Iraq. The “Governator” expressed his admiration and respect for the veterans and once again reminded his audience of the unmatched opportunities he found in this country and what they mean to him. While some see this as just another “photo op” for an elected official, the vets appreciated the governor’s words, laudatory feedback not that forthcoming in their daily lives. This is particularly true of Vietnam veterans, whose sacrifices have largely been written off as a tragic result of a futile war ending in defeat due to the repeated bungles made by incompetent and misguided officialdom trying to outfox a stubborn enemy and prop up a discouraged nation. Once again I will say: The veterans of that war are still owed a huge reconciliation by the country they served. The Wall is just one beginning.
Vicariously sensing the impact of these men’s lives over the course of a few days made my and others’ UFO activities look like so many puerile follies. Yet I had to reflect on my own sacrifices made during my long tenure in this UFO field, and though what I’ve gone through hardly matches that of a combat veteran, there are things I’ve missed as a civilian woman and journalist due to my focus on this belittled subject.
At the heart of it, though, I cannot deny that for all my long education about UFO matters, I haven’t the slightest solid notion as to the real reason America has kept UFO facts tightly under wraps or marginalized with ridicule and ignorance. I could – and have – speculate to the point of resenting and berating my country’s leaders and militarists, and find excuses for that in my suspicions about their possible Constitutional infractions. But after the MOPH gathering, I’m more than ever convinced that my commitment to America as it faces down another, even tougher enemy far exceeds my periodic impulse to lash out against secrecy and deception. Both are a part of war, and like it or not, we’re in a war.
I don’t remember anyone talking about the current war on terror during the conference. No one I was around said a word about Hezbollah in Lebanon, the NSA wiretaps, the apparent reinvigoration of the Taliban in Afghanistan or the hunt for Bin Laden. The question of whether the war in Iraq is justified just never arose. These issues were beside the point – the point being that some valuable and honorable Americans have taken bullets and worse for the implicit ideal that makes America stand out among Earth’s nations, regardless of public opinion on the war in question. That they share a bond and brotherhood beyond the simple distinction of being Americans. They’re Americans willing to die for freedom. There’s a beauty and selflessness in that which outshines the common man, or woman. I can only acknowledge being a tiny part of it by association.
Somewhere in the depths of unknown places in our world, there may be those who’ve sacrificed on behalf of some central UFO secret. Perhaps they are owed something, perhaps not. I can only speculate. But America’s war veterans and the wars they’ve fought inarguably stand for the very rights that allow this magazine and others to exist. So to any vets who may read this: Thank you for your service. What you mean to all of us is, like freedom, immortal.
Decker
by Vicki Ecker
It’s been many years since Don and I have attended a UFO conference, or any other type conference, for that matter. But our chosen retreat changed in August when we spent time in downtown Los Angeles at this year’s national convention of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), of which Don is a member. The Congressionally mandated organization, founded in 1782 by none other than George Washington, honors combat-wounded veterans from all the wars America has fought. For those still living, the distinction seems to appeal more to older veterans, so most MOPH patriots seen at these confabs sport gray hair and a slowing gait; some are in wheelchairs or are otherwise infirm. These are noble veterans, deep pride in their service showing on well-worn faces, harboring impressive memories etched from wars in Korea and Vietnam, though a good number of remaining World War II vets also claim membership in MOPH.
When I first walked into the event, making a comparison was inevitable: Like those first days of our UFO conferences of yore, here and there tight groups of friends and acquaintances were excitedly catching up, while exhibitors’ tables were being neatly arranged with Purple Heart memorabilia to be sold by vets and others needing to make a little money from this special interest event. All organizations feed the beast, however. Some in-group gossiping occurred; complaints and frustrations were aired now and again and the usual political conflicts and one-upmanship made for some tense moments, but for the most part the MOPH brotherhood stood strong and unified in the recognition of their own heritage of sacrifice in the name of American freedoms.
That’s where the contrast between UFO conferences and this one strikingly hit home. Unlike the UFO community’s periodic gatherings of men and women trying to find some unity within their ephemeral and misunderstood “special interest,” veterans are automatically linked on a deep level by having tasted first-hand the bitterest costs of freedom. They’ve witnessed violent, often pointless deaths and many still suffer lingering illnesses and trauma borne of taking on America’s enemies. They have lived to tell about it as best they can, hoping to emphasize the profound importance of what soldiers do on behalf of the U.S. Most vets take this as a near-sacred responsibility. What soldiers, living and dead,*are—their character and commitment—means even more, but the far too many “politically correct” Americans they often observe failing to fully acknowledge these heroes, or even thwarting their mission, lends a sad undercurrent to their great cause.
California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made an appearance to present awards to National Guard veterans from the war in Iraq. The “Governator” expressed his admiration and respect for the veterans and once again reminded his audience of the unmatched opportunities he found in this country and what they mean to him. While some see this as just another “photo op” for an elected official, the vets appreciated the governor’s words, laudatory feedback not that forthcoming in their daily lives. This is particularly true of Vietnam veterans, whose sacrifices have largely been written off as a tragic result of a futile war ending in defeat due to the repeated bungles made by incompetent and misguided officialdom trying to outfox a stubborn enemy and prop up a discouraged nation. Once again I will say: The veterans of that war are still owed a huge reconciliation by the country they served. The Wall is just one beginning.
Vicariously sensing the impact of these men’s lives over the course of a few days made my and others’ UFO activities look like so many puerile follies. Yet I had to reflect on my own sacrifices made during my long tenure in this UFO field, and though what I’ve gone through hardly matches that of a combat veteran, there are things I’ve missed as a civilian woman and journalist due to my focus on this belittled subject.
At the heart of it, though, I cannot deny that for all my long education about UFO matters, I haven’t the slightest solid notion as to the real reason America has kept UFO facts tightly under wraps or marginalized with ridicule and ignorance. I could – and have – speculate to the point of resenting and berating my country’s leaders and militarists, and find excuses for that in my suspicions about their possible Constitutional infractions. But after the MOPH gathering, I’m more than ever convinced that my commitment to America as it faces down another, even tougher enemy far exceeds my periodic impulse to lash out against secrecy and deception. Both are a part of war, and like it or not, we’re in a war.
I don’t remember anyone talking about the current war on terror during the conference. No one I was around said a word about Hezbollah in Lebanon, the NSA wiretaps, the apparent reinvigoration of the Taliban in Afghanistan or the hunt for Bin Laden. The question of whether the war in Iraq is justified just never arose. These issues were beside the point – the point being that some valuable and honorable Americans have taken bullets and worse for the implicit ideal that makes America stand out among Earth’s nations, regardless of public opinion on the war in question. That they share a bond and brotherhood beyond the simple distinction of being Americans. They’re Americans willing to die for freedom. There’s a beauty and selflessness in that which outshines the common man, or woman. I can only acknowledge being a tiny part of it by association.
Somewhere in the depths of unknown places in our world, there may be those who’ve sacrificed on behalf of some central UFO secret. Perhaps they are owed something, perhaps not. I can only speculate. But America’s war veterans and the wars they’ve fought inarguably stand for the very rights that allow this magazine and others to exist. So to any vets who may read this: Thank you for your service. What you mean to all of us is, like freedom, immortal.