Jaynes blows it on American Exceptionalism.

This is not me firing a potato gun at Greg Jayne.  With every week that goes by, he makes that little worm he replaced a more distant memory.

This is me pointing out that I believe he missed the boat entirely with his column on "American Exceptionalism."

I don't corner the market in historical perspective, but Jayne and that unfortunate sot in the White House share at least one thing in common: they never served in the military.

Although I spent a little over 6 years in Germany in the Army, I only made one trip to any of the many American Cemeteries in Europe, as a part of a 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division Honor Guard to Memorial Day Services in Epinal, France in 1973. One of the smaller of the variety, the Epinal American Cemetery and memorial contains 5,255 of our Brothers who showed their "exceptionalism" by laying down their lives in the cause of freedom.

The Cemetery in Epinal, France.

This is but a part of the wellspring of American Exceptionalism.

The then Brigade Commander, subsequently promoted to Brigadier General, was George Price, one of our first black generals.  As we were gearing up for the wreath ceremony, I, then a 17 year-old PFC, found myself standing next to him as he gazed upon the crosses... row on row.  He glanced at me, and then looked back at the crosses and said, "this gives you a real sense of history, doesn't it?"

The irony of that observation was lost on me until just now.

This Nation has shed the blood of our men in causes of Freedom around the world since our inception.

There are few countries where American blood hasn't been spilled in an effort to throw off the yoke of tyranny.

Our worst enemies today trod the ground where Americans have died for the cause of Freedom.

The cause of Freedom is always just: the method and manner of achieving it does not always work, and democracy cannot be installed at the end of an American bayonet.

No other country on earth gives more of itself in aid and charity.  No other country steps up when stepping up is needed... like this country.

The incompetent fringe-leftist nut-job in the White House would have known all this had he bothered to put on this Nation's uniform.  His lack of sacrifice to this country prior to his elevation and coronation is what has led us to his stupidity.

No other Nation can show a history of contributing rivers of blood to the cause of freedom without demanding payment in return.... for when payment in return is demanded, the cause was never freedom.

It's hard to believe that in Jayne's "internet search" (and perhaps the true shame is that he NEEDED to use the internet on this subject) the blood spilled by Americans in defense of Freedom, from our Revolutionary War, through our Civil War to all of the other wars our Nation has fought, and bled and died for, somehow didn't raise up enough to his level of consciousness that he would mention that, indeed, it's been the deaths and sacrifice of our best and brightest that is the foundation... the bedrock... from which "American Exceptionalism" flows.