26 October 1942 – Mitchell Paige story
“I am proud to be a citizen of a nation whose objective is peace and goodwill for all mankind. A nation which has contributed so much for the benefit of peoples all over the world. A nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all. I am proud to be an American. I can never believe it is old fashioned to love our Flag and Country nor can I ever believe it is being square to stand in readiness behind our flag to defend those ideals for which it stands against all enemies, foreign and domestic." – Colonel Mitchell Paige (Medal of Honor recipient.)
On 26 October 1942, he and other members of his platoon engaged a regiment size force of Japanese soldiers on Guadalcanal. After everyone in his platoon was either killed or wounded, he manned four machine guns and foiled the Japanese attempt to recapture the airfield. Had the airfield been recaptured, it’s possible that the outcome of World War II may have been significantly different. For his heroic actions, he received the Medal of Honor. Now for the reason I’m sharing this story with you.
Why had Paige been willing to put his life on the line for his country? He spoke of his childhood education that was so steeped in the traditions of America that he felt part of our glorious heritage: “My undying love of country, and my strong loyalty to the Marines fighting by my side, gave me no choice but to fight on unswervingly throughout my battles, utilizing my God-given ability to make use of what I had been taught and learned.”
And his mother taught him well, including in the lunch she made him for his two-hundred-mile walk to the nearest Marine Corps recruiting station. Inside she had written a note that read: “Trust in the Lord, son, and He will guide you always.”
The following statement was copied from http://www.homeofheroes.com/mitch/index.html - "Our history, with its heroes, is a truly necessary foundation for every American boy and girl," Mitch wrote for fellow MOH recipient Pete Lemon's 1997 book Beyond the Medal. "Without this knowledge, how can they understand why our nation became the great country that it is today?" (At the very end of the preceding website, one will find numerous links to Internet sites devoted to the history of this great nation.)
See for his account of this battle and how the Lord helped him when he needed it.
God bless America and may God have mercy on Mitchell Paige and other patriotic men and women who have sacrificed a great deal, so we could enjoy the blessings of living with freedoms that the rest of the world idolizes.
“My god! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy.” Thomas Jefferson in a letter to James Monroe, June 17, 1785
Please, share with your children, and if applicable, your grandchildren.
From diveusnavy@yahoo.com
