Terrorist attacks, Sullivan brothers' story evoke similar feelings of patriotism
By Franklin Fisher, Taegu
bureau chief
Freeman |
TAEGU, South Korea — National pride sparked by the Sullivan
brothers’ deaths in 1942 makes the story applicable today as America rallies
following the Sept. 11 attacks, some sailors said.
“I definitely think there are correlations there when you look
at the two events,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Dennis Young, 47, of Covington, Ind., Fleet
Activities Chinhae’s command chaplain, and regional chaplain for U.S. Naval Forces,
Korea.
“I think from Sept. 11 onward, we have heard the stories and the
testimony of the people who have been there and experienced a variety of emotions, and as
a result of telling their stories they have renewed a patriotic spirit within
America,” Young said.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Sean Freeman, 22, of Herculaneum, Mo.,
agreed.
“Even if that story was told now, it would do more to help
patriotism after the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,” said the assistant
administrator at Commander, Naval Forces Korea (CNFK).
“Their parents, they toured around to different places to spark
up more patriotism,” said Freeman. “It’s the same way as far as Sept. 11,
what happened there. That sparked a feeling. It makes everyone want to try harder.”
Petty Officer 2nd Class Rodney Harris, 31, from Little Rock, Ark.,
said September’s terror attacks are sparking the same national pride as the
Sullivans’ story.
“Now people instead of sitting around doing nothing, they want
to help,” the USS Juneau operations specialist said.
Hollis |
Lt. j.g. Eric Hollis, 37 who serves with CNFK, lost a brother in the
Vietnam War.
“My father was in the Navy in World War II, both of my brothers
went in the Navy in the Vietnam War and another was in the Army in the Vietnam War,”
said the Silsbee, Texas, native. “My brother in the Army lost his life. He was in the
101st Airborne, and he died for his country. So I’m very patriotic as far as serving
my country.”
“There has been a resurgence in patriotism,” said Hollis,
who visited his mother in Texas shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“And when I would go home and meet people, prior to that it was
just, you were in the military. But after that, they wanted to shake your hand and tell
you the country was behind you.
“I see it as part of the Sullivans’ story as well,”
said Hollis. “You’ve got brothers making the sacrifice together and then, since
then you can see everything come full circle. When I was back home I even had kids not
just wanting to come into the military, not just asking about it, but wanting to come in,
really inquiring about coming in and serving their country.”
Harris said he is glad for the renewed military support, but he
thinks it’s too soon to know if it will last.
He retains bitter memories of a day in the 1990s when he and other
sailors participated in a military appreciation day at a Chargers’ football game in
San Diego, he said.
He and other servicemembers were lined up in uniform around the field
at halftime for acknowledgment of their military service.
But in Harris’ view, there didn’t seem to be much behind
that acknowledgment.
“Like, before the game we were trying to get autographs, and
there was like, nothing, just, ‘Get away from here. Get off the grass.’ Stuff
like that. And the guards kept us away from Barry Sanders,” Harris said.
“We go out and spend our holidays in another country and go out
spending 24 hours a day when we’re out at sea. It’s a shame it had to come down
to the bombing for people to get down to realize what we’re here for and what we do.
If something happens, we have to get up and go and leave our families and
everything,” said Harris.
“That day [in San Diego] they treated us like crap, and we
couldn’t even get on the grass. So we’ll see what happens after this. It’s
nice that all these people are buying flags, but they should have had flags up a long time
ago. You’re an American. Why wait till something bad happens?”
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