PATRIOT DAY

Well today, 9/11 is now called PATRIOT DAY. In the United States, Patriot Day occurs on September 11 of each year, designated in memory of the nearly 3000 who died in the 2001 attacks. However, most Americans refer to the day as "Nine-Eleven (9/11)", "September 11th", or some variation thereof. The U.S. House Joint Resolution 71 was approved by a vote of 407-0 on October 25, 2001. It requested that the President designate September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day." President George Bush signed the resolution into law on December 18, 2001. It is a discretionary day of remembrance, though not a national holiday.

Some greeting card companies have released Patriot Day cards, causing controversy.
Despite the law's passage and President Bush's proclamation, the effort to make September 11 a national holiday has been rejected by a few. Specifically, some object to the naming of the day as 'Patriot Day,' as the day is intended as a memorial to the victims of a terrorist attack and arguably has nothing to do with patriotism or patriots. Others note that September 11th quickly became a touchstone of patriotism for a nation that pulled together due to the attack, and the show of patriotism was part of what memorialized the victims.

(This day of observance should not be (but often is) confused with Patriots' Day, a holiday celebrated primarily in northern New England, Massachusetts, and the Adirondack region of New York in April. It commemorates the Battle of Lexington and Concord during the American Revolutionary War.)

Well, I believe if today is called Patriot Day, I can stake some proud claim to the fact that my family deserves to be remembered as Patriots starting with my father who died at the age of 33 from wounds suffered in WWI. I served for three years in WWII flying 60 combat missions and have been awarded two DFCs and eleven AIR MEDALS. My daughter, Robin Higgins, retired from the USMC as a Lt. Colonel after serving 20 years. Robin's husband, Marine Col. William "Rich" Higgins was a terrorist victim in Lebanon and because of his heroism has the USS HIGGINS, a guided missile destroyer named to honor him. My stepson, Jon Tessler, served for 10 years in the US Navy, many of those years, aboard the USS GUADALCANAL. And my son, Joel, though not a military man, is nevertheless a patriot for serving his country for 20 years as a "secret" CIA agent.

I had no problem with any of the "patriots" in my family except for Joel. Because of his status in the "Agency", I could never believe anything my own son had to say. Since he was a "secret agent", every time I questionned him about something, he would retort, "I can't tell you. It's a secret". One time I asked him what flavor of ice cream he liked, and he said it was a secret. Why? Because if a counter spy saw him eating that flavor, it would confirm his identity! Pshaw! Another time, he flew down here from Virginia on his way to someplace which he claimed was secret. I drove him to a private airport near Miami and saw him off to the secret destination. He did leave a telephone number with us, however, in the event of an emergency. So, we checked with Google as to where the area code was, and learned it was in Cuba! So much for secrecy.

Since Patriot Day is a day of remembrance, I cannot wish anyone a "Happy" day...same as Memorial Day. However since this week is Rosh Hashanah I do wish everyone of my tribe and all my friends and neighbors a very Happy and Healthy New Year.