Farewell to an American Hero—“The Sunday Political Brunch”—July 17, 2022

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Mark Curtis, MINDSETTER™

The “Brunch” was on the road this week in the nation’s capital, as the last World War II Medal of Honor recipient was laid to rest. Cpl. Hershel “Woody Williams was a genuine American hero, patriot, and a native West Virginian. It was a high honor for me to attend. Let’s “Brunch” on that this week.

 

“Uncommon Valor” – As part of our coverage, we broadcast from the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. It is a tribute and monument to the Battle of Iwo Jima, which the U.S. won a turning-point toward victory against Japan in 1945. Woody ran with a flame thrower, torching seven pillboxes and killing dozens of enemy troops who were hammering American troops with heavy machine-gun fire. For his heroism, Woody was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on October 5, 1945. Woody was in a group of fourteen who were awarded the medal that day, and he was the last one to die. The inscription on the Iwo Jima Memorial reads, “Uncommon Valor Was a Common Virtue.” That was World War II, the Greatest Generation.

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“It’s Nice to See Bipartisan Unity for a Change!” – Instead of the screeching, combative politics as usual in Washington, DC, this was a nice American moment. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) California, and Senator Mitch McConnell (R) Kentucky – Minority Leader, came together, for once, to honor an authentic hero. “He was never the tallest, and at 145 pounds he was never the biggest, yet he was a force of nature on the battlefield,” Pelosi said. “When awarding Woody the Medal of Honor, President Harry Truman called his unyielding determination true heroism.’” Knowing that Woody devoted his later life to Gold Star Families (those who’ve lost a relative defending the country), Sen. McConnell said, “Our nation was richly blessed by the life of Woody Williams.”

 

“Gold Star Families” - The name “Gold Star Family” dates back to World War I as a support effort for those who lost a loved one in battle. It grew incrementally over the years, through different wars and conflicts. Woody would always say, “I’m not the hero. The heroes are those who did not get to come home.” Williams’s humility legendary. The latest incarnation of the Gold Star Family efforts can be found at www.WoodyWilliams.org and you can donate there as well to build more Gold Star Family monuments across this nation.

 

“Sen. Jack Reed Weighs In” – It was nice to see my old friend U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D) Rhode Island at Thursday’s service. (I know Senator Reed from my years covering New England politics. Reed was a West Point graduate with 20 years in the military. He knows well the bravery and heroism of Woody Williams, tweeting: “Today in the U.S. Capitol, we paid tribute to the legacy of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams, who was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from WWII & exemplified the warfighting spirit. Rest in peace, Woody.”

 

“In Other News” – As we paid our respects and said our final goodbyes to Cpl. Woody Williams, there was other important news to report this week. Inflation rose again to an annualized rate of 9.1 percent, reaching to its highest mark in four decades. This continues to be bad news for the party in power, which usually gets the blame. There will only be three more monthly inflation reports issued before the November election. I now predict that if the inflation rate hits 10 percent or higher, that Democrats will lose control of both the House and the Senate when voters go to the polls.

 

“Primary Colors” – After a two-week hiatus, the 2022 campaign season resumes this Tuesday, July 19, with the Maryland primary. During my three-day visit to Washington, DC the airwaves were bombarded with campaign ads for several big races. Current Gov. Larry Hogan (R) Maryland is probably the most notable GOP critic of former President Donald Trump in the nation. Since Hogan is term-limited, he is backing Kelly Schulz who served in his cabinet. Trump is backing Delegate Dan Cox (R) Maryland. Cox, a 2020 election denier, who once called former VP Mike Pence a “traitor.” Cox also tried to impeach Hogan over the state’s pandemic response. This is ugly, and another big test of the Trump factor. Hogan and Trump may face off for the presidential nomination in 2024.

 

“Every Vote Counts” – The final results in Maryland may not be known for days, if not weeks. Maryland is the only state that does not allow mail-in ballots to be tabulated or published before election day. Turnout for early in-person voting set records in Mayland, and requests for mail-in ballots, were also in the tens of thousands. Since they can’t be counted as they are received, it’s going to be a painstakingly tedious and time-consuming process. Some of these races, including the GOP primary for governor could be extremely close, so the outcome will likely be delayed.

 

“Taking Manchin’s Temperature” – Sen. Joe Manchin (D) West Virginia has once again torpedoed a major legislative initiative from President Joe Biden. As a senator from a major coal-producing state, Manchin could not support limitations on the fossil fuel industry and higher taxes during inflationary times. Manchin spokesperson Sam Runyan told the New York Times, “Political headlines are of no value to the millions of Americans struggling to afford groceries and gas as inflation soars to 9.1 percent.”  Biden responded, "Action on climate change and clean energy remains more urgent than ever." He added, "So let me be clear: if the Senate will not move to tackle the climate crisis and strengthen our domestic clean energy industry, I will take strong executive action to meet this moment." What that action might remain unclear.

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