Some members of our western trip of August 12 to 25, 2015, met at a restaurant last night to dine and reminisce over our most recent trip and share a documentary with photos of the trip which was handed out to each one. This last trip was my 15th journey to the west since retiring from the US Air Force in August 1971. While in Air Force service 22 years I had transfers to San Antonio, Texas; Denver, Colorado (my Rocky Mountain High three years); and Des Moines, Iowa (two years). In various leaves home or in traveling on trains to California to depart for overseas I saw much of our grand country. Over the years, traveling to visit folks in Georgia from western assignments, much of the land was covered.
My love of country began as a boy growing up on a farm in Rabun County, NE Georgia. My mother, Durell Dickerson Justus, while busy as a farmer’s wife and rearing five boys and one girl, enjoyed reading and had me doing so by the time I entered the first grade. Of course my favorite books were novels of the pioneer and western days but I also enjoyed history books and true stories of exploration and settling of America.
In addition to having compiled 15 notebooks with information from western journeys, I’ve filled 14 notebooks with information, narratives, photos and historical items called “Trails.” The first and last volumes are “Early Georgia Trails” and “Later Georgia Trails.” Others include trails of Alabama, Texas, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, California, Illinois, South Carolina, Later Western Trails, Iowa, and so on. It is obvious my life involved travel and the urge still rises now and then to go just “one more time.”
Due to my body bearing independent minded Scotts-Irish and Cherokee mixed blood, plus my passion for early American history, I feel I’m a true patriot, as were Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and George Washington. For 22 years of my life I wore the uniform of my country. In doing so I did my turn, supported loyally by wife and family, in service at home and abroad.
To me it is tragic that our parents and schools are neglecting to thoroughly teach and inspire our youth to learn, appreciate and love our American heritage based on the Constitution and rule of law. Since Ronald Reagan died we have no great national leader to inspire citizens to see the great qualities of life and opportunity that America offers if we unite in promoting and defending these great principles of freedom that made our nation a shining beacon in the world. Now a gloomy cloud hovers over us and a world without America’s steady light is become more and more unstable and unsafe.
Ronald Reagan was a latter day patriot. Today the Reagan Ranch sponsors the Young America Foundation to equip and inspire young people to follow those great principles of freedom that our founders embedded in the Constitution and laws. The following words were from Reagan to the youth of America: “Always remember that you are Americans, and it is your birthright to dream great dreams in this sweet and blessed land, truly the greatest, freest, strongest nation on earth.”
