Patriotism in the Military
by Leslie Parsons
As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s birthday, it’s a good time to stop and reflect on the idea of patriotism and its importance to the men and women who serve or have served in the United States Armed Forces.
Patriotism is defined as “devoted love, support, and defense of one’s country; national loyalty.” Throughout our nation’s history, military service has been seen as an act of patriotism, even in peacetime. During the 2008 presidential election campaign, Gallup published the results of a survey in which they asked the following question: “How much does each act indicate that a person is patriotic – a great deal, a moderate amount, not much or not at all?” The acts in question included things such as voting in elections, serving in the military, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and wearing an American flag pin. Sixty-two percent of those surveyed said that serving in the military revealed “a great deal” about a person’s patriotism. While there is no doubt that patriotism is a strong motivating factor in the lives of servicemembers and veterans, the way they define patriotism is a bit more nuanced than what can be found in the average dictionary.
For many service members, being patriotic means being a part of something greater than themselves. Last year, True North conducted a survey of veterans and active-duty military personnel in which we asked them questions regarding their motivations for joining the military, reenlistment, or discharge after initial enlistment. . We received many insightful answers, but one common theme was that people joined—and stayed— because they felt a sense of purpose around the idea of defending its country and its ideals.
“I had that feeling inside reminding me that my purpose here would never be complete unless I served,” Ted Probert said. “I had always been patriotic and felt it was an important responsibility as well as an opportunity to serve a cause greater than [myself].”
To many veterans, patriotism is also a commitment to the ideals laid out in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States—even if military and civilian leaders pursue policies that do not conform to those ideals.
Finally, a poignant perspective on patriotism is offered by a 12-year old military child whose essay was published on Military.com. The unidentified author writes “What is patriotism to me? By definition, patriotism means vigorous support for one’s country, but I do not think that is the only thing that it means. I think one of the possible definitions is sacrifice.” He goes on to detail the sacrifices servicemembers and their families make to ensure our country’s continued liberty and to uphold the values upon which the United States was built. It is a timely reminder that patriotism has a cost—one that is sometimes invisible to civilians.
The True North Foundation is proud to honor our troops— those who have left service,those who are still in uniform, and those who made the highest sacrifice. To learn more about our work with veterans, please visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter.