Patriotism in the Heartland | Logansport, IN Honors Marine Cpl. Humberto Sanchez

 

I did not plan to spend an hour watching WRTV stream on my IPAD this afternoon. The last four weeks at work had been stressful. And, the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 caused me to reflect on the state of the world.  So, I planned to leisurely read the New York Times while enjoying the relaxing sounds of our outdoor fountain, assemble a charcuterie tray for a mid-afternoon snack, and then turn to my latest thriller from Book of the Month Club. 

As I was trolling through Facebook I noticed a link to the live stream of the procession of Corporal Humberto Sanchez, one of the 13 members of our military killed by a terrorist bomb at Kabul Airport during the criminally negligent withdrawal from Afghanistan orchestrated by Biden and his sycophants. I’d read that Marine Corporal Sanchez had been born and raised in Logansport, Indiana- the town in north central Indiana where I’d grown up- a place surrounded by farmland in the heart of what certain coastal elites refers to a ‘fly-over’ country. Although I haven’t lived there in more than 40 years, my dad still lives in the house where I grew up. Whenever I visit, I feel grounded and reminded of the people, land, and atmosphere who helped cultivate the person I am today. 

It brought tears to my eyes watching the people of Logansport stand along the 20 mile route from Grissom Air Force Base to Gundrum Funeral Home in downtown Logansport to honor a young man who joined the Marines out of high school, served as a embassy guard in Jordon, and was then deployed to Afghanistan. The people along the procession route waved American flags. Some held their hands over their hearts. An estimated 8000 motorcycles rode in the procession to honor this fallen soldier. 

There are politicians, members of the media, ivory tower academics, and ‘woke’ activists that spout derisive rhetoric about the people of America’s heartland. It is my guess that many of those individuals have spent no time in flyover country nor do they actually know anyone who has actually lived in the center part of the country.

Most of the  people who gathered along the route likely had never met Corporal Sanchez. Neither did the thousands of motorcyclists  that acted as honor guard. They came out and stood or road for hours to honor a fallen son of America. I don’t know about you, but I would rather spend time with the folks that believe in the American 🇺🇸 way of life, who honor the fallen, who believe in opportunity afforded to all, who still hold the American spirit in their hearts, who don’t judge others based upon political ideology, who still feel pride when hearing our national anthem and seeing the Stars & Stripes wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I am proud of the welcome home that Logansport, Indiana extended to one of its own. 

Rest In Peace Corporal Humberto Sanchez. The few. The Proud. An American Marine.