“Si vis pacem, para bellum.” In 1790, President George Washington declared, “To be prepared for war, is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.”
“When we assumed the Soldier, we did not lay aside the Citizen; and we shall most sincerely rejoice with you in the happy hour when the establishment of American Liberty, upon the most firm and solid foundations shall enable us to return to our Private Stations in the bosom of a free, peacefully and happy Country.”
George Washington (1775)
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the 1775 founding of the U.S. Army (14 June), the U.S. Navy (13 October), and the U.S. Marine Corps (10 November). All were established by the Continental Congress during the Revolution for American Liberty.
General George Washington was appointed as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Commodore Esek Hopkins was the first commander-in-chief of the U.S. Navy. And Major Samuel Nicholas was the first Commandant of the Marine Corps.
Those forces, combined with the providence of our Creator, defeated the British, who possessed the most powerful army and navy on the planet.
In his first annual message in January of 1790, then-President George Washington declared, “To be prepared for war, is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” In his 1793 annual message, Washington said likewise, “If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known that we are at all times ready for war.”
That is a timeless truth attributed to Roman author Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus’s tract, “Concerning Military Matters” (c400 AD), in which he wrote what is now paraphrased in Latin, “Si vis pacem, para bellum” — “If you want peace, prepare for war.”
Our Founders understood the merits of a strong defense, as all learned men throughout history have understood, but presidents who have neglected to heed the wisdom of that maxim are responsible for the loss of thousands of American military lives when unprepared for war, as was the case with Franklin Roosevelt before World War II.
Clearly, Donald Trump is the strongest advocate of “Si vis pacem, para bellum” since President Ronald Reagan, and our Armed Forces know they have a commander-in-chief they can both respect and trust.
The burden of preserving Liberty and Freedom has always fallen on the shoulders of America’s uniformed Patriots. Accordingly, on the third Saturday in May, we observe and celebrate Armed Forces Day — grateful for the service and sacrifice of all who are serving today. That gratitude is the inspiration for our weekly Patriot Post Profiles of Valor, detailed accounts of truly remarkable warriors — those who have earned recognition as genuine heroes.
Armed Forces Day was proposed by the Secretary of Defense and codified in 1949 to celebrate the unification of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force under the unified command of the Department of Defense. As our Leatherneck readers know, the Marine Corps declined to discontinue observing the Marine Corps Birthday, but the Marines fully support our national AFD. (For the record, The Patriot Post observes the anniversary of the formation of all our military service branches.)
Our hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is the birthplace of the Medal of Honor and home of the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center. But it also hosts the longest-running Armed Forces Day parade and related events in the nation.
Recently, my friend General B.B. Bell (USA, Ret.), whose name you might recognize as he provides occasional analysis for The Patriot Post, spoke about the first Armed Forces Day parade in our city. He noted that the Grand Marshals were regional WWI and WWII Medal of Honor recipients, including, most famously, Sergeant Alvin C. York, whose life story was immortalized in the film “Sergeant York.” In a vintage Jeep with Sgt York driving was one of our family relatives, Sergeant Major Paul B. Huff, with Sergeant Charles H. Coolidge and Sergeant Raymond H. Cooley.
Over the previous four years, our military service personnel have suffered a debilitating deficit of morale.
Unfortunately, it is cyclical, because American voters — the vast majority of whom have never served our nation in any capacity — have quadrennially elected leaders who were wholly incompetent. Fortunately, they wake up and elect genuine leaders whose tenure as commander-in-chief restores both military morale and readiness.
I have witnessed this cycle FOUR times since I was old enough to vote. First was the degradation under Jimmy Carter followed by restoration under President Ronald Reagan and his “peace through strength” doctrine, which ultimately led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Then the degradation under Bill Clinton followed by restoration under President George W. Bush. Then the degradation under Barack Obama followed by restoration under President Donald Trump followed by the disastrous leadership of the Biden/Harris regime followed again by restoration under President Trump.
Last week, Trump’s SecDef Pete Hegseth delivered a keynote address for a Special Operations Forces event, and one line summed up the restoration of DoD under Trump: “Everything starts and ends with warriors, from training to the battlefield. We are leaving wokeness and weakness behind. No more pronouns. No more climate change obsession. No more emergency vaccine mandates. No more dudes in dresses, we’re done with that shit.”
As I noted in my 250th Patriots’ Day column, thank God that this 250th year of the founding of our Armed Forces, and next year’s sestercentennial celebration of American Independence, did not fall under the ludicrous administration of the Harris/Walz duo.
Let me add that no celebration of Armed Forces Day should pass without the full acknowledgment of the sacrifices made by spouses and family members of those serving. B.B. Bell told me recently that his wife and family moved 33 times over the course of his career. Years ago, I made it a personal goal to ensure that spouses and families are recognized at ALL military events. They have their lives upended for countless duty station moves, and they endure long absences through deployments.
This Armed Forces Day, be sure to say “thank you” to those serving and their spouses and family members.
Finally, two enduring historical observations to close…
First would be these words from Alexander Hamilton in 1775: “There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.”
Indeed.
Second would be this observation from John Adams in 1776, words that ring true today: “I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the gloom I can see the rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the end is more than worth all the means.”
We should all “see that the end is more than worth all the means.”
“Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776
