By Roopa Raman
Daily Bruin Contributor
Stephen Rosmarin remembers the tunes of Frank Sinatra and the
Andrew Sisters, entertainers who would visit troops posted around
the world.
Odas Flake considers the intense operations that he fought in
Vietnam and Cuba, during which he lost many of his combat
partners.
Veterans like Rosmarin and Flake have sacrificed their lives for
the country, both during times of war and periods of peace.
And this year, Veteran’s Day will be observed as more of a
memorial day than a holiday, said Joel Aberbach, a political
science professor and director of the Center for Politics and
Public Policy. More manifestations of patriotism have been apparent
in the United States since the Sept. 11 attacks, he said.
“Everyone has been clearly affected,” Aberbach said.
“This kind of holiday has more resonance for people now
rather than under normal circumstances.”
Rosmarin, who served in the army in Korea under the 7th Infantry
Division during the period between the Korean War and World War II,
from 1945-48, said he felt it his patriotic duty to enlist in the
armed forces when he was 18.
“I look back and (realize) it was a growing
process,” he said. “For some people, it was their only
opportunity to go to another part of the world.”
Rosmarin started training at a camp in Virginia. About three
months later, he transferred to Korea to help rehabilitate South
Koreans after their clash with their northern counterparts in the
U.S. effort to instill democracy in South Korea.
The Russians, allied with North Koreans, shut down electricity
and power in South Korea, Rosmarin said. Also, attacks were
heightened by South Korea’s first round of elections. As a
result, the infantry often had to guard the region and capture
Russian infiltrators.
His memories of battle are paired with memories of sharing
Western culture with Koreans ““ American cigarettes, candy,
movies and clothing.
Since leaving the army, Rosmarin has volunteered his service to
veterans in hospitals. He said he acknowledges their strength in
returning home from war and integrating themselves back into
civilian life.
Meanwhile, Flake, a Purple Heart recipient who dedicated 10
years of his life to the Marines and Army, is the department
adjutant of the Jewish War Veteran’s of California. He is
also a former department commander of the Military Order of the
Purple Heart in California.
While in the Marines, he served under a unit posted in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Flake
remembers the tension during the 30-day boat ride to Cuba.
“We were fighting against a missile, not a man,” he
said.
After joining the Army, Flake joined the Big Red One, the first
infantry division in the Vietnam War, and served as a
counter-intelligence officer.
During Operation Avalene ““ a 48-hour combat against the
National Vietnamese Army D800 ““ Flake said only 32 out of 118
men survived.
“They are the hard core of the hard core of
Vietnam,” he said.
Wounded in an open field in Vietnam during an airstrike, Flake
received injuries to his back, arm, ribs and head. He said he
continues to suffer from health problems such as post-traumatic
stress, high blood pressure and headaches.
Flake said Veteran’s Day should focus more on paying
tribute to veterans for the sacrifice they made in defending their
country, rather than serve as only a holiday from work and
school.
Civilians need to respect veterans for the vows they made to
their country, especially with the war in Afghanistan, he said.
“When (military representatives) raise their right hand to
say “˜I will protect this country,’ they have to protect
this country,” he said. “The soldier doesn’t have
the right to protest.”