School Bullying: A Matter of Life and Death

As the 2016-2017 school year begins, I am reminded of many tragic suicides of students, including 15-year-old Phoebe Prince from South Hadley High School in Massachusetts.

Phoebe was mercilessly bullied for months before taking her own life, a reminder to all, that bullying can have deadly consequences.

Bullying is cruel, destructive, and as tragically realized with Phoebe Prince, it can be lethal.

The tragedy of Phoebe must not be in vain, but serve as a clarion call to educators, parents, students, and law enforcement to intensify bullying awareness and prevention.

Aside from Phoebe, other youngsters have committed suicide as a result of the torment caused by bullying, including the following:

Jessica Logan - 18-year-old Sycamore High School senior who sent nude photo of herself to her boyfriend. According to a published report, the photo was sent to hundreds of teenagers in at least seven Cincinnati-area high schools after the couple broke up. Jessica hanged herself after attending the funeral of another boy who had committed suicide.

Jon Carmichael Loflin – 13-year-old from Loflin Middle School in Joshua, Texas. As an eighth grader, Jon deserved to be excited about his upcoming high school days. Instead, acts of bullying by students who tormented him for being short led to his suicide.

Eric Mohat – 17-years-old from Mentor High School in Mentor, Ohio. The excruciating bullying was so explicit that a bully in class dared him, "Why don't you go home and shoot yourself, no one will ever miss you." Tragically, Eric did just that.

Megan Meir - 13-year-old from Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Dardienne Prairie, Missouri.
Megan committed suicide by hanging herself, three weeks before her 14th birthday. The suicide was attributed to a cyber-bullying hoax.

Bullying: A Communal Failure

The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center estimates that nearly 30 percent of American youth are either a bully or a target of bullying.

Bullying takes place not only in face-to-face encounters, but through cell phones, social media websites, and other online methods that are contributing to an alarming number of cyberbullying cases leading to suicide.

All elements of the community; including educators, counselors, parents, students, law enforcement, and community leaders, must rise to the occasion and dedicate themselves to full force to bullying awareness and prevention initiatives.

For educators and counselors, who have a uniquely critical role with bullying awareness and prevention. I would encourage their enhanced understanding and implementing of bullying awareness and prevention initiatives.

This enhanced understanding is also critical for educational leadership, in order to be better able to cultivate a bullying prevention culture in classrooms, schools, and districts.

One excellent source to begin with is the stopbullying.gov website, which includes the following tips for educators:

• Learn what bullying is and what it is not. Many behaviors that look like bullying may be just as serious, but may require different response strategies. You can also learn about what to look for as warning signs that some of your students might be involved in bullying and who might be at more risk for being involved. Know about special considerations for specific groups.
• Establish a safe school climate. Often the first step to preventing bullying is making sure the students, teachers, and administrators alike are educated about bullying. Tools like the School Bus Drivers Training and Classroom Teacher Training can help. For kids, tools like these webisodes can help them learn about bullying.
• Learn how to engage parents and youth in the building a positive school climate. Learning how to talk about bullying with youth is a critical step.
• Know about your obligations under your state’s anti-bullying law. Learn also about federal laws that require schools to address harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, and disabilities. Work to establish rules and policies to help let the entire school community know the expectations around bullying and procedures to report and investigate when something happens.
• Assess bullying in your school and understand how your school compares to national rates of bullying.
• Respond when bullying happens. Learn how to stop it on the spot, find out what happened, and support all students involved.
• Avoid misdirections in bullying prevention and response strategies.
• Utilize free Federal and Non-Federal Resources on bullying.

The Preventive System of Education

Finally, educators must familiarize themselves with the preventive system of education.

In my presentation school violence preventions throughout the nation, as well as in numerous published works, I emphasize the importance of implementing this pedagogical system which includes the following:

• Educators are admired in their dedication to the youth entrusted to their care
• Educators are respected as individuals with character
• Character is the edifice of the preventive system
• Vigilance is exercised to prevent inappropriate behavior
• Improvements with behavior are motivated
• Speedy measured intervention to warning signs take place due to vigilance and awareness
• Educators earn the admiration of youth
• Discipline can be as effective as an expression of disappointment or a reproachful look because there is loyalty from the young people for the educator who cares for them

Final Reflections

In essence, the preventive system of education is a natural complement to character education which is a matter of the heart from an educator who truly cares.

Character education and bulling prevention are inseparable and must be inspired by America’s educators.

This culture in American schools will only be authentic and bring results if the students know that educators are sincerely concerned for them.

America’s youth must experience this genuine care, concern, and compassion from their teachers.

If the students experience a caring community, they will be inspired to attain great heights of character, and deficiencies of character, including bullying, will be prevented.

Related Coverage:

America’s Schools: Security, Character, Academics

America’s 21st Century Teacher: Security, Character, Pedagogy

Sayreville High School Scandal: America’s Wake-Up Call

American Teachers: Inspire the Heart and Transform the Country

Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

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Photo

A view of South Hadley High School where prosecutors have charged nine students with bullying an Irish immigrant girl who later committed suicide, in South Hadley, Mass., on March 31, 2010. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)

America’s Schools: Security, Character, Academics

The 2016-2017 school year has begun and America must focus on security, character education, and academic achievements in our educational communities.

The U.S. Department of Education estimates 50.1 million students will attend public elementary and secondary schools.

About 3.1 million full time teachers will be employed in nearly 98,500 schools in our public school system.

There will be an additional 20.2 million students in the nation’s colleges and universities and an additional 4.9 million attending private schools.

The American educational system is critical to the future of the nation, as memorialized in my published works and presentations nationwide over the last 20 years.

Our educators, students, families, and community leaders must be dedicated to making each district, campus, classroom, and student a priority for security, character development, and academic initiatives.

America's educational system is the heart and soul of the nation’s future and every effort must be made to insure success.

School Security: An Indisputable Priority

The tragic headlines on school violence during the last 20 years, must motivate unwavering dedication to enhance security in every educational community.

A critical element of school security is security vulnerability assessments, training initiatives, and protocols at all schools.

Training for all personnel, students, and families must include warning signs. This is mandatory since we have continually witnessed school and campus tragedies where warning signs were recognized but ignored.

One essential document for training is “Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools” by the U. S. Department of Education.

This classic, masterfully developed document, includes intervention for student warning signs including the following:

• Social withdrawal
• Excessive feelings of isolation and being alone
• Being a victim of violence
• Feelings of being picked on and persecuted
• Low school interest/poor academic performance
• Uncontrolled anger
• Patterns of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidating, and bullying
• Expression of violence in writings
• History of discipline problems
• Past history of violent aggressive behavior
• Drug and alcohol use
• Affiliation with gangs
• Intolerance for differences and prejudicial attitudes
• Inappropriate access to, possession of, and use of firearms
• Serious threats of violence

Other important elements for school security include board certified security directors, bullying prevention programs, crisis management teams, and training that encompasses the document titled “Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities.”

This timeless document, from the U.S. Department of Education provides information on preparing for a crisis, and details on the principles of crisis management: mitigation and prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Character Education

Developing students with hearts of character built on the pillars of honesty, respect, civility, and patriotism must be paramount throughout America’s educational communities.

We are continually witnessing scandals and violations of character throughout every element of American society.

These include corruption at the highest levels of government, corporate greed, faith-based scandals, and character deficiencies within professional sports and Olympic athletes.

America’s youth deserve inspiration from our educators, as they must carry the torch of character and cultivate a renaissance of ethical behavior.

A reality of our educational system is that millions of students spend exorbitant time hearing lectures, writing papers, memorizing facts, and pushing themselves with extracurricular activities. This would be a tragic waste of time if instilling character is not the heartbeat of the educational community.

Our educators, through the power of good example, kindness, concern, respect, affirmation, and encouragement, must inspire character into the heart of America through our schools.

Character and Academics: Inseparable Principles

Although character is essential to the welfare of our educational communities, and the future of the nation, academic achievement is also a priority.

When an educator inspires character, the foundation is set for academic excellence since students are inspired to responsible, loyal, and industrious .

As detailed in my article titled “America’s 21st Century Teacher: Security, Character, Pedagogy” for the August 28, 2015 edition of the Epoch Times, I argued that the preventive educational system is transformational.

The preventive system, as opposed to a rigid, negative, and dictatorial repressive system of education, has the capability to transform a student, school, or campus; and in time, the very heart of America.

The advantages of this educational pedagogy is that character is inspired, warning signs receive measured intervention, and academic achievement is encouraged.

Final Reflections

As schools open throughout America for another school year, we must be fully dedicated to security principles, character education, and academic excellence.

When our educators are vigilant with security concerns, inspire character through personal example, and encourage academic excellence, we will be on the path to reawakening the nation.

Related Coverage:

School Violence Crisis: America, Wake Up

America’s 21st Century Parent: Interested, Informed, Involved

America’s 21st Century Student: Character, Courage, Community

American Teachers: Inspire the Heart and Transform the Country

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Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

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Vincent is author of 190 articles including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing.

Photos

1. Students with teacher at Vincent Bove character education presentation, Union City Public Schools, NJ, Feb. 27, 2009. (Vincent J. Bove)

2. North Arlington Public Schools professional development program on security, character education, and academics, conducted by Vincent J. Bove, N. Arlington, NJ, Sept. 3, 2013. (Vincent J. Bove)

3. Students attend "Be a Person of Character: Change the World" presentation as hosted by the Rebecca Verea Foundation, Cliffside Park, NJ, Oct. 15, 2014. (Courtesy Vincent J. Bove Publishing)

4. Union City Public Schools, NJ students attend Vincent Bove presentation, ""Be a Person of Character: Change the World," May 29, 2008. (Vincent J. Bove)

Precision Policing: Respecting Our Citizens' Dignity

Prior to his forthcoming retirement from the NYPD, Commissioner Bill Bratton deserves a commendation for enhancing community policing.

This enhancement includes improved training for officers, better patrol strategies emphasizing a positive interaction with the public, and sharpening officer’s problem-solving skills.

Bratton recently memorialized his philosophy with these words, “We want to develop well-rounded, highly skilled police officers, not arrest machines.”

The NYPD commissioner also emphasizes the positive results of “precision policing,” a contradiction to the stop, question, and frisk controversy.

The heart of the stop, question, and frisk controversy, according to Bratton, was a period of 700,000 stops with an arrest rate less than one-in-ten.

Police, according to Bratton, became imprecise with exercising their powers with stop, question, and frisk, and cast a net that was too wide.

Policing Principles: Peel’s, America’s

On May 23, 2016, Bratton stressed the principles of policing by Sir Robert Peel, to the New York City Council Public Safety and Finance Committee.

Peel’s policing principles, are completed by my “Principles of American Policing,” authored for the May 1, 2015 edition of the Epoch Times.

The timeless principles of Peel are the foundation for these contemporary American policing principles, highlighting police-community collaboration; built on trust, training, ethics, and leadership.

Department of Justice Report: Baltimore Police

The “precision policing” improvements being made with the NYPD provides lessons for police departments nationwide.

On August 10, 2016 the Department of Justice (DOJ) released its report titled “Investigation of the Baltimore Police Department.”

The DOJ report concludes that there is reasonable cause to believe that the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) engages in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Constitution or federal law.

The pattern or practice includes:

1. making unconstitutional stops, searches, and arrests
2. using enforcement strategies that produce severe and unjustified disparities in the rates of stops, searches and arrests of African Americans
3. using excessive force
4. retaliating against people engaging in constitutionally-protected expression.

The DOJ report also identifies concerns regarding the BPD’s transport of individuals and investigation of sexual assaults. BPD’s failings result from deficiencies with policies, training, oversight, accountability, and policing strategies that do not engage effectively with the community the Department serves.

This report also details systemic violations of constitutional policing with the BPD routinely stopping, searching, and even arresting the city’s black residents without provocation. These practices destroy trust, critical to the bond between the police and the people.

One example in this scathing report on the BPD clearly highlights systemic deficiencies. In a recent four year period, roughly 44 percent of 111,500 police stops occurred in two small predominately African-American communities that account for about 11 percent of the city’s population.

But these stops are diametrically opposed to the philosophy of “precision policing” as only 3.7 percent of these stops led to a citation or arrest.

Another example in the report on the BPD details that interviews of police involved with shootings tend to be “conclusory and superficial, often lasting no longer than ten or fifteen minutes, with some ending after only five minutes.”

Also, the report punctuates incompetence, unprofessionalism, and despicable interview tactics of BPD detectives handling women reporting sexual abuse. They respond to the victims with questions such as “Why are you messing that guy’s life up?”

NYPD: The Five T’s

The pillars of the NYPD “precision policing” philosophy fully complements the policing principles of Sir Robert Peel as well as the “Principles of American Policing.”

These five T’s are cited on the NYPD website as trust, training, technology, taking on terror, and tackling crime, which are understood as follows:

Trust – focusing on collaborative policing which involves partnering with other city agencies, non-profits, community-based organizations, the faith-based community, and others on public safety issues.

Training – includes numerous educational initiatives to develop a more service-oriented mindset and give officers tactical tools to deescalate tense situations.

Technology – igniting a major transformative technological change to make the NYPD the most advanced in the United States.

Terrorism – includes the Strategic Response Group (SRG), comprised of over 800 personnel with missions including disorder response, crime suppression, and mobilizations.

Tackling Crime – last year alone, NYPD Field Intelligence took 998 guns off the streets by debriefing arrestees and obtaining court-approved search warrants.

Final Reflections

As witnessed with controversies, tensions, and problems throughout America, there is a clarion call to enhance police-community relations.

America must rise to the occasion and ignite a 21st Century Policing mindset that is built on the pillars of trust, ethics, transparency, and accountability.

When our nation dedicates itself to enhancing police-community partnerships, inspired by the qualities of leadership, vigilance, and collaboration, we will be on the path to reawakening the nation.

Related Coverage

The Cop: America’s Ethical Guardian

Ethical Guardians: Repudiating the Ferguson Effect

Policing Demands Ethical Sentinels

Police-Community Crisis: Rise to the Occasion

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Vincent is author of 190 articles including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing.

Photos

1. NYPD graduates, July 2, 2015. (Courtesy NYPD)
2. NYPD officer assists Times Square visitor. (Vincent J. Bove)
3. The Chief of Police magazine, "Principles of American Policing," cover story authored by Vincent J. Bove.

The Olympics: Character, Courage, Competition

The Olympic games is the stage for the world’s greatest athletes to courageously perform at the most intense level of competition.

Currently, thousands of athletes from across the globe are competing in the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.

This year, the Olympics will also allow athletes to compete as Independent Athletes under the Olympic Flag due to various reasons, including the European migrant crisis.

Previously, these athletes were ineligible for competition due to their inability to represent their countries.

There is an ethical code required for all Olympic athletes and those involved with them, demanding that all participate with character, sportsmanship, and honesty.

Sports: A Call for Character

From the time that I was a young boy in the Bronx, sports have always been a part of my life. I played Little League Baseball, stickball, basketball in the public school yards, ran cross country track for Mount Saint Michael High School, golfed at Van Cortland and Moshulu golf courses, and wrestled for John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

During my years as an educator, I was privileged to coach a state championship soccer team and also serve as a lifeguard, swimming coach, and lifeguard instructor.

One of my greatest thrills was coaching my son’s little league baseball team for 7 years. The years of coaching his team provided some of my fondest memories.

The importance of sports in the development of the child makes the crisis of character in professional sports even more reprehensible. Like it or not, athletes are role models for our youth and must strive to be examples of character.

Major League Baseball: Lessons for Athletes

The Major League Baseball (MLB) scandal has lessons for the Olympics, and for all who enjoy sports.

Since baseball has always been my favorite sport, I would like to use lessons from it for all athletes.

As a child, love for the game was expressed through card collecting, knowing the lineup of one’s favorite team by heart, and articulating it with each batter at every whiffle ball, stickball, or Little League Game.

Baseball became significantly serious to me after the tragic death of Yankee catcher Thurman Munson.

Soon thereafter, I found myself involved with MLB on a much more profound level as a confidant to the New York Yankee baseball players, and to many players throughout the league.

During one summer in particular, I was working at a camp at St. Thomas the Apostle Church on 118th Street in Harlem as a youth counselor. In the evening, I took the subway to Yankee Stadium to work with the players as well as to collaborate on my first book, “On the Eighth Day God Created the Yankees.”

The experience with inner city kids during the day and with the great names of baseball in the evening, gave me an unforgettable perspective, as
I was working with the very poor and the very rich all in the course of the same day.

The lesson from this experience remains with me to this day: money does not define the person. It is character – a good heart, appreciating life, fostering good will toward others – that is important in life.

Yankee pinstripes did not determine a person’s greatness, but the stripes of thoughtfulness, respect, civility, truthfulness, kindness, and charity toward others. This is what is important in the game of life. Many Yankees learned that lesson in the summer of 1979 after the death of their beloved captain.

Because of this unique experience, I was particularly disappointed with the MLB steroid scandal. Weak steroid policies were destructive to the integrity of the game and too many officials ignored the crisis until public outcry forced their hand.

The House Government Reform Committee held a Congressional hearing on March 17, 2005 entitled “Restoring Faith in America’s Pastime: Evaluating MLB’s Efforts to Eradicate Steroid Use” to highlight the Major League Baseball steroid scandal.

I remember listening to the testimony of some of the great contemporary players and thinking that it was an embarrassment to the national pastime. The testimonies lacked veracity and they served as a warning sign depicting so clearly the lack of character in many professional athletes.

These players were given so much by the great game of baseball and they could not stand at the plate with the uniform of character at this congressional hearing. They could have shined so brightly before the nation by courageously speaking the truth.

It was particularly ironic to me that two of the players called to share testimony, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, were highly instrumental in restoring MLB’s popularity when they battled for the home run crown in 1998 while chasing Roger Maris’ record of 61 homers in a season.

McGwire, who hit 70 home runs during that record breaking season, refused to answer questions on whether he took steroids. If only McGwire understood that truthfulness and integrity would have a greater impact on the nation than his home run record.

MLB and American society must learn that the power of truth travels much deeper into the character of the nation than any home run ball into the upper-deck of any stadium. The destructiveness of a lie will live longer than Bobby Thompson’s shot heard round the world and the ramifications of the truth will remain radiant longer than the shine on any World Series ring.

Aside from MLB, the brilliance of character will also shine much brighter than any Olympic gold medal.

Sooner or later, each and every one of us, regardless of our state in life, will be have the opportunity to allow character to shine brightly in our lives.

Final Reflections

As we enjoy the competition of the XXXI Olympiad, we are reminded that character at the games, in all sports, and particularly with our youth programs, must always be emphasized.

America, and all the nations of the world, will be on the path to reawakening our societies, when character is paramount in athletic competition, and with all the responsibilities of civic life.

Related Coverage:

America’s Critical Ethical Issues Demand Resolution

America’s 21st Century Student: Character, Courage, Community

America’s 21st Century Teacher: Security, Character, Pedagogy

America’s Leadership Crisis: Reigniting Our Character

Note Well:

Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

Join Vincent’s Linkedin Group: The Sentinel: Reawakening the Nation

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Vincent is author of 190 articles including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing.

Photo:

1. Hackensack Little League 1998 team coached by author Vincent J. Bove (top row on right). The author’s son Austin is on the bottom right. Vincent coached his son's team for 7 consecutive years.  (Courtesy of Vincent J. Bove Publishing)

2. Vincent J. Bove with Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent prior to game on April 19, 1982. Dent was MLB All-Star, Two time World Series Champion with the Yankees (1978 and 1979) and 1978 World Series MVP. (Photo Courtesy of Vincent J. Bove Publishing/Credit Nick Ciranni)

3. Vincent Bove with summer campers at Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, Harlem, NYC, Summer 1982.  

Gold Star Families: Honoring Those Who Make the Ultimate Sacrifice

According to the United States Army, the term Gold Star Family is a modern reference that comes from the Service Flag, first flown by families during World War I.

This flag included a blue star for all immediate family members with loved ones serving in the armed forces during any period of war, or hostilities.

In the event a loved one perished, this blue star was replaced by a gold star. This was a testimonial to the community that this family had lost a loved one to the cause of freedom with the ultimate sacrifice.

On the last Sunday in September 1936, America began observing Gold Star Mother’s Day. Before the end of World War II, Gold Star Wives was formed. In August 1947, the Gold Star lapel button was established, a sacred symbol of the losing of a loved one who died serving America.

Gold Star Families: America’s Treasure

Today, whenever a father, mother, sister, brother, son, or daughter, or any loved one dies serving our country, they are recognized as a Gold Star Family member.

This is a solemn tribute of the highest order recognizing those who have offered the ultimate sacrifice with their families. These sacrifices are the most profound expression of American patriotism.

The sacrifice of all who lost heroes, deserves America’s most heartfelt respect, dignity, and gratitude. All who have died serving our nation, as well as their grieving families, must always be honored without compromise.

Gold Star Mothers: Bedrock of America’s Courage

Brenda Cox of Killeen, Texas is one of America’s bedrocks of courage, who became a Gold Star Mother.

She was presented with the Gold Star lapel button after the loss of her beloved son, Pfc. Richard Allen Dewater.

Army Pfc. Dewater was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. He died of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device while on a dismounted patrol near Korengal Valley, Kunar, Afghanistan.

The words of his mother Brenda immortalize the sentiments of any broken-hearted parent who has lost a child, “It’s supposed to be your children burying you, not the other way around.”

Brenda has used her tragedy for healing hearts of other Gold Star Mothers through Survivor Outreach Services.

“I have friends who know that I am a Gold Star Mother. When a friend loses a child, they reach out to me for comfort and support,” Brenda said.

This comfort and support, complimented by dignity, respect, gratitude, and honor must be the cardinal virtues not only of Gold Star Mother’s and Gold Star Families, but all privileged to call America their home.

America is the land of freedom, liberty, and opportunity only because of the sacrifices of all who have served, especially with the ultimate sacrifice. The sacrifices of their families are inseparable from the sacrifices of our fallen military heroes.

We can only truly honor America when our fallen heroes and their families are treated the most profound respect. This respect must come from the heartbeat of the nation and expressed not only in words but in actions.

Arlington National Cemetery Retrospective

After every one of my presentations throughout the United States over the last 20 years, I have always honored the fallen military personnel and their families with a photo tribute.

This tribute has included one of my personal experiences at the full military internment ceremony of First Lt. Mark Howard Dooley on Friday, July 13, 2007.

Lt. Mark H. Dooley, 27, was killed in Iraq on September 19, 2005. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry (Mountain) 42nd Infantry Division of the Army National Guard in Jericho, Vermont.

I was invited to this sacred event by his Gold Star Parents, Marion and Peter Dooley.

I met Marion at one of my school violence prevention professional development programs for the Wallkill School District in New York on November 22, 2006.

Marion was grateful for my tribute to America’s military at the end of my presentation, and invited me to the internment of her son Mark. Her request pierced my heart and there would be nothing that would stop me from traveling to Arlington for his internment.

The memory of 1st Lt. Mark H. Dooley deserved my presence and it was my privilege to honor his Gold Star Parents.

Final Reflections

After the interment ceremony of Lt. Dooley, I attended a meal hosted by his family and met many of his loved ones, friends, and military colleagues.

They shared moving stories of the generosity, kindness, respect, and patriotism of Lt. Dooley.

Undoubtedly, the most important reflections were shared by Marion, his Gold Star Mother, who told me her son Mark was always concerned about others. Marion said, “Mark had a unique sense of dedication, care, and responsibility toward his family, friends, military companions, and his country.”

America must always honor the fallen as their sacrifices, inseparable with those of all Gold Star Families, are the pillars of our freedom, liberty, and our cherished way of life.

In honoring those who make the ultimate sacrifice, may America have these verses from “America the Beautiful” forever seared into our souls:

“O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!”

Related Coverage:

Memorial Day: Honor the Fallen, Widows, Orphans

Memorial Day: Honoring America’s Sacred Sacrifices

America’s Veterans: Honoring Our Heroes

Life Lessons From the United States Military

Note Well:

Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

Join Vincent’s Linkedin Group: The Sentinel: Reawakening the Nation

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Vincent is author of 190 articles including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing.

Photos

1. Marion W. Dooley (L) and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. (Ret.) Peter C. Dooley (C) attend the funeral for their son, Army 1st Lt. Mark Harold Dooley, at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va., on July 13, 2007. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

2. U.S. Army Gold Star. (Photo Credit U.S. Army)

3. Interment Ceremony of 1st Lt. Mark H. Dooley at his final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery on July 13, 2007. Seated in the front row are (L–R) Peter Dooley and Marion Dooley (Mark’s parents) and Peter Dooley Jr., Mark’s brother. (Vincent J. Bove)

4. Internment procession of 1st Lt. Mark H. Dooley, Arlington National Cemetery, July 13, 2007. (Vincent J. Bove)