Atlantic Highlands – The disrespect is Inexcusable

Adding My 2 Cents

I can’t help repeating what Mark Fisher, an indefatigable reporter and observer of just about everything that happens in his home town, Atlantic Highlands, wrote this morning.   While this may be true of other towns as well, since so many do not apparently know or care about the American flag and what and for whom it stands, just here  in Atlantic Highlands, where there is a member of the governing body who graduated from the Naval Academy and served his country as a United States Marine, where there is an American Legion post, where there are today members of the military who call this home, and so many others connected with the military and for what they have always fought and defended, shame on them. 

Employees, council members, and others would have rectified this insult once they became aware of it. But it’s still cruel for those of us who can remember Pearl Harbor, for those of us who have given family members to fight, and in many cases die, for the nation, it seems to me the last thing that should happen is to either forget, or be too busy, to at least lower the American flag to half staff to remember the attack on Pearl Harbor and our military and civilian members who lost their lives that day and years thereafter.

And cheers to borough staff when reminded it is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Shortly after receiving Mark’s notice, or maybe it was coincidental; but regardless, all flags on municipal buildings in town were lowered to half staff..not sure of the ones on Memorial Parkway. But the flags was at half staff by the Harbormasters office as well on Ronnie Santee’s Fisherman where he also has a flag raised but at half staff. Guess it isn’t important enough at the Atlantic Highlands Elementary School…their flag, at 3 this afternoon, was still at full staff. Maybe staff there is the one who should learn a vital lesson in American history and why Dec. 7 is truly a day that shall live in infamy.

   I guess Franklin Roosevelt was wrong. Apparently, as far as memory goes, to some, this is NOT a day that shall live in infamy.

Mr. Fisher wrote:

It is almost mid-day on December 7, does that date ring a bell?

On the morning of December 7, 1941, over 2,000 Americans perished and over 1,000 were injured in the unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan.

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike upon the United States, specifically the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, just before 8:00 a.m. local time on that sunny, quiet Sunday morning.

The December 7 attack led to the US formal entry into World War II the very next day.

I happened to drive through town a little while ago, and at almost mid-day, not one single Borough-controlled American Flag is lowered to half-staff; none along “Memorial Parkway”, and not in “Veterans Memorial Park” or in front of Borough Hall where not only the Stars and Stripes are flown, so too are the flags of those Missing in Action and Killed in Action…during conflicts of war.

And you would think that the very institution that teaches our children history would get it right. Sadly, the flag at AHES flies defiantly at full-staff on this fateful day in America’s history.

Why have American Flags if they’re not flown per proper protocol…every single day of the year?

I am the son of a deceased WWII Army Ranger and a soldier’s wife. Most families in A.H. have members…two or three generations past, that defended our nation in WWII.

On this day, the “day that will live in infamy“, the Borough of Atlantic Highlands forgot about the military and civilians that lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.

On this day, the Borough of Atlantic Highlands was too busy to remember the families, friends and military colleagues of those that perished on a quiet Sunday morning 81-years ago.

On this day, the Borough of Atlantic Highlands forgot about the first unprovoked terror attack on US soil.

On this day, in the Borough of Atlantic Highlands, it’s…just another day.

The disrespect is inexcusable.