Only 1% of US WWII veterans survive today; about 15,000 out of the 16 million who served. I'm the son of one of them. And I'm especially fortunate that 100 years old he remains physically and mentally active and deeply engaged in world affairs of today.
My dad was raised in the social justice movements that rose from the Great Depression and backlash from Gilded Age and Roaring 20s excesses. His parents fought for unions and workers rights and civil rights for all.
After returning home from service in Saipan, Okinawa and Korea, Dad fought to protect eroding constitutional rights and Free Speech in America through the Joseph McCarthy era, and protested racism and Jim Crow oppression.
Now, in 2026, this centenarian is witnessing masked agents of the government snatching workers from their jobs, taking children into custody, holding them in internment camps, and shooting innocent protesters on the street.
Do you remember when Republicans loudly warned of "Jack-booted thugs from the government coming to strip our constitutional rights"? Or when they preached "restoring honor and dignity to the White House?" That really wasn't that long ago, but look where we are now.
My dad's message to America, after a century in the struggle, is that democracy is fragile but precious. And we should all be fighting to strengthen it and restore what has been lost or forgotten.
You'll find him at the next No Kings protest. You'll know him by the sign he carries: "I fought fascism more than 80 years ago..... and I'm still fighting."
Join him, won't you?
I'm Reed Scherer and that's my patriotic perspective.
