An Oath: Worth Fighting For

June is when I think about the Oath that I took back in the early eighties.

My oath was and is:
I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
30 something years ago today I took this oath. I took it more than once. Even though it’s been many years since I took that oath last, it still resonates in my head. Let’s look a little closer at this oath.
Solemnly swear or affirm. What does this mean? Making a serious promise.
Support and defend the Constitution of the United States. This means fighting oppression where ever it is found. Many think this is not necessary. That is the way many felt in 1941 until Pearl Harbor was bombed.
All enemies foreign and domestic. This means that we are all for freedom in this country. But try and place a socialist, communist, or oppressive government into this country, legal or not legal, I will fight against that.
Bearing true faith and allegiance. This means that the Constitution is the foundation on which we put our faith and that we are loyal to its principles.
Obey the orders of the POTUS and those officers appointed over me. This mean that obedience is our mantra. It does not mention “lawful” orders, but that is the only orders we are to carry out. Orders we deem to be lawful.
So help me God. This means God should be with us in carrying out these lawful orders or in defending that Constitution.
The earliest Western use of oath books (swearing on something) in a legal setting dates to ninth-century England when, in the absence of a structured royal government, certain transactions were conducted at the altar, the participants swearing on a gospel book. Three centuries later, English courts adopted the practice, requiring jury members and individuals in particular trials to take an oath on the Bible. An unnamed thirteenth-century Latin manuscript, now held in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge, sets out the method and the significance of the act. By placing a hand on the book and then kissing it, the oath-taker is acknowledging that, should he lie under oath, neither the words in the Bible nor his good deeds nor his prayers will bring him any earthly or spiritual profit. In time, this became standard legal procedure—all witnesses swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth—and made its way into American courts. British witnesses today still take their oaths “by Almighty God,” as American oath-takers conclude theirs with “so help me God.” Witnesses and officials can opt to make an affirmation rather than swear; the affirmation omits reference to God and uses the words “I affirm” rather than “I swear.” The formula was developed to accommodate those branches of Christianity that believe swearing to be an offence, but it is now available to atheists and to agnostics. In such cases, no book is used. A few years ago, and more recently, some firefighters and others took their oath on an electronic device.
The Constitution was signed September 17, 1787, born out of the Declaration of Independence as a means of governing 13 very diverse states. Prior to that date, the young nation had been ruled by the Articles of Confederation, which required all 13 states to agree unanimously to get anything passed. Finding that a bit unwieldy in the days after the war, the Constitution diluted the majority requirement to a two-thirds agreement, or nine out of 13 states.
After months of arguing Benjamin Franklin, wrote to the committee as they met Sept. 17, 1787, begging them to become unified. “I think it will astonish our enemies, who are waiting with confidence to hear that our councils are confounded like those of the builders of Babel; and that our States are on the point of separation, only to meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting one another’s throats.”
Subtlety aside, Franklin’s words must have worked. Thirty-eight signed the document, with two delegates from Virginia, Gov. Edmund Randolph and George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, as the hold-outs. As soon as the ninth state, New Hampshire, ratified the document on June 21, 1788, the Constitution became law, going into effect Sept. 15, 1788. Rhode Island would be the last of the 13 states to ratify the Constitution on May 29, 1790.
From this came the need for Oaths to uphold this great document. The end of the declaration has its’s own form of oath:
“And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”
People don’t talk like that anymore. Certainly not our politicians.
Most oaths do not have an expiration date. I’ve never seen one that has.
We just had Memorial Day. The 4th of July will be here soon. After that is Veteran’s Day in November. June 14th is the anniversary of the first military oath taken in 1775. A year later was the birth of this great country.
Don’t thank a veteran for their service, for most of us were just doing what we think is right. I only ask that you read the words of those Oaths all military members take, and try to understand just how significant it is. You might fail to capture it, just as I have, but it could be an exercise that imparts the true significance of just what it means to be willing to give up everything to defend what’s worth fighting for.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn