Betty Freauf -- 13-Year Old Girl Plays Taps On Memorial Day

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13-YEAR OLD GIRL PLAYS TAPS ON MEMORIAL DAY

By Betty Freauf

May 31, 2003

NewsWithViews.com

As the years go by, more and more old-time veterans struggle to their feet to salute the flag as it passes by in parades. After they die, I wonder how long it will be before those who have been promoting the United Nations globalist agenda, while trying to eliminate our national sovereignty, will simply allow Veterans' Day to pass into oblivion. This is what happened with the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln. By blending their birthdays into "President's Day" in order to recognize Martin Luther King's January birthday, in a generation or two Washington and Lincoln will be forgotten but government workers will still get their paid, three-day weekends. The United Nations flag already flies in Salem, Oregon's Peace Plaza.

The September 11, 2001 attack in New York City and at the Pentagon seemed to wake up a few sleeping Americans to the fact that maybe, just maybe, America has some quislings within its borders who may be very proficient in the English language.

After September 11, the flags were flying all over America -- for awhile. Patriotism seemed to be reignited. But has it lasted? How many realize that our national anthem ends with a question? Does that star spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On Memorial Day weekend, I fear the majority still see it as the time to bring out of winter storage the lawn furniture, the barbeque grill, the boat, to clean the pool, go to the mountain or beach cabin while giving little thought about what generations before them have sacrificed on their behalf.

But in eastern Washington, patriotism is still alive and well on Memorial Day weekend. People decorate the graves at Odessa and then meet and greet old friends at the day's event where the VFW and American Legion men put on a program in remembrance of veterans who have passed on.

This year, a proud grandfather, Edwin Jasman, participated and listened as his 13-year old granddaughter, Jana Jasman (pictured here), did a another great job of playing taps for the second year. When her father's work allows, he also participates making it three generations. Grandma Doris places a wreath on the grave of the unknown soldier.

Edwin Jasman enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during the Korean War 50 years ago on the USS Boxer, an aircraft carrier. Jana's dad, Jerry, was in the Iran conflict and served on the USS Coral Sea, another aircraft carrier, 25 years ago.

When asked why she wanted to participate in the Memorial Day ceremonies, this usually shy young lady, who started playing her instrument in the 5th grade and who will be an 8th grader this fall, used a common teenage expression, "Duh, because grandpa and grandma asked me last year if I would want to play taps. I decided it would be fun since both my grandpa and my dad were in the military and now I have a cousin also serving in the Navy on the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier. I feel as if I am giving something back to our Veterans for what they have done for me. So I enjoy playing taps on Memorial Day weekend." When asked if she participates in other ways, she said, "I also have been playing taps at funerals when the Odessa VFW Post #7395 Color Guard is asked to participate." She also participates on the Sunday before Monday's Memorial Day at three other cemeteries in her community.

Grandpa and grandma proudly add that Jana is the youngest one in the Odessa VFW Post to ever play taps. She very well could be the youngest in the U.S.

With all the bad things that get reported about young people and what they are doing these days I thought the news media in Spokane, Washington might want to write a story about this young girl. After all, when the young lady who suddenly forgot the words to the national anthem at a Portland Blazer basketball game a few weeks ago stood there embarrassed, and Portland Blazer coach, Maurice Cheeks, came to her rescue, it was all over the national news. Now she's receiving guest appearances on T.V. So I contacted three T.V. stations and the Spokesman Review leaving grandma as a contact. We didn't tell Jana because we didn't want her to be disappointed in case the media was a "no show" which turned out to be the case. Obviously, a kid from "Podunk" performing at a veterans' event doesn't warrant the same type of coverage as the big city girl singing the national anthem at a Blazer game.

The mainline media, as a general rule, would prefer to ignore anything that glorifies our military and the sacrifices these young people make so I really wasn't surprised when they didn't cover the story. This bunch of arrogant lickspittles would prefer to glorify young girls returning to school after giving birth to their babies, while taxpayers provide babysitting services at the school, young people cleaning garbage from creeks, planting a tree during Arbor week or fulfilling some other "community" volunteer project in order to graduate. Violence by young people make headlines all too frequently.

UNESCO's (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) one-sided goal is to destroy the resolute will that comes from pride and patriotism and they start with the very young. The compulsive politicizing by the mainline newspapers help to further that cause whenever they can. The Communist youth is trained to spread communism by whatever means possible. The Communist rule for a revolution is to corrupt the young.

The June 1997 TRUMPET publication said, "Every day in the United States 2,795 teens get pregnant, 1,106 teens have an abortion, 11 teenagers a day commit suicide, 3,288 run away from home, 437 children are arrested for drinking or drunken driving, 211 are arrested for drug abuse, 7,743 teenagers become sexually active, 2,556 children are born out of wedlock, 1,512 teenagers drop out of school, and 2,989 children see their parents divorce."

Fortunately we still have young, unsung heroes, like Jana Jasman, who blushes when people compliment her on a job well done. These types of kids do good things, not because of compulsory volunteer service, but out of dedication and love of country and because of proper training at home which the socialist change agents are determined to undermine.

At a June 1986 Portland, Oregon conference on Children, Youth and Families, one participant said they needed money to create "early programs to change the lives of the very, very young" and that children needed to "grow up to change and challenge the older order" because "roots are a silly American dream and children are not seeds of a family tree." www.newswithviews.com/BettyFreauf6.htm

The mainline media may not have given her any special recognition but she's my third cousin and I'm doing it for her. Hats off to Jana, who is named after her Aunt Jan Jasman who died of leukemia at the young age of 26. And, by the way, Jana has an identical twin, Jaylene. Maybe when her sister sees Jana getting all this recognition, she'll take up the coronet also and become the echo at veterans' day events. What a story that would make.

Any e-mails you'd like Jana to receive praising her commitment can be sent to me. I'll forward them to her. Please put her name on the subject line and tell her in what state you reside.

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Betty is a former Oregon Republican Party activist having served as state party secretary, county chairman, 5th congressional vice chairman and then elected chairman, a precinct worker for many years and twice ran unsuccessfully for the Oregon State Legislature. The Republican tradition is to stay neutral in Primary races but in Betty's case. They supported her opponent. E-Mail: bettyfreauf@webtv.com

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