Secretary of War Pete Hegseth just launched a military recruiting campaign, starting in Texas, dubbed as the “Send Me Tour.” The timing is most appropriate based on the 250th anniversary of an event that occurred on September 22, 1776.
For many, the anniversary date passed unnoticed. That is no surprise. Our educational institutions seem to think the nation’s early history is of no import to our young people today, ignoring much of it in their teachings. Thus, even if provided the name of one of our earliest patriots who made history in this semiquincentennial event, it would leave young students none the wiser concerning what he did.
Only 21-years old, the young patriot volunteered for a mission behind enemy lines during the American Revolutionary War, answering the call of General George Washington. History would not remember him for a successful mission but, rather, for a failed one.
His name was Nathan Hale. He was a captain in the Continental Army. Washington needed intelligence concerning British troop movements and intentions. Hale volunteered for the mission, disguising himself as a Dutch schoolmaster to slip into New York City and observe enemy activity.
Hale spent several days taking notes of his observations to provide to Washington, but was soon and unexpectedly captured. Although details on what led to his capture are unclear, it is believed a cousin of his who was a loyalist and had recognized him was responsible for turning him in.
Hale was brought before British General William Howe. The general gave the order that Hale be executed by hanging the very next morning, dispensing with any need for a trial. Hale’s execution came so quickly, he could not even be given access to a clergyman or a Bible.
A British officer who witnessed the hanging later wrote that Hale died with dignity. The officer made note of Hale’s purported last statement—one in which he expressed a regret that would ensure the patriot’s place in our history. A fearless Hale reportedly said, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” These were the final words of a truly courageous patriot who clearly had a greater love for country than for self.
In an America that has turned away from the values to which our Founding Fathers and young men like Hale adhered, the final words this patriot uttered would almost seem blasphemous today. While Hale regretted 250 years ago he had but one life to give for his country, most young people—evidenced by a 40-year period of declining military recruitment numbers through 2022—have seemed unwilling to put theirs at risk. Values such as honor, family, and love of country all seem to have been replaced by values that focus on the individual rather than the group. For this four-decade time period, we have been hard-pressed to hear the chant of Three Musketeer fame: “All for one and one for all.”
Almost eleven years to the day after Hale’s execution, on September 17, 1787, one of the Founding Fathers—Benjamin Franklin—attended the Constitutional Convention in which he and his fellow statesman set the structure within which a future America would function. A prominent socialite and writer, Elizabeth Willing Powel, asked Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" Franklin profoundly responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
The question for 21st-century America is whether or not we can keep the republic for which Hale and other patriots sacrificed their lives so long ago. Hopefully, with military recruitment now surging under President Donald Trump, more of our young people will accept this responsibility, becoming keepers of the republic.
Image generated by ChatGPT.