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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) "I've always been patriotic," says Jack Geer of Everett. Geer enlisted in the Navy the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Everett man's face a portrait of patriotism 7/4/08 • Plan your Fourth of July fun 7/4/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, July 4, 2008 World War II veteran feels 'we owe our country' By Jeff Switzer, Herald Writer A beam of light shines through the night on Jack Geer's American flag. He feels proud each time he sees the Stars and Stripes. He feels patriotism in each beat of his 94-year-old heart. His mind turns back to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He signed up for the Navy the next day. He knew his country needed men, and he went where he was sent. With a shrug, he says that's just what people did. He says he wasn't any great hero during his four years, mostly tending boats in San Diego and the South Pacific. He remembers preparing PT boats to invade Tokyo. But soon the atomic bombs fell. He became a Christian during the war, and says the Lord continues to care for him, give him breath and work through him. He worries about America's wars overseas, the Bible's end times and where the upcoming presidential election will take us. He prays with prisoners at the county jail, hoping they can find a better path. All the while, Everett's wind, sun and rain pummel and fade his flag. Geer replaces it twice a year. He says it stands for what our ancestors thought was worth fighting for in two world wars. It's a debt you carry and must repay, he says. It hurts him to see people do so little, to care so little, or even act against America. We have freedom like no other place in the rest of the world, he says. "Let's get behind our country. Let's serve it because it's done so much for us. I counted it a privilege to serve the country during the war and I feel the same way today as then. We owe our country so much." READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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