Post Scripts: He was a man who knew America’s worth

David Rogers was laid to rest a few days before Christmas. He wasn’t just a soldier, he was a Marine. If the U.S. Marine Corps gave birth to a legend in the Halls of Montezuma in the nineteenth century, Dave certainly added luster to it in our time with devoted service in two wars, and duty in several foreign countries.

Dave Rogers would never have won a popularity contest in Daviess County because there were some who didn’t care for his alleged abrupt manner. Others were convinced he could never quite bring himself to let go of the Corps. Still others declared he had witnessed too much combat, suffered too much pain, and observed one too many battlefield disasters. I could share some of that philosophy, but it was always my thinking it took a lot of understanding to appreciate Dave’s temperament and personality.

He was not reluctant to discuss his adventures in the war. If you are like me, I am somewhat of a student of warfare and I truly enjoy hearing personal accounts of those who served in the wars of this century. It was not hard to get Dave all wound up in his Marine Corps career which spanned over 20 years. He was not the first veteran to add glamour to his wartime tales.

I had great respect for David’s determination that all flags flown or otherwise displayed would be "done right." If he saw an American flag that was soiled, or tattered from too much wind, he would call it to the attention of those responsible for the problem. His dialogue relative to the situation was not very diplomatic because he thought all Americans should know all the regulations pertaining to the display of the colors. It was easy for him to become angry when those responsible displayed ignorance about it.

Rogers could become extremely ticked off when he saw the flag displayed at night without it being illuminated. His reaction to such situations was quick and straightforward without any particular dignity or contrived politeness. He obviously missed the Dale Carnegie classes. He was a thoroughbred Marine; he asked no quarter from anyone and he didn’t give any.

Oh yes, he couldn’t tolerate seeing a flag not quite raised to the top of the pole unless, of course, it was at strict half-mast due to the death of a famous person or government official.

While David enjoyed his macho games, he had a much different side. One time he told me about his drill instructor days and how hard he drove his recruits to become proper Marines. He mentioned a few he had personally trained who later died in battle, and as he related this I noticed his eyes began misting up. It wasn’t easy for Dave to display sentiment because he didn’t want others to think real Marines ever cried.

I’ve been told that David was a good neighbor. He sometimes went into the timber to cut wood for people in need, as well as other good deeds. He was just like most of us but didn’t want us to know it.

This is the same man who told me two days before his death that in Vietnam, when facing a charge by the enemy, he would aim for the heads of those wearing officers’ insignia but aim for the stomachs of all others. David Rogers was a complex individual, and it is not my place to judge him. Let me make this clear, however. Any man who receives three Purple Hearts in the service of his country has been to hell and back. Dave knew what America was worth.

David Rogers has my respect for "service above and beyond." As General Douglas MacArthur once said: "A man who is afraid to die is not fit to live."

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