Atheists in Foxholes for Honor and Recognition

Atheists in Foxholes Speeches

Jim Heldberg

Atheists make America strong.

I served the US Navy as both a sailor and an officer. Yes, I went through 2 boot camps.

I’m proud that I served under President John F. Kennedy. But an hour after I was commissioned, he was assassinated. I still miss him.

I started a war. No, not by myself, but I helped start a war. I was a deck officer on the ship that put the first US troops into Vietnam at the Chu Lai landing in 1964. I came home safe, but the names of some of my shipmates are on that black wall a few blocks away.

I managed a large Navy school. I had 100 instructors and 1,000 students, working 2 shifts day and night, studying topics from mathematics to metallurgy, learning to operate nuclear-powered Navy ships.

Atheists make America strong.

For most of us, the passing years have not dimmed the intensity of our time in uniform. Like you, I worked hard in the military. I worked hard as a veteran, too. I raised children, sent family members to war, worked 3 careers, paid big taxes, took part in government, and voted in every single election. I fly the American flag in front of my home every day, as I’m sure many of you do, too.

No one dare call us unpatriotic. Atheists make American strong.

Terrorism is today’s threat. Terrorism isn’t new. It has been used in every war. (pause) Today’s religious terrorism is different, though. It’s hard to stop people who want to kill to prove who has the best imaginary friend. But the best solution to religious terrorism is on a bumper sticker on my truck. It says, “Atheism cures religious terrorism.”

Atheism has been around much longer than religion. After all, we were here first. Strangely enough, American religion thinks they have Atheists pinned down. They do have us out-numbered, out-spent, out-organized, out-lawyered, out-advertised, and maybe even out-rifled.

That’s what the British thought about the Continental Army, too. General George Washington’s army spent several years ducking and running, learning and training, until they were big enough, strong enough, smart enough, and ready enough to take America away from England. I’m sure the Atheist Army assembled here today won’t let religion take America away from us.

Against the forces of religion, today’s Atheists are like Washington’s army. We’re still mostly Minutemen, dedicated amateurs doing a important jobs, sometimes on only a few minutes’ notice. But, we’re more than just Minutemen. We’re recruiting, we’re building, and we’re training. We now have Special Forces to use for specific battles. Sometimes we win. More important, we’re growing stronger, and we’re learning to fight better.

We’re much more powerful than we appear, because we have the ultimate weapon: the truth. Religion is really afraid of us. One Atheist can scare a thousand religious folks. You know that. So, multiply the number of people here today by 1,000, and that’s how strong we really are. Veteran Madalyn Murray O’Hair scared millions, and she changed American history.

Unfortunately, much of today’s Atheist manpower is still on the reserve list. We know that 30 million Americans are non-religious. But most of them are still waiting to join our fight. We need to mobilize our Atheist reserves. We need to cultivate our allies, too.

We need to get even better organized. Veterans can lead the way. The US military is the most organized group in the world. The military taught us how to organize a fight for land, water, air and space. Let’s use those skills to organize a fight for America’s brains and future.

Atheists make America strong. Stronger Atheists will make a stronger America.

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Douglas Diggens

I am SP4 Doug Diggens US Army Signal Corp. I enlisted during the Viet Nam war Aug 62 to Aug 65. Let me tell you an abbreviated account of a non-combat godless life-threatening situation.

I was getting a ride into Rein Mien AFB aboard a small WWII single engine, spotter aircraft. This nice, apparently healthy Major agreed to give me a hop in his old two-seater tail dragger that turned out to be the most harrowing ride of my life.

About 20 miles from Rein Main this very inconsiderate pilot decided to have a severe attack of appendicitis. Needless to say when he doubled over, the plane went into a steep spiraling dive.

No, I was not in a foxhole with bullets and bombs coming at me, I was in, what seemed like my coffin with the ground coming at me at 100 miles per hour. I knew that I was going to die.

At that time there was only 3 options available to me. Do what all those fine Christians would have done; start babbling in prayer while they crashed into the ground. (Oh please God..Jesus save me)

The second option was essentially as effective as the first, which was to put my head between my legs and kiss my ass goodbye. But I may have crapped my pants so I did not want to put my head down there. The third option also, did not involve some imaginary boogieman in the sky, it involved saving myself.

A couple of years before, I had taken a couple of introductory flying lessons.

The back seats of these planes do not have a control stick installed when carrying a passenger, but they have it stowed on the wall, however I was able to un-mount the stick, put it in the control gimbal and bring the plummeting plane back to level flight JUST before hitting the ground.

I could see the runway way off in the distance, so I headed in that direction and after bouncing six BIG times off the runway I was able to set my coffin down without dieing.

Neither before, during nor after, did I even think about GOD or prayer.

I will always be a foxhole atheist and I was proud to serve,

One Nation, under the heel of NO God, with liberty and justice for all.

GO ARMY!!!!

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Jason Torpy

As President of MAAF, I have received a lot of positive feedback about this event. Veterans from around the nation have written to provide their support. They have also taken time to tell me about the events that they are supporting around the country. Military atheists from around the nation are active in events at their local VFW and American Legion posts and other community events. Although many send their regrets because they have obligations to support their community, others send their regrets because they honestly have worries about discrimination in response to this event. All of them send their support because they hope that events like this will speak for them, generating more tolerance and understanding of military atheists across the nation. As those of us who are in a position to avoid discrimination support events like this, more and more of us will be able to simply be ourselves without fear of retribution.

Another point I would like to press to all of you from the military perspective is how to address the discrimination and indiscretions we often see in the media. We have taken time to address problems to the named officials and commanders within reports who suggest that there are no atheists in foxholes, or abuse their position to promote their own religion through official prayers.

However, the military is set up such that commanders rotate out of their positions frequently, but the chaplains do not. A primary mission of each chaplain is to advise the commander on issues of religious freedom. Chaplains are considered unconstitutional by many of us because they serve as a government promotion of religion. What we must do is make them live up to their mandate to support ALL service members, including atheists. When you see any infringement upon the rights of nonreligious service members take time to address the problem to the chaplain and the chief of chaplains. All military installations have a locator that can direct you to unit chaplains. Simply call information and contact the chaplains directly to make them understand how they have failed to properly advise the commander. Over time, chaplains and the chaplains corps will be unable to deny our rights.

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Chris Davis

The phrase “no atheists in foxholes” is cast around by many believers today.

I say the exact opposite is true. Atheists invented foxholes!

Do any churches dig holes in the ground to worship? Armies of God arise, stand toe-to-toe, and walk with the protection of a righteous god –

The great American secular tradition is to take cover behind trees, fences or houses – or dig a hole and kill your approaching God-loving enemies with the all-American long rifle!

Yet today, from a great distance in a safe bunker are long-range guided weapons. Unmanned drones kill those who would kill us!

To this end, prayers from Pat Robertson University and lessons in Intelligent Design from the Dover Schools won’t save the United States military of today. The morning Sunday School would be better served by Gameboys and video games than by clasping hands and bowing heads to the bloody, invisible God of scripture.

The after-action report from the Halls of Montezuma to the Sands of Iraq shows how God fails his followers.

George Patton reminds you from history that you should not die for your country but make the other son of a bitch die for his!

Today’s attempt to coddle our enemy by stating that “Islam is a religion of Love” or “We all believe in the same god” is HOGWASH!

George W. Bush declared that the U. S. is a secular nation. It is with the power and might of a secular nation that we today honor its veterans.

We gather here to bear witness to the fact that atheists HAVE SERVED AND DO SERVE in all of this nation’s conflicts.

The long-founded American way is a Wall of Separation. Atheists and agnostics have sought shelter behind this from the slings and arrows of the Religious zealots.

General U. S. Grant said, Let us forever keep Church and State Separate.

Ronald Reagan spoke of tearing down a wall in Eastern Europe. Today, Pat Robertson and others of his ilk would like this Wall of Separation to come down, to impose their God-inspired rule upon us.

Our country – MY country – and the men and women who serve and have served, will fight against them. Our way of life is exactly that: OUR WAY OF LIFE

Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and Osama Bin Laden in hiding are all the same. They want to change our way of life.

Today our service personnel are dying to establish a secular democracy in Iraq. Let us reaffirm our support of our troops and oppose those who would force a world rule based on their perceived God.

We are veterans. We are Americans and citizens of the best secular nation on this earth. We honor our veterans and their way of life – and if you don’t like this fact, I say to you, go to a nation under God, like Iran!

I served. I am not a hero, an often-overused term today. Of all the ribbons I earned when I served (expert small arms, a humanitarian service cross and presidential unit citation), the highest one I earned and for which all should strive was a good conduct medal.

The service personnel of today and those of yesterday set this day aside for these reflections: My Country and Their Country. Our Country and the veterans who serve and have served should be honored.

All of you could be called upon to fight for this country. Do not forget what we fight for, and who our true enemies are.

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Edwin Kagin

My name is Edwin Kagin. I am an Honorably Discharged Veteran of the United States Air Force. AF17605082. I am an Atheist.

Atheist Americans who served in the armed forces of our country resent the lie of those who insist that in times of danger we would fall on our knees before their god. Particularly when that lie comes from those who have not served.

Those who boast there are no Atheists in Foxholes are libeling American Atheists who have served, and are serving, our country defending to the death their right to falsely say we do not exist.

This lie mocks our Constitution and gives aid and comfort to the enemies of freedom.

Atheists defend the rights of all Americans to practice their various religions. We only ask that all Americans defend the rights of Atheists to not practice any of those various religions.

Atheists have fought and some have died for the rights of all Americans to practice some religion or no religion. To believe or not believe in one god, many gods, or a few gods, or to have no belief in any god, without such opinions becoming matters of public concern and official control. This county permits more than one line of march.

Which line do you want to be in? The line of faith or the line of fact? The line of reality or the line of make believe? The line carrying food and supplies to the troops in the foxholes or the line taking them bibles and platitudes? The line that believes in life after death or the line that believes in life before death? And which line is more likely to be very careful just what we do to cause our citizens to be in foxholes, to become involved in wars that present very real dangers of very real death? The line saying that after death we go to a glorious wonderland or the line that says that after death we go to the grave? The line which believes that life is a dress rehearsal or the line that believes death is the final curtain? And in times of actual war, which line really calls for the greater courage?

We ask from this public forum in our nation’s Capitol that all Americans help us to become, and to remain, “One Nation Indivisible,” dedicated to our common freedoms, and to our common defense, a nation of free people-not divided by religious controversies that cause us to become a nation divisible because of contradictory opinions about the invisible.

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Warren Allen Smith

Yes, I’m an atheist who was in a foxhole. In fact, if you want to see where the foxhole was, I’ll tell you exactly where you can still find it.

After being drafted in 1942 and being a company clerk for over a year at the Armored Force Replacement Center in Fort Knox, Kentucky, in 1944 I was shipped to Fort Dix, then transported on a Liberty Ship to Liverpool, where as an acting first sergeant I was transported overnight during a blackout to Southampton. In the morning, we climbed aboard the S. S. Rangitata, which once had seen service in Ceylon, and soon afterwards upon seeing Normandy I led my company onto Normandy Beach. It was some weeks after the initial landing. The Coast Guard had great difficulty getting the little PT boat near the shore, circling so many times that all of us were seriously seasick. Jumping into the water and being careful not to get our guns and backpacks wet, we followed a lieutenant onto the beach and up the hill, seeing the silenced Nazi concrete fortifications to our right.

At the top of the hill on Omaha Beach, and about 300 feet ahead and to the left, we dug in and became part of a “repple depple,” a replacement depot to supply General George Patton with troops. I remember how misty and rainy it was, how difficult it was to tie down a pup tent, how strange to be sleeping on French soil. The next morning, instead of exercising them, I marched my company through the nearby town of Saint Laurent Sur Mer, a town that had been mercilessly bombed and in which we found few people. The next morning, the lieutenant exercised the troops. In is absence and while filling out the Morning Report, I saw a Packard pull up and Adjutant General Floyd Brown approached, asking to see my personnel records. When he told me he was taking me to be his Chief Clerk, I said the lieutenant would return soon. But, no, he just left a note saying he had taken me. Eventually, we ended up in Reims where he was AG of Headquarters Oise, the supply organization for all troops in Europe.

If you were in Europe, we supplied you with your guns, tanks, ammunition, food, clothing, and everything else. Yes, Hq. Oise even supplied your K-rations and delivered your mail.

Our office at first on Rue Voltaire eventually moved to the Little Red Schoolhouse, which also was General Eisenhower’s headquarters. It was the site where Hitler sent General Jodl to surrender. On D-Day I was in the avant-garde – a Soviet displaced person on the left, me on the right, and a French gal in the middle - just behind the French and American flags. We led the victory parade that wound through our section of Reims and met up with other paraders near the famous Reims Cathedral.

In 1995, when I returned 50 years later, I went to the little red schoolhouse to find where my office had been. My office was there, of course. So I entered and headed straight for where ot had been. Guess what? It’s now a boys’ latrine! Holy Zeus, that’s progress!

I’m waving my dogtags. At the top are my name, serial number, year the tetanus shot was received, and blood type “O.” And at the bottom where usually religion was designated by P, C, or J, mine listed “None.” In short, I was one of those “atheists in a foxhole.” My father in World War I had been shot in foxholes two times, receiving a Purplse Heart. My foxhole was more of a pup-tent, and I still recall that it was rainy for two days after we made it up the hill.

Today at the age of 84, I’m still a non-theist, a non-revelationist, a skeptic, a pragmatist, a freethinker, a humanistic naturalist, whatever you want to call me. Also, today I’m sorry to say that as many as 70 million evangelicals (one-fourth of the nation’s population) attend more than 200,000 churches. They have backed a clique that runs our nation’s capital and want to roll back the Enlightenment and turn ours into a theocracy, not a democracy.

Because of this, I see our need today is to continue the battle, not in Normandy on Omaha Beach but right here in the States, starting in Omaha . . . and then on to Kansas City, Des Moines, Nashville, Houston, Tallahassee, and all other such battlegrounds.

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Martin Boyd

Back in 1968, when I joined the Army, I found out that the military has a problem with how they deal with non-Christians and especially non-believers. That problem has only gotten worse.

Background: I grew up in the Seventh Day Adventist church and when I joined the Army in 1968, I had figured out two things – I had no use for the “church-thing” and I wasn’t going to be an electrical engineer (I didn’t get the higher math). I had been greatly influenced by a book by Robert Heinlein (Starship Troopers and with a couple of like-minded friends, I decided to join the Army. By the way, in some circles, Robert Heinlein is one of the more famous foxhole atheists. The three of us entered the Army with the specific goal of winning a green beret. Two of us achieved that goal. My route to that objective took me through Fort Gordon, Georgia. I happened to be there on Easter Sunday, which also happened to be the day that the Army arbitrarily decided to switch to summer uniform. Now the commander, in his infinite wisdom, sent down an order – anyone who didn’t show up for Easter sunrise service would be on KP. Now Mrs. Boyd didn’t raise no dummies so I showed up just like everyone else. It was freezing, but those of us who were smart enough to show up wearing a field jacket were sent back to the barracks to take it off (not part of summer uniform). So we stood at parade rest and shivered; I doubt that anyone paid a lot of attention to the sermon but even those who wanted to hear it probably didn’t hear much because of the echoes on the parade ground.

Now here’s the deal – I didn’t think too much about what to put in the religion slot on my dog tags, so they still said “Seventh Day Adventist”. As an Adventist, I shouldn’t have had to show up for church service on Sunday. As an agnostic, I shouldn’t have had to show up for any service. We give up so many of our freedoms when we join the military. The last thing we should have to give up is our freedom of religion (or more importantly, our freedom from religion; because without freedom from religion, there is no freedom of religion).

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Spike Tyson

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and all you FOXHOLE ATHEISTS — welcome to Washington DC and the first ever gathering of FOXHOLE ATHEISTS in this city.

My name is Spike Tyson and I am the former National Commander of the ATHEIST VETERANS.

It is true … THERE ARE ATHEISTS IN FOXHOLES and I am living proof of that statement. I am a 100% disabled twice wounded Vietnam combat veteran … and do you know what scares the religious right the most about me?

I am a LIVING, BREATHING, IN YOUR FACE FOXHOLE ATHEIST AND DAMNED PROUD OF IT!!!

We Atheists have served this country with distinction and valor in EVERY war.

We were there at Lexington and Concord, and in 1812.

We were there at the Alamo, and at Gettysburg and Shiloh.

We were there with Custer, and on the Main and at San Juan Hill.

We were there in the Philippines, and in the trenches and no-mans-land of WWI.

We were there on Normandy Beach, and we have members of the Chosen few.

I was there in Quan Loi, and WE are now in Baghdad.

We were there in all the small wars and conflicts this country has ever been in and we have always made up at least 10% of the military population.

10% of the wounded are Atheists.

10% of the POW's are Atheists.

10% of the Killed in action were Atheists.

But I am told all of the time that “THERE ARE NO ATHEISTS IN FOXHOLES” by such people as Tom Brokow on March 11th 2004 on national TV.

Now I do not know, nor care to know, where Mr. Brokow was in 1969, but I can tell you this – HE WAS NOT IN MY FOXHOLE OR ON MY TANK.

We were told by George Bush #1 the father of #2, back in 1988 at O’Hair airport that “I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ATHEISTS CAN BE CONSIDERED AS CITIZENS NOR PATRIOTS”

We are not allowed to be members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion or Am Vets. These and other bigoted groups are allowed to LEGALLY discriminate against us, and yet they receive government money and support. Politicians of all types are seen in and around them, EVEN IF THEY WERE NEVER IN THE MILITARY, and they grant those bigoted groups special favors and tax status.

According to federal court rulings a group cannot discriminate against someone based on religion OR THE LACK THEREOF!! And still receive government money or support. However there is this one UNSPOKEN exception that is allowed and that is “IF THE PERSON IS AN ATHEIST, THEN YOU CAN!”

I WILL NOT support ANY organization, that receives government money or support, which will not allow an Atheist in. Be it the bigoted boy scouts, the VFW, American Legion, OR ANY OTHER GROUP.

Let me take a minute and tell you about what happened to me at the National Convention of the Military Order of the Purple Hearts back in 1991. Now this organizations only requirement is that you be wounded in combat and that you have received a Purple Heart, by the way it is also chartered by Congress.

I was listening to the National Commander speak to a small group about some aspect of military life and I heard him say “There has never been an Atheist in a foxhole as you well know” and every one agreed with him. So I piped up and said, “If that is true how do you explain me? I am an Atheist and always have been.” To which he replied “You are either lying or you have never been wounded, which is it?”

Now I want you to think about this for a minute, using his logic Atheists can be in combat but we can never be wounded or killed, now if that were true EVERY SOLIDER WOULD WANT TO BE AN ATHEIST, BECAUSE WE ARE THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR AND CANNOT BE HARMED BY AN ENEMY!!

The last time a group believed something like that was the Native Americans using their Prayer Shirts to stop bullets; they were invincible according to their religious leaders, and yet they were killed by the hundreds.

I know from personal experience that a male or a female Atheist can stop a bullet or shrapnel just as well as a Jew, Christian, or a Tibetan Monk. For that matter so can a Gay, an African American, a Latino, a Transsexual, or even a two-minute-old child with AIDS.

If I could I would like to end my speech by having all the Foxhole Atheists stand up.

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow citizens and Patriots, here are examples of Americas Finest men and women, who have served this country.

All we want is to have a place at the table; we have earned it, with our blood, our sweat, our commitment, our patriotism and some with their lives.

Veterans, Foxhole Atheists, I thank you for your service and I salute you.

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Chuck

Hello everyone. I’m Chuck from Providence, Rhode Island and I was an atheist in a foxhole. I’d like to thank the organizers of this event for giving me a few moments to speak.

I served in the Navy for two years, and I was deployed to the Persian Gulf for one year. At first I was as a regular seaman, later I was as an operations specialist, eventually becoming an E-4. Luckily I wasn’t involved any combat, but that doesn’t change the fact that I did serve – I was an atheist when I entered the military and an atheist when I left. Along with many people here, I’m one more counter-example to the adage we all here to prove wrong.

I’m sure many of us have read the news reports of real religious discrimination in the military. For example, there was a chaplain in Iraq who horded water for baptisms and the Air Force Academy officers treated non-Christians unfairly. I think events like this will help show military leaders that equality of treatment for all religious views is necessary.

There is evidence of improvement. The Air Force did release guidelines that limit proselytizing. A few journalists have corrected or apologized for their “atheists in foxholes” remarks. I hope the rest of the people who have repeated the phrase realize, after today, that the phrase is a lie. There have been, are and will be atheists in foxholes.

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Ariel Thomann

Long ago and far away, I was raised a good little Christian boy. Then one day, when I was about 12 years old, I happened to start reading a church hymnal. I read the lyrics that I had been parroting to music all my life. That was pretty much it, it was all too stupid.

I grew up under a dictatorial regime, under a very charismatic national leader. I learned early on that crowds can be manipulated, and I decided that I must always retain control of my thoughts in crowd settings, whether pep rallies, or political or religious settings. I left my family and my country when I was 18 years old, because I could no longer stand being told what to think, who I could talk to, and what to say – or else. This country received me with open arms, and I love it.

In 1983, I visited Berlin with my family. Standing at the base of the Berlin Wall, near Checkpoint Charlie, I told my 15 year old son that every Human being has the right – indeed, the duty – to use her or his mind, free and unfettered. And that some of us must be willing to pay whatever price is needed to keep people like those on the other side of the wall from expanding their control over human minds. I am still willing to pay any price to safeguard the right to think freely.

We are here today to object to being told that we don’t exist. And I have good news for you! I am lousy at quoting chapter and verse, so I thank the Gideons for providing me this book from which I can read to you the exact words.

First, let me tell you that I descended from the people of the land of Nod. Genesis Chapter 4, verse 16, says that after killing his brother “Cain went… and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden” – that’s where other humans were living, and surely you and I descend from them.

That’s important because it says very clearly in Genesis Chapter 2, verse 17, that God had told Adam that “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: FOR IN THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST THEREOF THOU SHALT SURELY D-I-E. And then in Genesis Chapter 3, verse 12, Adam owned up and said “the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I DID EAT”. And in Genesis Chapter 2, verse 13, Eve said “the serpent beguiled me, and I DID EAT”. They both ate! If they didn’t die, that had been God’s first lie. But surely… God didn’t lie, so… they both died right then and there, and they died childless. If they had no children, they had no descendants to this day, so the people who tell us that WE don’t exist are THEMSELVES the ones who really don’t exist. We can ignore them all. Have fun with it!

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