Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Mike Boston initially turned down an invitation to be the guest speaker at the Lakeway Veterans Service, held Nov. 11.

In September, Boston found inspiration during a trip with his wife with a group of Lakeway artists to Alpine in West Texas. It was there in the desert where Boston found inspiration for a Veterans Day address.
“We hadn’t driven in west Texas since 1997, and then it was mostly on I-10 with an environment that is typical highway driving,” Boston said. “We had a great week visiting Marathon, Fort Davis, Marfa, and truly enjoyed the painting classes held on the Sul Ross State University campus in Alpine. We even saw the Marfa lights.”
As the couple were headed home, they took a detour to see the rugged beauty of the countryside.
“When I tried to imagine the same countryside virtually uninhabited and without the paved roads — say 150 years ago — I thought about the hardships endured by those who rode the trails that later became dirt roads, railways, and later with adjacent highways,” Boston said. “Long before the term ‘The Right Stuff’ became vogue, those men, women, and children clearly exhibited ‘The Right Stuff’ to be able to do what they did, for whatever their personal goals might have been. They were veteran pioneers in their own way — veteran described accurately as a person (or persons) long experienced or practiced in an activity or capacity — or someone who has given long service.”
Boston then digressed to examine the term — “The Right Stuff.” It was the product of author Tom Wolfe’s 1979 best-selling book about the original Project Mercury Astronauts, who came to be known as the “Mercury Seven.” Later the book was made into a film in 1983.
“It’s very likely known to most of you that one of the Mercury Seven Astronauts, Alan Shepard who was the first man in space, built a home with his wife Louise at 818 Mariner, in Lakeway in 1966,” Boston said. “He later landed on the Moon in 1971 and delighted golfers worldwide by unfolding a specially-made driver and hitting two golf balls from the Moon’s surface. Now, back to ‘The Right Stuff.’
“It has been reported that Tom Wolfe felt he had captured the astronauts’ Ethos, or ‘The Right Stuff,’ in his writing — described as the unspoken code of bravery and machismo that compelled such men to do what they did,” Boston said.
Boston said it was essential to break the words down in order to pursue the theme of his remarks.He pointed out that “Ethos” described as the disposition, character, or fundamental values peculiar to a specific person, people, culture, or movement.
“For today, let’s say I’m examining the Ethos of America,” Boston said.
He defined “right” as meaning righteous, upright, just, proper, correct, appropriate, suitable, normal, sound, honorable, genuine, or real.
Finally, he defined “stuff” as “a substance, worth, aggregate of matter, fundamental material, special capability, or ideas.”
“With those seeds planted firmly in your minds, let’s drift back a few generations — say 75 years or so,” Boston said. “A few of you here today may remember the late 1930’s; for sure many of you can recall America’s entry into World War II. I won’t even try to evaluate the political or diplomatic issues associated with those times; that’s something that the authors of our history books are responsible for. I will only comment that I personally recall Dec. 7, 1941, and know that most of the lives lost at Pearl Harbor that day were caused by combat between the armed forces of two separate and distinct nation-states, and at that time on foreign soil.
“While I can neither confirm nor deny my next statement, it is reported that the man responsible for the attack at Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamamoto, later proclaimed that Japan had merely awakened a ‘sleeping-giant,’” Boston continued. “What a profound thought that was to become.”
Faced with the trials of World War II, Boston pointed out that Americans pooled resources with a determination never seen before.
“Not only did America achieve victory — now commonly known as the peace symbol — but our resources were later brought together to help our former enemies rebuild from the destruction that was brought upon them.” Boston said.
Boston compared that time in history to ”the long, hard, pull up the rails of a roller-coaster.”
“Once at the top, the thrilling ride of recovery began, when only good things could happen to our country,” Boston said. “Collectively, Americans exhibited ‘The Right Stuff’ and determination to achieve the goals and objectives that were a necessity of the times; now it was time to enjoy the ride — and seemingly we did just that; and what a ride it was,” he said.
He noted the nation pulled together again in for the war in Korea; however, for the most part, the next decade would see an unparalleled period of peace and prosperity.
“Back then, ‘Father Knew Best,’ and seemingly everyone ‘Left It to Beaver’ to solve the issues of the day with the help of the classical mom and dad of the era, June and Ward Cleaver,” Boston said. “Back then, ‘Everybody Loved Lucy’ too.”
Yet those years of peace and prosperity were followed by a decade of upheaval and the Vietnam War.
“There’s no reason for me to delve in the details — we all know them,” Boston said. “It appears to me, however, that ‘The Right Stuff’ seemingly handed down to us by our parents and grand-parents was somehow becoming diluted. The Ethos of the American people was changing; those enjoying the ride in the roller-coaster cars had somehow come to the end of the ride, or they had put the brakes on and for some reason we were heading in a different direction.”
Boston chose not to address the particulars of the Vietnam War, of which he is a veteran, except to note the war “was poorly managed.”
“Notice that I say managed as opposed to led,” Boston observed. “The military leaders had their hands-tied by the managers. I believe I have a right to say that because I, as many of you here today, was there and experienced it. Summarily it was more often than not frustrating; and I will say that the war was not lost by the warrior, but by the politicians in Washington, D.C. The Ethos of the American people seemed to be changing; even though the term The Right Stuff had yet to become a public term.”
With that, he fast-forward to the beginning of the new millennium.
“Within that window of our history, America had recovered from the Vietnam era; yet once again the strength of our military was called upon, this time in the arid deserts of the Middle-East,” Boston said. “Apparently the adversary doubted our resolve, as over 500,000 soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and coast guard were marshaled in the Persian Gulf and swiftly defeated Saddam Hussein in Operation Desert Storm. Said differently, the long-hard-pull up the roller-coaster rails was beginning to ease and the country was enjoying the wild ride of peace and prosperity. Seemingly, we hadn’t a worry in the world — or did we.
“While the answer to that question might have been blowing-in-the-wind, the average American seemed oblivious of any threat to our national security; not the threats to our coast guard or sailors on navy ships at-sea, nor our soldiers, Marines, and airmen in barracks or embassies on foreign soil, but the threat to our homeland — the threat to our civilians,” he continued. “Unlike the attack on Pearl Harbor, who would have thought there was a risk of an attack on innocent civilians on our homeland soil?”
Once again, Boston digressed to December 1994.
“Thanks to the generosity of then-Congressman Duncan Hunter, I had the privilege of attending the National Security Briefing for the new Republican members of the 104th Congress,” Boston said. “The keynote address was given by the renowned writer of fiction and non-fiction military novels Tom Clancy. The bottom-line of his address seemed to be that all of the technical information written in his novels comes directly from government agencies like the Pentagon through the Freedom of Information Act. At the end of the event, Clancy provided signed copies of his latest fiction novel ‘Debt of Honor.’”
Boston did not get around to reading the book until after the attacks of 9/11.
“When reading the final pages of the 700-plus page novel, a chill ran through my body,” Boston said. “You see in 1994, Clancy vividly described a fuel laden 747 airliner crashing into our nation’s capitol building while the president and our legislators were in session. How could it be that a noted author had insight to such a possible scenario? Surely not from sources available through the Freedom of Information Act process — and surely not from government officials who later asked not to be identified. Ironically, it appears that the seemingly fictional scenario was mitigated in real life seven-years later by the brave passengers on United Airlines Flight 93.”
After the attacks, the nation united for a time with a sense of patriotism similar to that which followed the attack on Pearl Harbor.
“Then Speaker of the House Dennis Hassert proclaimed on the steps of our nation’s capitol that Congress promised to ‘stand together’ and vowed revenge,” Boston said. “A silent prayer was offered; and as the Congress began to disperse from the steps, in an unscripted moment the leaders of America spontaneously sang, ‘God-Bless-America,’ seemingly putting God into the hearts of all Americans.”
He noted how Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, declared the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. as an “act of war.” Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, called the attacks “a declaration of war” that “demands a forceful response.” Boston said Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, suggested the U.S. should pursue retaliation “whatever the cost.”
“Could it be that the only time the leaders of America are willing to openly display what were the core values of our forefathers is during the most extreme national security crisis?” Boston asked.
“The Ethos of Americans once again seemed to display what I would describe as ‘The Right Stuff,’” Boston said. “Flags flew like never before; pride in our country, our way of life, our energy, and our determination seemed to be the predominate theme of America. Our country seemed to have the confidence and the assurance that we were on the right track.”
But similar to the Vietnam era, about four to five years into the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, “Americans seemed to get tired, become bored, or simply dissatisfied.”
“Setting aside whatever the goals and objectives of the country might have been after 9/11, the American public seemed to be changing its mind or losing focus — they seemed to be resetting their priorities,” Boston said. “Right or wrong, the roller-coaster ride was beginning to lose its energy — something seemed to be putting on the brakes. ‘The Right Stuff’ seemed to become diluted once again — similar to the ending of the Vietnam era.
“To underscore my perception, let me address a couple of seemingly important national events over this past year,” he continued. “One topic which was referenced no less that twice in world events began on June 25 with the headline, ‘The death of Michael Jackson triggers outpouring of worldwide grief.’ That topic continued for weeks and seemingly ended on July 7 with another headline, ‘Public memorial service for Michael Jackson regarded as one of the most prominent of all time.’”
The lack of focus struck Boston as ironic.
He recalled how the central character of the Wolfe’s book, retired U.S. Air Force Major Gen. Chuck Yeager, considered by most in the military to be the best test pilot of his era — and possibly of all time. But Yeager had enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II, worked his way up the ranks of leadership from aircraft mechanic to general. While Yeager may have had ‘The Right Stuff,’ he did not hold a college degree, and NASA insisted the initial pilots of the Mercury program must have graduated from college. But Yeager, considered by all his contemporaries to be the best of all test pilots, was passed over.
“Through the Internet in September, the general [Yeager] reflected upon a chance meeting he had with an old gentleman named Shifty Powers,” Boston said. “Shifty served in the 101st Airborne during World War II, and his experiences have been forever recorded in all ten episodes of the television special Band of Brothers. It was in June 2009, and he was boarding a plane on his return from France just after the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944.
“To paraphrase the general, Shifty had a seat in Coach, and Yeager wanted to switch seats with him since he was in First Class,” he continued. “As the general tried to encourage the seat exchange, he reports that Shifty said, ‘No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and who still care, is enough to make an old man very happy.’ Yeager goes on to say that Shifty’s eyes were filling up as he said it — the same that the general’s were as he was writing of his experience.”
Boston said Yeager closed his story, “noting that just days later, on June 17, 2009, Shifty died after fighting a long battle with cancer.”
“Yeager underscored that there was no parade, no big event in Staples Center, no wall-to-wall, back-to-back 24/7 news coverage, no weeping fans on television,” Boston said. “He finished with the comment that it’s not right, and flooded the Internet with his own memorial service to World War II veteran Shifty Powers. To me, Chuck Yeager joined Shifty’s Band of Brothers — all of which clearly have ‘The Right Stuff.’”
The following month the nation was observing the 40th anniversary of Woodstock.
“Even then, as now, the media fondly remembered the ‘cherished’ rock concert during those four days in August 1969,” Boston said with a sense of irony. “Newsweek described (the 60s generation) as ‘a youthful, long-haired army, almost as large as the U.S. force in Vietnam” with one of the promoters citing the “opportunity to showcase the drug culture as a beautiful phenomenon.’ They went on to report that “some 400,000 of the nation’s affluent white young attended the electric pot dream” and later sympathetically described them as ‘a veritable army of hippies and freaks.’
“Then Time Magazine gushed with admiration for the tribal gathering, declaring, ‘It may well rank as one of the most significant political and sociological events of the age,’” Boston continued. “While Time deplored the three deaths that occurred due to drug related incidents at Woodstock, they closed their essay with a comment that ‘the attendees exhibited a mystical feeling for themselves as a special group.’”
Here is where the irony met reality for Boston. While the nation celebrated Woodstock, 109 GIs died in Vietnam.
“I think you might be able to see the parallels here; in my opinion, the American public has essentially lost focus in what’s important,” Boston said. “Regardless of how we got to where we are today, allow me to reflect once again upon the legendary statement of Admiral Yamamoto. To those Americans who seem to be trying to dilute what I recall as the traditional American culture — the Ethos that was developed by our forefathers who penned the ‘Declaration of Independence’ — perhaps you have awakened a sleeping giant. Perhaps we are experiencing yet another long arduous struggle up the rails of the roller coaster with an unrelenting determination to once again reach the top and win the fight for our liberties and our freedoms.
“In the words of Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Navy Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Kelley, penned in the novel ‘Medal of Honor — Profiles of America’s Military Heroes’ written by Allen Mikaelian and published in 2002, these days the military is somewhat detached from the public, he continued, quoting Mikaelian, “‘There’s no sense of ownership…Now your average citizen probably doesn’t even know somebody in the military.’ The politicians won’t make the effort, because the condition of our veterans isn’t a daily part of enough people’s lives. Kelley believes, ‘Until the average citizen stands up and says [something] is important…then nothing is going to happen.’”
Boston believes Americans must keep its priorities in order.
“Whatever the outcome, we all here must ensure and promise ourselves that we continue to do ‘The Right Things’ to support those few who still have ‘The Right Stuff’ — those men and women who wear the cloth of our country — the veterans of tomorrow.”