by Peter J. Fotopoulos.
On May 3, 1945, five days before the end of World War II in Europe, my uncle, 21-year-old 1st Lt. John R. Traige, the son of Macedonian immigrants Pantelis and Marie Trainou, and a member of the 513th Fighter Squadron, 406th Fighter Group, Army Air Force, flew his P-47 fighter-bomber over Eckernförde, Germany, attacking Nazi ships on what would be his final mission. He gave his life so we wouldn't have to fight Nazis and fascists here in America.
On February 17, 2024 a group of Nazis — wearing red shirts and black masks while waving swastika flags — marched in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.
Had Uncle John been flying his P-47 over Germany in 1945 and spotted a group of men in an open field, carrying Nazi flags and wearing red shirts that made them easy targets, he would have strafed them with the eight Browning .50 caliber machine guns in his plane's wings, and perhaps dropped one or two of the 1,000-pound AN-M65 bombs his P-47 carried on them for good measure.
Lt. Traige's mission would have been considered a success if after his attack not one Nazi was left alive, and their flags had been reduced to scorched and splintered trash.
Uncle John would have been 101 years old this year. It is conceivable that had he not died in combat in 1945, he might be alive today to witness Nazis marching in America, and a man who never served his country in the military, is the enemy of our friends and the friend of our enemies, and has never denounced the Nazis who support him, occupying the White House as president of the country Lt. Traige gave his life for while fighting Nazis and fascism.
It is our duty as Americans to honor the sacrifices of my uncle and hundreds of thousands of others who gave life and limb to defend our democracy and freedom, by standing up for the Constitution and the vision our founding fathers had to "form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."
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