Lieutenant Colonel Allen B. West on The Constitution

“We don’t retreat, we don’t surrender and we make a stand based upon principle.”

Lt. Colonel West:  Well, the bottom line is that as a soldier I took an oath to the Constitution, to support and defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic and to bare truth, faith and allegiance to the same.  And so for me, you know, I’ve always  kind of been a guardian of this Constitutional Republic.  I took an oath to serve and defend this great Nation which is enshrined in those words in our Constitution. That defines who we are and it means everything to me as an American.

KBN See Action News reporter Tyler (16) had a chance to meet and talk to Colonel Allen West on June 27th  at Jensen Beach, Stuart, FL.

WTK4 TEENS INTERVIEW

Tyler: Lt. Colonel West, where were you born and where did you grow up?

Lt. Colonel West: Well, I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Born back in 1961, in the same neighborhood as Dr. King, so a little bit of history there.

Tyler: Do you have a family and children?

Lt. Colonel West: Yes, I have a wife Angela, she has an NBA and PHD.  We’ve been married for 25  years and two daughters.  Aubrey is our oldest. She is twenty one and a senior in college.  Austin is our youngest and she is 17.  She is a senior in high school.

Tyler: When did you join the service?

Lt. Colonel West: I was commissioned 31 July, 1982 and I had one more year of college to finish as a senior at the University of Tennessee. I came on active duty the 1^st of November of 1983.

Tyler: What does the Constitution mean to you and why is it important?

Lt. Colonel West:  Well, the bottom line is that as a soldier I took an oath to the Constitution, to support and defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic and to bare truth, faith and allegiance to the same.  And so for me, you know, I’ve always  kind of been a guardian of this Constitutional Republic.  I took an oath to serve and defend this great Nation which is enshrined in those words in our Constitution. That defines who we are and it means everything to me as an American.

Tyler: What aspects of the Constitution are most relevant to the issues of today?

Lt. Colonel West:  Well I think all of the portions of the Constitution (are), when you understand separation of powers that James Madison constructed based upon the book “The Spirit of the Laws” by Montesquieu that talks about those co-equal branches of government and the respect between those branches of government.  We see the violations of that and we see the Supreme Court just made a decision nine to zero against the President.  You talk about providing for the common defense; we need to do what Ronald Reagan said: “Peace through strength,”  And we need to be able to protect our borders.  The founding fathers wrote about that in Article 1 Section 8, Article 1 Section 10 and Article 4 Section 4, when they talked about repelling invasions.

Tyler: Who is your favorite American hero?

Lt. Colonel West: Wow . . . My favorite American hero?  I would probably say it is Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain who was the hero at the Battle of Gettysburg, day 2, Little Round Top; just a simple man that saved the day for Union Army of the Potomac.  He went on to be the person that was the honor guard for Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse and he became a governor of Maine. He was just a simple professor of  Rhetoric from Bowdoin, Maine but he showed what an American that believes in principle and leadership can do when challenged.

Tyler: What event in history most speaks to you and does it have any impact to  your      philosophy?

Lt. Colonel West: Well, I think that from the beginning when the Minuteman answered the call of arms at Lexington and Concord, that really defines who we are as American people.  We don’t retreat, we don’t surrender and we make a stand based upon principle.   And I think that’s what we have to come back to and understand; who we are as a people, the Constitution and what it means and to find our courage to make a stand for future generations such as yourself.

Tyler: What are the most positive things about America?

Lt. Colonel West: One of the most positive things about America is just like what we’re doing here today.  We’re standing on Jensen Beach, we’re watching a beautiful sunrise over the Atlantic.  It’s all because of men and women who were willing to make a sacrifice so that we can enjoy these freedoms.

Tyler: What message would you like to send to the American youth?

Lt. Colonel West:  The message I want to send to the American youth is that this is a great country and we need to make sure that we pass on a heritage, a lineage and a legacy of American exceptionalism to each and everyone of you so that you can enjoy all the great liberties and freedoms that all the previous generations have had.  So I ask that you understand who you are as an American citizen, understand what this country means so that you can step up and be the next guardians of this Republic.

Tyler:  Thank you Colonel West for taking the time to allow me to interview you.

Lt. Colonel West:  Thank you, Tyler.

Tyler’s Grandma – Shona Darress pictured here with Colonel Allen West. Born in Invercargill, New Zealand and lived there until leaving on a world tour in 1969. Lived in England two years, Germany 3 months, and Libya 7 years before finally settling here in the good ole USA. Became a naturalized citizen in 1989. Has five kids, the first born in London, the next two were born in Tripoli, Libya and the last two born in Singapore. I have 6 grandchildren, all living here in the Stuart, Florida area. I have legal custody of two of my grandchildren and we are in the process of adopting them. My husband Bart, is a directional driller of oil wells currently working in Oklahoma after spending about 10 years in the Bakkan Field in N. Dakota. Before working in ND he worked in the oil fields all over the world. I am a member of the Tea Party from its inception and have attended many rallies and marches including several very large ones in Washington, DC. I am also a member of our local Republican Executive Committee and am now a part of a new committee being set up to deal with the issues of Common Core and the effect it is having on our kids.

 WE THE KIDS gives Lieutenant Colonel Allen B.West

OUR

WTK SEAL OF APPROVAL!

Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel West!