Veterans
Related: About this forumFlag detail Monday no replies needed a ramble
I been up having coffee got email from our Airborne association yesterday of Graves our sons and I are covering,once again I am reminded how lucky I was. 84-87 to have never been in any action, I owe a big thank You to whoever talked regan off the ledge of massive mission creep into Central America. As a matter of fact I owe the Russian army a thank you for never trying to head west ,after I broke my ankle twice on drops , I got taken off jump status sent to mech infantry in West Germany. Thanks my Soviet brothers in arms for letting me party hard.
As young kid Airborne infantry I had that mindset aggressive when ever where ever. If we go were gonna send them to powder valley better start saying your prayers. Just how we thought young stupid huge green gills wet behind the ears. Our only saving grace was the senior NCO if it would have happened as they were Vietnam vets.
Monday we only have three graves to cover two rakkasans 187th and and a herd troop 173rd. Fine Americans KIA KOREA OTHER TWO VIETNAM. Yesterday I got our suits out cleaners least we can do is to dress presentable I even spit shined our dress shoes.
And I am reminded of those who served and still walking around. My or our two son in laws iraq and Afghanistan multiple tours as naval corpsmen and a army scout. They remind me of my father two tours with the 173rd Vietnam, burned out and waking around with bad memories.
And I have my Great uncle set up Army retired 1951 to 1976 Korea and Vietnam tours. I bought him a new cigarette rolling machine 4 boxes of tops tubes and three cans tops tobacco and a case of Heineken. My wife asked me why do you enable him I said he survived two wars so tobacco and booze is not a big threat he survived two wars one sharp trooper bad ass ,i smoke a pipe.
He is a Very smart man why he told me join that fine service the coast guard stays away from the infantry. I was young and dumb didnt listen, but I say this with sincerity and humor. My first jump in airborne school in the belly of that C-130 when those fine airborne NCOS cracked the doors on that aircraft. I was squinting because of the sun looking around that C-130 for the nearest coast guard recruiting office. To quote Everett George Clooneys character from oh brother where art thou on that day. In 84 I was thinking over that DZ at benning were in a tight spot.
wasupaloopa
(4,516 posts)countrys freedom. That is an idea concocted by civilians to somehow justify that war, the same is true about Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
But I get thank you for your service messages from family and I dont respond much.
Now we are making up bull shit about Iran just like the Gulf of Tonkin and the Iraq WMDs.
When civilians stop being gung ho about war then we can thank cooler heads having prevailed.
WWII was different I think because freedom of Europe was at stake but none of our wars since have been waged for our freedoms or anybody elses. All have been wars of opportunity and poor boys and now girls are the grist that is used up to gain the goals of someone who feels no remorse about it.
So every Memorial Day I have this sadness that we think there is good and glory in war. There is neither and it is not a good thing to act as if is.
TEB
(13,689 posts)And exactly stop these children crusades Bolton trump cowards who now are hawks fuck off clowns
cyclonefence
(4,873 posts)that there are still people (and if I'd had to guess who, I'd have been right) who visit and decorate graves, on Memorial Day or any time. As a child, I used to go to the cemetery with my grandmother to pull weeds and put fresh flowers on family graves ( the cemetery was a place where I could find four-leaf clovers). I never visit graves, nor did my parents, even though my father was a decorated WWII vet of the Army Air Force. We all ought to tend our heroes' graves, especially on day like this, set aside to honor our war dead.
You're a fine fellow, TEB.
TEB
(13,689 posts)Did not want to be reminded my friend as he was ww2 vet. I love that you would look four 4 leaf clovers awesome memories as a young girl.
ROB-ROX
(767 posts)I have two great father's (one who was at Pearl Harbor)who are veterans. My father (34 years) & his brother were veterans. I am a veteran (70-76) & I have 3 cousins who are veterans. Nobody but vet's know that all enlistments are 6 year contracts. A person may not be "active" for six years, but I did not get my "honorable discharge" until my contract "expired." I decided in the 70's that if there was a war with a draft I would drive my sons (3) to Canada if required. I did NOT want my family members serving in a FAKE WAR. I think the asshole vice president is a yellow turd for telling West Point graduates to EXPECT another war. We veterans are TWICE citizens for serving our country and voting "correctly" (versus being a "drone".)
TEB
(13,689 posts)So true and direct my friend