Subject: Is: > >The average age of an American infantry soldier is 19 >years. > >He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under >normal circumstances is considered by society as half >man, half boy. > >Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a >beer, but old enough to die for his country. > >He never really cared much for work and he would >rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he >has never collected unemployment either. > >He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an >average student, pursued some form of sport >activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has >a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when >he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from >half a world away. > >He listens to rock and roll or hip hop or rap or jazz >or swing and 155 mm Howitzers. > >He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at >Home because he is working or fighting from before >dawn to well after dusk. > >He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain >for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds >and reassemble it in less-in the dark. > >He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun >or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if >he must. > >He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid >like a professional. > >He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he >is told to march. > >He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but >he is not without spirit or individual dignity. > >He is self-sufficient. > >He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears >the other. > >He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. > >He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to >clean his rifle. > >He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and >fix his own hurts. > >If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if >you are hungry, his food. > >He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst >of battle when you run low. > >He has learned to use his hands like weapons and >weapons like they were his hands. > >He can save your life - or take it, because that is >his job. > >He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw >half the pay and still find ironic humor in it all. > >He has seen more suffering and death then he should >have in his short lifetime. > >He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped >to create them. > >He has wept in public and in private, for friends who >have fallen in combat and he is unashamed. > >He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate >through his body while at rigid attention, while >tempering the burning desire to square-away' those >around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their >hat, or even stop talking. > >In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he >defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did >his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is >paying the price for our freedom. > >Beardless or not, he is not a boy. > >He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this >country free for over 200 years. > >He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship >and understanding. > >Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect >and admiration with his blood. > >_________________________________________________________________
I wish I could send it to all the protesters who have never been in the military I Am the Flag of the Of America I am the flag of the United States of America. My name is Old Glory. I fly atop the world's tallest buildings. I stand watch in America's halls of justice. I fly majestically over institutions of learning. I stand guard with power in the world. Look up and see me. I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice. I stand for freedom. I am confident. I am arrogant. I am proud. When I am flown with my fellow banners, My head is a little higher, My colors a little truer. I bow to no one! I am recognized all over the world. I am worshipped - I am saluted. I am loved - I am revered. I am respected - and I am feared. I have fought in every battle of every war for more then 200 years. I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appamatox. I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy. Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me. I was there. I led my troops, I was dirty, battleworn and tired, But my soldiers cheered me and I was proud. I have been burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries I have helped set free. It does not hurt for I am invincible. I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled in the streets of my country. And when it's done by those Whom I've served in battle - it hurts. But I shall overcome - for I am strong. I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon. I have borne silent witness to all of America's finest hours. But my finest hours are yet to come. When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield, When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier, Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent at the grave of their fallen son or daughter, I am proud. Please forward this message to all who still love and respect me that I may fly proudly for another two hundred years.
I didn't read the rest of the posts because I was bawling at the first. I work for the airlines and we are doing CRAF flying. Flying the military over. I wouldn't turn down a shift but wondered if I'd make it worse by looking at those young faces and crying. I didn't end up assigned to any. Hopefully, I will be assigned to bring some of them home soon. I will still probably lose it as I am thankful for my life and freedom. GOD bless the people that are braver than I!!!!
PICTURE THIS I want you to close your eyes and picture in your mind the soldier at Valley Forge, as he holds his musket in his bloody hands. He stands barefoot in the snow, starved from lack of food, wounded from months of battle and emotionally scarred from the eternity away from his family surrounded by nothing but death and carnage of war. He stands tough, with fire in his eyes and victory on his breath. He looks at us now in anger and disgust and tells us this... I gave you a birthright of freedom born in the Constitution and now your children graduate too illiterate to read it. I fought in the snow barefoot to give you the freedom to vote and you stay at home because it rains. I left my family destitute to give you the freedom of speech and you remain silent on critical issues, because it might be bad for business. It's the soldier not the reporter who gives you the freedom of the press. It's the soldier not the poet who gives you the freedom of speech. It's the soldier not the campus organizer who allows you to demonstrate. It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose coffin is draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn the flag!!! "Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen." When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq - AND all over this world. OF ALL THE GIFTS YOU COULD GIVE A SOLDIER PRAYER IS THE VERY BEST ONE!! -- Author Unknown
Yeah, I should really tell those Iraqi children who were killed today to stop messing with my freedom of speech...thank god those soldiers are over there ensuring they don't...
Subject: Fw: ANN MARGARET STORY A very good message about a Viet Nam vet and movie star Ann Margaret which was written by the veteran's wife -- unique and well worth reading: Richard, my husband, never really talked a lot about his time in Viet Nam other than he had been shot by a sniper. However, he had a rather grainy, 8x10 black-&-white photo he had taken at a USO show of Ann Margaret with Bob Hope in the background that was one of his treasures. A few years ago, Ann Margaret was doing a book-signing at a local bookstore. Richard wanted to see if he could get her to sign the treasured photo, so he arrived at the bookstore at 12 o'clock for the 7:30 signing. When I got there after work, the line went all the way around the bookstore, circled the parking lot, and disappeared behind a parking garage. Before her appearance, bookstore employees announced that she would sign only her book and no memorabilia would be permitted. Richard was disappointed, but wanted to show her the photo and let her know how much those shows meant to lonely GI's so far from home. Ann Margaret came out looking as beautiful as ever and, as 2nd in line, it was soon Richard's turn. He presented the book for her signature and then took out the photo. When he did, there were many shouts from the employees that she would not sign it. Richard said, "I understand. I just wanted her to see it." She took one look at the photo, tears welled up in her eyes and she said, "This is one of my gentlemen from Viet Nam and I most certainly will sign his photo. I know what these men did for their country and I always have time for "my gentlemen." With that, she pulled Richard across the table and planted a big kiss on him. She then made quite a to-do about the bravery of the young men she met over the years, how much she admired them, and how much she appreciated them. There weren't too many dry eyes among those close enough to hear. She then posed for pictures and acted as if he was the only one there. Later, at dinner, Richard was very quiet. When I asked if he'd like to talk about it, my big strong husband broke down in tears. "That's the first time anyone ever thanked me for my time in the Army," he said. That night was a turning point for him. He walked a little straighter and, for the first time in years, was proud to have been a Vet.
Re: Re: A Soldier 1*Yeah, I should really tell those Iraqi children who were killed today to stop messing with my freedom of speech...thank God those soldiers are over there ensuring they don't... fingrrrl =============== 1* Could you enlighten me as to what you mean by this comment? Exactly what kind of a statement are you trying to make?
Re: Re: A Soldier That was a terrible thing that those children were killed. But what about all the children in the US that were left without parents on 9/11 due to the kind of terror that Saddam Hussein supports and authorizes.
Re: Re: Re: A Soldier Originally posted by fingrrrl Yeah, I should really tell those Iraqi children who were killed today to stop messing with my freedom of speech...thank God those soldiers are over there ensuring they don't... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That was a terrible thing that those children were killed. But what about all the children in the US that were left without parents on 9/11 due to the kind of terror that Saddam Hussein supports and authorizes. ++++++++++++++++++++www.tannerlending.com DISPUTER ============================ Or what about: U.S. Finds Suicide Vests in Iraqi School More than 40 of the vests - on hangers and shrouded in plastic - lay on the floor of a classroom Saturday morning, two days after Marines discovered them in an elementary school in a middle-class neighborhood. Just 150 yards away, a junior high school held hundreds of huge crates of weapons, rocket-propelled grenades, surface-to-air missiles and shoulder-launched rockets The Fedayeen fighters unloaded the weapons in the two school compounds, yards from the nearest houses. We have children, we have families, what are we supposed to do?'' asked Farouk al Amary, 54, whose house is just across the street from the school. ``We don't want bombs.''For the past day, residents had brought the Marines dozens of rocket-propelled grenades, shoulder-launched rockets and even mortar systems found throughout the neighborhood.The neighbors said the Fedayeen had put the ammunition in their yards, on their roofs and in their parks.Selman said she was sure her neighborhood was not unique.All over Baghdad,'' she said, ``there are bombs near people.''_ ____ ---------------Guess it's ok for Irack to plant stuff like this in the kids schools and at their homes.Must be as fingrrrl hasn't objected to it! The END ************************* LB 59
Re: Re: Re: A Soldier PS Or what about : U.S. Finds Suicide Vests in Iraqi School More than 40 of the vests - on hangers and shrouded in plastic - lay on the floor of a classroom Saturday morning, two days after Marines discovered them in an elementary school in a middle-class neighborhood. Just 150 yards away, a junior high school held hundreds of huge crates of weapons, rocket-propelled grenades, surface-to-air missiles and shoulder-launched rockets The Fedayeen fighters unloaded the weapons in the two school compounds, yards from the nearest houses. We have children, we have families, what are we supposed to do?'' asked Farouk al Amary, 54, whose house is just across the street from the school. ``We don't want bombs.''For the past day, residents had brought the Marines dozens of rocket-propelled grenades, shoulder-launched rockets and even mortar systems found throughout the neighborhood.The neighbors said the Fedayeen had put the ammunition in their yards, on their roofs and in their parks.Selman said she was sure her neighborhood was not unique.All over Baghdad,'' she said, ``there are bombs near people.''_ ____ ---------------Guess it's ok for Irack to plant stuff like this in the kids schools and at their homes.Must be as fingrrrl hasn't objected to it! The END ************************* LB 59 PS: Just head one of these places blew up the other day. What do you think of that fingrrrl ?
Re: Re: Re: A Soldier PS Stop trying to make a correlation between Saddam and 9/11...it doesn't work! Don't even bring it up! Soldiers over in Iraq are not protecting my freedoms...the terrorists don't take my freedoms away they just kill me...now the Bush administration on the other hand...that's the point!
Re: Re: Re: Re: A Soldier PS yeah but you're missing the point...all they keep saying is how the American soldiers are fighting for our freedom, but they're not...they haven't gotten Saddam (or Osama bin Lade, remember him?), they've found no evidence of WMD or anything remotely close...so what are they doing over there? Maybe giving freedom to the Iraqis (though it doesn't quite seem like it)...but not to me...while our government here is taking them away with USA Patriot Acts I and II...that's my point
Re: Re: Re: Re: A Soldier PS no it's taking away my life...they kill people, they don't invade and enslave us with their repressive regimes...there's a difference
Re: Re: Re: Re: A Soldier PS UNIVERSAL SOLDIER He's five foot two, and he's six feet four, he fights with missiles and with spears, he's all of thirty-one, and he's only seventeen, he's been a soldier for a thousand years. He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain, A Buddhist, and a Baptist and a Jew, and he knows he shouldn't kill, and he knows he always will, kill a few for me my friend, and me for you. And he's fighting for Canada, he's fighting for France, he's fighting for the USA and he's fighting for the Russians, and he's fighting for Japan, and he thinks we'll put an end to war this way. And he's fighting for democracy, he's fighting for the Reds, he says it's for the peace of all, he's the one who must decide who's to live and who's to die, and he never sees the writing on the wall. But without him, how would Hitler condemned him at Lebau, without him Caesar would have stood alone, he's the one who gives his body as a weapon of the war, and without him all this killing can't go on. He's the universal soldier, and he really is to blame, his orders came from far away no more, they came from here and there, and you and me, and brothers can't you see, this is not the way we put an end to war.