How can we repay our heroes?

[GQ_jumper 4]

I have been shocked by some of the posts I have seen in this forum lately. I have seen countless people disrespecting the men and women who are serving our country, passing judgement on them for doing things in the heat of battle in defense of their own lives, minimizing the sacrifice of these Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines because the war does not agree with their agenda or personal beliefs.

Well guess what, some of the soldiers in this war don't believe in why they are there, some of them don't even know why they are there. But they continue to fight, day in and day out, thousands of miles from home in a foreign land filled with people who don't care what happens to them. Only to come home to people who appreciate their sacrifice even less, and look down on them for making it.

Ladies and gentlemen whether or not you agree with this war you still owe it to the men and women serving in it to give them the respect that they deserve. They have made sacrifices far greater than you could ever imagine so that you may have the right to turn around and disrespect them for it. Thats right they defend your right to hate them, sounds kind of hypocritical for those who look down on them doesn't it.

I would like to open a thread for people who would like to take a second out of their day to discuss the goods things our servicemen and women have done. Or to simply say thank you, believe me a simple thank you means a lot to them. Or if you would like to take a second to honor a fallen friend or comrade do it here.

I would like to say thank you to all those i have served with. Daniel Methvin, who was in my platoon and was taken by a suicide bomber in Iraq, Edmunds and Stoneseifer who were in Ranger battalion with me and were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan, Private Stewart who was one of my soldiers now walks with only one leg due to a land mine in Iraq, Doug my former company SGM, he could've sat safely on the airbase doing his job but instead made every effort to come with me on missions because he didn't want his men out there in the fight without him, and mostly to my best friend and personal hero Logan, who is the recipient of a Bronze Star and Purple heart, we served side by side for three years, and unfortunately are now in two seperate units, Logan has suffered physical and mental anguish most cannot even imagine but continues to do his job without question, his friendship has helped me through meny hard times in my life just as mine has helped him, he is ten times the soldier I could ever hope to be.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[GQ_jumper 4]

The average age of the military man 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 155mm howizzitor. 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 time 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 andwears 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 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 andunderstanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood. And now we even have woman over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so. As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot.. A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[mardigrasbob 0]

The average age of the military man 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 155mm 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 time 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 sometime's 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 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.
www.fdnylodd.com/BloodofHeroes.html
www.pro-american.com/post/showgallery.php/cat/502/password/

[Gravitymaster 0]

Anybody want to help? Why not put your money where your mouth is? How about donating the price of at least one jump ticket to help out our guys and their families?

http://www.fisherhouse.org/About%20Us.html

[dtpilot 0]

Quote

Ladies and gentlemen whether or not you agree with this war you still owe it to the men and women serving in it to give them the respect that they deserve

Thanks for the support GQ. Those guys over there now and the ones getting ready to go actually do understand why they are there and what they are doing. It is simply protecting our nations policies and freedom. They just dont understand why it is taking so long and why the people around the world arent backing them.

"Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!"
-- Friedrich Nietzsche

[Muenkel 0]

Here's a link if you wish to help and thank our men and women in uniform.

www.woundedwarrior.com

Thanks GQ for watching our backs.

_________________________________________
Chris

[matthewcline 0]

GQ,

Thank You for the support.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[GQ_jumper 4]

Let's also not forget the families that support these soldiers. My family has always had my back and it kills me to think that every time I deploy my parents spend their night worrying if I'm coming home this time.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[MC208B 0]

I very much appreciate everything the military is doing. Two of my nephews are Iraq bound, one a 2nd Lt in the corp, the other a Sgt. in the army. Altho I was (and still am) against our invasion of Iraq, these guys and every other soldier, sailor, airman and marine have my eternal gratitude for doing their jobs.

And I am happy that the entire country pretty much does support the troops regardless of political affiliation. Quite a change since I came home from Vietnam 32 years ago.

[coconutmonkey 0]

GM,
Thanks for the link and supporting the troops.

Hearts & Minds
2 to the Heart-
1 to the Mind-
Home of the Coconut Lounge, Spa, & Artillery Range

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

GM,
Thanks for the link and supporting the troops.

You bet! I already donated a pretty tidy sum. The more I think about how much it means to our guys to be able to have their family with them to give support while they recover from wounds, the more it makes me want to donate more.

This is a good opportunity for all who say "I support our troops" to actually do something to support them.

Donate whatever you can afford. Isn't the joy and happiness you can bring to a member of our military and his family worth at least one jump ticket? Look at it as a down payment on your freedom.

[Gravitymaster 0]

http://home.insightbb.com/~armedforcestribute/

[billvon 2,998]

>How can we repay our heroes?

By not sending them to die in unneccesary wars in the future. There is no greater gift to the family of a military man than having him return to them alive and in one piece.

[GQ_jumper 4]

Quote

>How can we repay our heroes?

By not sending them to die in unneccesary wars in the future. There is no greater gift to the family of a military man than having him return to them alive and in one piece.

Men and women are going to die in wars regardless, no matter how much we try and avoid it there will always be a threat somewhere. But please don't say our troops are doing something unneccessary or fighting for a meaningless cause, that is very discouraging, and demoralizing to us. Please out of respect the people overseas don't use this thread to protest the war. Take a second away from your political views whether they be for or against the war and just give a simple thank you. I personally have recieved all kinds of gifts and thoughful gestures since returning from my first trip to Iraq but the one that meant the most to me was an Iraqi child thanking me for what I did.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[GQ_jumper 4]

Those guys over there now and the ones getting ready to go actually do understand why they are there and what they are doing.

You know I actually ran into a few soldiers over there who honestly didn't understand why we were in Iraq or what they were doing there. But regardless they continued to fight, and that makes you a hero in my book.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[miked10270 0]

Quote time:

"Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,
Would you want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?
Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend
His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?

Lawrence Vaincourt, 1985.


And, of course, Kipling.....

"TOMMY

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!"

Last... And perhaps most important...

"These, in the day when heaven was falling,
The hour when earth's foundations fled,
Followed their mercenary calling
And took their wages and are dead.
Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
What God abandoned, these defended,
And saved the sum of things for pay.


~A.E. Housman~


Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

[GeordieSkydiver 0]

Tommy.

Still makes me shiver.

Lee _______________________________

In a world full of people, only some want to fly, is that not crazy?
http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

[raggdoll 0]

Quote

>How can we repay our heroes?

By not sending them to die in unneccesary wars in the future. There is no greater gift to the family of a military man than having him return to them alive and in one piece.

With all due respect, and while I may or may not agree with what constitutes an "unnecessary" war, politicizing the fact that we should appreciate our soldiers removes the focus from the troops, the ones who deserve our support the most, and negates the good work they do.

We may not agree with the politics. We may not agree with the reasoning or lack thereof the government demonstrates when sending troops to specific locations. However, in order to appreciate--truly appreciate--our men and women who are willing to risk their lives for all of our freedoms, we must see them as individuals who are doing their jobs, individuals who have joined the military for whatever reason, be it for school, for career, or simply because they thought they could and should do something for their country, and not as a means to a political end.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy course; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat." Theodore Roosevelt (Paris Sorbonne,1910)

And . . .

"It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag" Father Denis Edward O'Brien, USMC

Simply saying how much I appreciate what they do doesn't seem enough, but it's the very least we can do.

[mnealtx 0]

Well said!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[billvon 2,998]

>Men and women are going to die in wars regardless, no matter how much
>we try and avoid it . . . .

Fewer will die if our politicians do a better job. That is a worthy goal.

>But please don't say our troops are doing something unneccessary or
>fighting for a meaningless cause, that is very discouraging, and
>demoralizing to us.

Our troops are doing something unneccesary. Please don't confuse their sacrifices, their bravery and their honor with political causes behind the war; their sacrifices are noble no matter what reason they are deployed, and are not sullied by mistakes politicians make.

Too many people equate honorable troops with an honorable war. There were plenty of good people in Iraq, some even in the armed forces. That did not make Saddam Hussein an honorable guy.

[mardigrasbob 0]

Quote

>Men and women are going to die in wars regardless, no matter how much
>we try and avoid it . . . .

Fewer will die if our politicians do a better job. That is a worthy goal.

>But please don't say our troops are doing something unneccessary or
>fighting for a meaningless cause, that is very discouraging, and
>demoralizing to us.

Our troops are doing something unneccesary. Please don't confuse their sacrifices, their bravery and their honor with political causes behind the war; their sacrifices are noble no matter what reason they are deployed, and are not sullied by mistakes politicians make.

Too many people equate honorable troops with an honorable war. There were plenty of good people in Iraq, some even in the armed forces. That did not make Saddam Hussein an honorable guy.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure."
THOMAS JEFFERSON, letter to William Stephens Smith, November 13, 1787.—The Papers of Thomas Jefferson,

-

[pajarito 0]

Nice post!

Some of whom I’ve served with deserving of respect.

Scott Barkalow (Afghanistan) – Drove over tank mine; lost leg below knee
Burt Aderholt (Afghanistan) – Shot in the ankle
Steve Osborne (Iraq) – Killed by roadside bomb
Bill Bennett (Iraq) – Shot and killed

[Darius11 12]

How can we repay our heroes?

Quote

By not calling the few bad apples heroes just because of patriotism.

I feel the people who mix the few bad soldiers we have with all the good ones are doing a disservice to the great men and woman who are serving us all.

May they all come home safe.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

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[GQ_jumper 4]

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How can we repay our heroes?

Quote

By not calling the few bad apples heroes just because of patriotism.

I feel the people who mix the few bad soldiers we have with all the good ones are doing a disservice to the great men and woman who are serving us all.

I know what you are implying and who you are referring to. But please take that elsewhere, there is a thread set up right now, you know about it you've been posting in it, so please take that argument there, I'm not trying to start a fight here, there won't be any fighting in this thread. for simply volunteering to do the job they are all heroes.

take care

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

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[Darius11 12]

I have been shocked by some of the posts I have seen in this forum lately. I have seen countless people disrespecting the men and women who are serving our country, passing judgement on them for doing things in the heat of battle in defense of their own lives, minimizing the sacrifice of these Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines because the war does not agree with their agenda or personal beliefs.***

And i know you are referring to the same thread if you can't stand the heat don't start a fire.
This is SC not BF

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain