ThankASoldierWeek.com -- I Think this is cool!!

Caught this on the news last night .. think it was Fox or CNN:

Thank A Soldier Week - http://www.thankasoldierweek.com is a time when us Americans are being encourages to stop for a moment and give thanks to the men and women risking everything for us.

Check it out and send a nice message.

laser

 

Very nice of you, Laser1! I was a marine during the vietnam days (though I wasn't there); people use to throw things at us, call us names like baby killers and we never dared to even leave the base in uniform. It would have been nice to have guys like you back then. No matter what one feels about the war, those guys deserve everyone's gratitude. Good for you! ... Gerry

 

That is fantastic, Laser1. Thank you for posting it.

I was in the U.S. Army and did a 1 year stint, down in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

As gerry1 stated, we were pretty much treated like shit when we came home. If it wasn't for the strength of my wife, I would have had alot of problems. Still married to her, after 35 years.

Gerry1 is also correct in saying that those men and women deserve our gratitude. I have thanked many, when I see them in public places.

 

@Laser1,

Thanks so much for taking the time to provide that link. Currently I am serving in Iraq and when not out and about AD keeps my mind off some of the horrors I've seen or encountered. Sometimes I get in the mindset of I might not make it back from a patrol (a few close calls) and wonder if the world even cares that we are at risk daily. I see others served during the Vietnam war and though times are different the fight is about not letting it get to the homefront.

@gerry1 and GrandpaBW thank you for your time and hopefully when I return there will be many others like you that will say thank you.

 

@Matt72
I already had a great deal of respect for you, not only for your posts in the Windows-Virus & Spyware Problems Forum, but having been the person who suggested to Admin to start this forum. That accolade now pales in comparison to your present tour of duty. There are no words to encompass & convey the heartfelt gratitude that we all owe you and all the other brave men & women there with you. You are in our prayers daily and we wish you all a safe & speedy return home. Keep posting at AD and encourage others there to do the same. Maybe we could start a thread with you guys posting and interacting with us here at AD. I'm sure if Gerry & Grandpa shared their previous experiences that it would come in handy and reassuring.

@Grandpa
You know how I feel about you already. That has not and will not change.

@Gerry
The Vietnam War did shoulder a plethora of critisisms maybe more so than any other in recent American history, and though it undermines the valiant deeds of so many, it also chronicled many heart wrenching stories of survival amidst imminent danger. I feel a debt of gratitude to you all. To paraphrase 2oldGeek's quote from another thread 'You've all traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't and aren't paved'. This exemplifies the exceptional calibre of individuals that you & the other brave men & women who served & are serving in the Armed Forces,etc are.

Gentlemen you are all, without a doubt, heroes in my book. Cheers.

 

@Matt72: Unlike you and grandpa, I was lucky enough to stay home. I was a marine corps corpsman but I ran sick calls, give silly VD lectures (those were always a lot of fun; no incurable diseases in those days), taught surgical field medicine to other corpsmen, then I gave a few hundred shots in the a$$ and sadly sent my buddies on their way. While looking at a couple of hundred guys bare backsides was hardly my idea of a good time and made me subject to countless tasteless jokes, it sure beat the alternative though I admit that, at the time, I always felt a little guilty that I wasn't going with them...marines get plenty protective of their corpsman which creates this wierd sort of bond; it hurt to see your buddies go.

Anyway, Matt, I'm going to PM you with my email address. If there is anything I can send you and your buddies from socks to Oreos please don't hesitate to ask. I don't think we're allowed to actually send email addresses but I'm sure moderators won't object under the circumstances. Keep safe Matt and we're all thinking about you here. ...Gerry

@jamzbond: thank you so much for what you wrote. It's wierd how, after even 35 years, it still has the power to piss you off when you think about it too much and unlike grandpa and Matt, I had a cushy job with no one shooting at my sorry a$$!

 

@gerry1,

Thank you so much for the kind words. All that we as soldiers really want deep down is someone to appreciate the sacrifices made daily by us over here. I mainly chose not to mention my military involvement as not sure how most would take it or would be quick to bash (1 person did but was irrelevant bashlash). A simple thank you goes a long way when we return to our homes. Also no matter what you did in any branch of service you are contributing in ways that some don't realize until it happens to the next person (<--gender friendly).

Funny thing is we just got back from a QRF mission and once again saw someone die during first aid measures. I thought by now I would get used to it but a loss of life..especially a teenager is ...well you get the point. I wouldn't dare allow myself to ask you for anything other than to keep all the forces in Iraq in your prayers as some will never see their families again and some will never be the same again. Without those like yourself and GrandpaBW serving in the Vietnam era the world might be not as we know it today. If you don't mind I would like to give my soldiers the option of emailing you with a personal thank you (be mindful there are 38 I am accountable for). Another After-Dawner BBMayo is in Kuwait but have not seen or heard from him. Once again thank you all for caring as we get ready for Dec. 15 and hopefully an uneventful day.

 

Matt, you and all of the others with you, have my full support, and my thanks.

God speed to all of you.

 

@Matt: There are a couple of things I'd like to write about and I'm going to start with one that some might consider distasteful but I'm going to write about it anyway. I seriously empathized with much of what you had to say and it brought back memories; some pleasant, some horrible. Unlike you and grandpa and others, I had a cushy state-side job and while I taught surgical combat/emergency medicine, the bulk of my own emergency medical experience came more from emergency rooms, field-hospitals when out in the field etc, i.e., not combat. What I failed to mention was that, when you see guys getting medivaced out, they inevitably found their way to us in the state side naval hospitals (although we had guys from all branches). We were filled to the rafters with eighteen to twenty five year old guys; many for a slow and painful but gradual recovery and many who, unfortunately, would slowly go the other way. I ran dispensaries and taught in the mornings but worked the wards in the afternoon. Given our jobs, we had to get used to death or you'd end up in the rubber room but also because you're working with people's lives and if you're emotional, you don't think clearly and can do more harm than good (but when you get used to it, you pay for that in other ways). You wrote that you're "accountable" for 38 men and women; then it also stands to reason that, as a guy with some authority, you often have to be subtle and frequently cannot speak what you're really thinking to those under you...and that's a bad thing guy with consequences worse even than the horrors that brought it all about in the first place! Don't wait until you start feeling f**ckd up; find a level headed but experienced person who you can talk to. I remember telling my Dad who'd seen all sorts of nasty stuff in WWII that I was starting to get depressed and feeling screwed up and he said he was happy to hear it; if I didn't get bummed out and feel a little screwed up, then there really would be something wrong with me! It's perfectly normal to feel f**cked up and bummed out sometimes .. you'd have to be some sort of sociopath if you DIDN'T react that way. Sorry if I sound like I'm preaching here but I've seen way too many guys loose a few marbles, if you get my drift.

Well, getting off the bullcrap soap box, please feel free to give my email address to anyone you choose but please know that I meant what I said about sending you and your people stuff that you might want or need and I've got people who'd really love to help. See, I do a little teaching but my main job is in an employment and social services office. Everyone who works here isn't doing it in the hope of getting rich from it! They're all great people who, by their very natures, like helping out. I work with govt grants to send people to school, we have four or five vet reps who have a real passion for helping guys find work after they're discharged, we've got people who work to get jobs for the disabled, we even hire low income little old ladies to supplement their social security who bake cookies for any event that comes our way. So, I meant what I said. If you and your folks need things or want things, let me know. I know a lot of people who actually live to help out. Stay safe Matt and know that we're thinking about you and you're in our prayers...Gerry

 

lets just say i'm anti war.

like i said in the unedited post i didn't mean to sound a pr*ck

i didn't mean to cause offence to anybody. i apologise for my post. i do have a reason for it. but as i am at work i haven't the time to post it. again i'm sorry for any offence caused.

i will try to post a proper reply this evening

 

RavenLife, I found your post offensive for obvious reasons. You edited it, and I glad that you did. I have edited mine, also.

You being anti-war does not upset me at all. I would suspect that most of us don't like the fact that there are wars. I certainly don't.

What set me off was your statement asking why we should support the military men and women in Iraq. That crossed the line in a huge way.

 

@RavenLife,

At first I was going to rip into your comments but I will just say this...everyone has a right to their opinion. Everything you see or hear in the news is not always correct. Without folks such as myself gerry1 and GrandpaBW (who served before me) we might not have the "comfort" of the internet and maybe AD would not be what it is today and still growing I might add. Out of respect for ddp and the rest of After Dawners' this is the 1 and only time I plan to address comments like yours. Though you are right to some extent let me express there are things that the media has not covered yet I as many others who are over here in Iraq know the real deal.

@gerry1,

I have passed your email address out to those in my platoon who want to sincerely write to thank you for your kind words. A few were totally shocked that people support the troops even if they disagree with the overall situation. Please bear in mind some will write pages as they have no family other than the military so they have alot to express. I will wait for them to write you before I do so you get a chance to reply to them as it will mean alot.

 

@Matt
I returned to this thread when Grandpa made his post in response to RavenLife's post and I was truly incensed. At first I decided not to comment because it would have been reflected in my tone, but I just could not exercise self restraint and I wrote a whole epistle. Just as I was going to press reply, my laptop froze and I had to restart it. I've had this computer for 4 years and it had never done that before. I took it as a sign to exercise greater discretion and now that I have returned to the thread I see that both Ddp and yourself have responded and have handled it like the consumate gentlemen that you are. I do believe that everyone has [bold]'a'[/bold] right to their opinion, unfortunately not everyone has [bold]'the'[/bold] right to their opinion and though I'm not an advocate of this war,certainly one good thing that ought to result from it, is that the people of Iraq, esp women will now have[bold] 'the'[/bold] right to free speech. I believe that posts ought to be constructive, whether they be complimentary or usefully critical. But posting something which is mean spirited, inflammatory and disrespectful just exemplifies ignorance, apathy and immaturity. Anyways, just keep being focussed,maintain your high spirit, think about accomplishing the task at hand and returning home asap to your family & friends. God speed my friend.

 

Like I said earlier I am sorry for any offence caused. I was trying to get my view across and failed miserably.

The reasons for my post are simple. The only thing I have is the media and stories from my uncle - that certainly cross ethical boundaries (in my opinion) so I must base my opinion on such reports.

I just feel that as a nation (both England and America) we are hypocrites. It was not so long ago that we oppressed our own people, doing with them what we will and (dare I say it) killing them. It wasn’t so long before that that we had the British Empire – damn we raped, pillaged and killed our way to that one, and let’s not forget the slave trade.
Yes I know this is a long time ago but lets face it England and America have a very bloody past
- but is it up to us – who have come through all this to force our ideals upon another nation – I personally think it has nothing to do with us.

Let’s just think about this for a second. What would happen if the boot was on the other foot? – Lets say just for the sake of argument that – Britain decided that it didn’t like the fact that America had nuclear weapons or the way it treats its citizens. And they gave America an ultimatum either they hand over all there weapons and bush resigns or Britain invades. What do you think bush would say?
Yes he’d say go F*** yourselves – we’ll do what the hell we like.

How is it that this would be quite acceptable from America but it isn’t for any other country.

Personal I’m against any war
Loss of life is never acceptable for any reason – but that doesn’t give us a reason to do what the hell we want. Nor does it give us the reason to take lives in order to save lives

Soon we may have our very own American Empire


It all comes down to

Where do we draw the line?

And

Have we already crossed it?



p.s sorry again for any offence caused - and i do hope all our soldiers come back safe and sound - and i hope this post does not cause offence

 

@RavenLife: Interestingly, I agree with a lot that you had to say in your most recent post. The Brits were the big superpower at one time and screwed up a lot of things in a big way ... us Yanks learnt our lessons well from the ol' motherland; you just blamed the wrong guy. I feel, if only in a small way, somewhat responsible for this brew-ha-ha in replying to the initial post. GrandpaBW and I are from a different era but the issue is unchanged. Forgive my high opinion of myself but I am a hell of a nice guy, I've never hurt anyone, never tortured anyone (except perhaps myself on occasion), never raped and pillaged but we were treated like shit; we had eggs thrown at us, people called us all sorts of names, long hair was the style in those days and hell, some soldiers and marines were actually going out and buying wigs to wear off base because our short hair made us stand out as military so we would have to swallow our pride and bebase ourselves just not to be abused in the general public. It hurt and it hurt a lot; it still does when we think about it too much and while I'm no shrink, I think grandpa's initial response sort of shows that. I responded to the initial post because I never, ever, want to see guys like Matt and his buddies treated the way grandpa and I were; some were so scarred by it that their lives were literally destroyed...Matt and his buddies are going to suffer enough emotional scarring; they don't need more inflicted upon them by their own people and for no reason. There are a$$holes and sickos (orpeople made sick)in any authoratative force whether it's military or even our police departments...there always has been and there always will be. My opinion of the war doesn't matter one damned bit; I'm talking about the dignity of the individual whether it is Matt and his buddies or the Iraqi guy in the street. So too, what is the difference between a citizen hurling humiliation and abuse at one of our innocent troops or one of our not so innocent troops humiliating and abusing an innocent Iraqi?...there isn't. In both cases, it's a darkness born in the same place. (Jeez, I've got to go back to the other threads; I preach too much here!)

@Matt: You and your buddies can email whenever you want even if they are lengthy and what the hell, it'll improve my typing! I'll probably have to wait until Monday to start reading and responding though; our phones are out and I don't think I'll get service again until Monday. (I'm at the office). Take it easy Matt and stay safe...Gerry

 

Neph; my uncle Armand (my godfather), was among those who stormed the Normandy beaches and managed to survive although he lived the rest of his life in a lot of pain because of it. I wish I could have read your words to him; he died about six months ago. It was always an emotional subject for him and he was always very proud...not of his own actions and injuries but of his unit with which he served, his many buddies that both lived and died. Talk about comraderie; the remaining members of his unit met every year until they died one by one. They sure looked like a bunch of silly old coots with their little garrison caps but it was really neat when you looked beneath the surface. I think my Aunt said only two were left...sort of a beautiful thing even if born from trajedy and horror.

 

i never said a thing about what the soldiers go through

my reply was to the original post

i'm not saying it was right or wrong to go to war with germany. we thought we were right to stop hitler. and hitler thought he was right doing what he did.

and who is it to say that we are right? tell me that

we are thats who.

so basicly with that

i could murder someone and my defence would be

ahh it will be alright its for the greater good

as i said were do we draw the line.