American Heroes

[dkozloski]

He's not at all frightened you understand,
But if he is called on to fight for his land,
He wants to be ready to play in the band.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by illumina

Destroyer, have you ever served before?

Lets drop it cause this has nowhere to go.

[The Tony Show]

Originally Posted by 93DevilleUSMC

Tell him that he has my respect any day.

Thank you- I will.

We're extremely proud, not only that he chooses to serve and continues to seek the most difficult training he can get, but also of what he's accomplished. When one man comes back from the front lines with so many stories of captured bomb making homes filled to the roof with explosives, weapons and training materials instructing others how to do it, it makes you aware of just how much is being accomplished over there every day.

War isn't pretty and doesn't happen overnight. Everyone expected Iraq to buckle and institute a Democracy overnight like this is some Hollywood movie, but it doesn't work that way. A lot of people have seen WWII movies like Saving Private Ryan, but apparently they've never really seen them. When compared to every other major engagement our Country has been involved in, our casualties are shockingly low.

[93DevilleUSMC]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

Lets drop it cause this has nowhere to go.

Actually, I think it's a relevant question. Have you ever served? Yes, or no?

[93DevilleUSMC]

Originally Posted by The Tony Show

Thank you- I will.

We're extremely proud, not only that he chooses to serve and continues to seek the most difficult training he can get, but also of what he's accomplished. When one man comes back from the front lines with so many stories of captured bomb making homes filled to the roof with explosives, weapons and training materials instructing others how to do it, it makes you aware of just how much is being accomplished over there every day.

War isn't pretty and doesn't happen overnight. Everyone expected Iraq to buckle and institute a Democracy overnight like this is some Hollywood movie, but it doesn't work that way. A lot of people have seen WWII movies like Saving Private Ryan, but apparently they've never really seen them. When compared to every other major engagement our Country has been involved in, our casualties are shockingly low.

Guys like your brother, not athletes, commentators, or politicians make this country able to stand up and thrive.

Our own country didn't become a working democracy just because our Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were formed in 1775, or just because we signed a piece of paper declaring independence from Britain. We had to continue fighting the British until 1783, and even then, we did not have the Constitution until 1787. This is to say nothing of how this country was invaded by a foreign power, threatened with invasion and diplomatic sabotage, and was nearly split apart in a Civil War seventy-three years later.
If our own government took so long to set up, then how can any rational person think that Iraq is just going to stabilize, and that it isn't going to take both American and Iraqi blood to do so?

[dkozloski]

I think it's interesting that the majority of the troops that are doing the fighting can understand that it's going to take time and understand why they are there even if the anti-war fanatics running around trying to find somebody to surrender to cannot. Severely wounded troops, even amputees, are requesting to return to their units and their buddies when in earlier wars they would have been sent home with what was then called a "million dollar wound". Maybe the current warriors serving their country are earning a distinction of their own just like the "Greatest Generation".

[The Tony Show]

I agree, and am absolutely disgusted by the Politicians on Capitol Hill who are selling out our Servicemen and saying that the Iraq operation is a failure, and that we've lost. Not only has our society become incredibly impatient, but I also blame the expanded media coverage and daily death tolls being printed in the newspaper (which I find unconscionable, by the way).

Politicians looking to make a name for themselves seize on 4,000 Military deaths over 5 years as "proof" that we've lost- that's an average of 2.19 per day. In the 4 year period of WWII, the US lost 418,500 troops- that's 287 per day (average). Imagine what the world would look like today if these cowardly lawmakers had been around back then to buffalo the public into believing we should abandon that campaign.

[dkozloski]

Originally Posted by The Tony Show

I agree, and am absolutely disgusted by the Politicians on Capitol Hill who are selling out our Servicemen and saying that the Iraq operation is a failure, and that we've lost. Not only has our society become incredibly impatient, but I also blame the expanded media coverage and daily death tolls being printed in the newspaper (which I find unconscionable, by the way).

Politicians looking to make a name for themselves seize on 4,000 Military deaths over 5 years as "proof" that we've lost- that's an average of 2.19 per day. In the 4 year period of WWII, the US lost 418,500 troops- that's 287 per day (average). Imagine what the world would look like today if these cowardly lawmakers had been around back then to buffalo the public into believing we should abandon that campaign.

There were cowardly people advocating a pullout from WWII. The difference is that the news media gave them the exact degree of attention they deserved which was none at all.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by 93DevilleUSMC

Actually, I think it's a relevant question. Have you ever served? Yes, or no?

No and I'm glad I didn't. I wont allow my son to either. No brainwashing here. No way, no thanks.

[The Tony Show]

"Brainwashing". Ha ha. I can't even begin to formulate an argument to such a ridiculous statement.

It's your freedom to pass the responsibility on to someone braver than yourself that my Brother and thousands of others fight and sometimes die for.

[RunningOnEMT]

i ahve the utmost respect for anyone who serves.

My best friend just finished his second tour in afghanistan, i don't know how he did it. I can't serve in that manner, i don't have the mantality for it. But i can do what i do, so i run out of the firehouse in uniform at the drop of a bell. Not the same but its a tradition of service so again my respect to those who do what i can't

[EcSTSatic]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

No and I'm glad I didn't. I wont allow my son to either. No brainwashing here. No way, no thanks.

I was following in the background. I have to admit that was a poor choice of words. So you aren't going to allow your son to exercise his right to choose when he comes of age?

[RightTurn]

When he comes of age, he can make his own decision.

[93DevilleUSMC]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

No and I'm glad I didn't. I wont allow my son to either. No brainwashing here. No way, no thanks.

Yeah, like you could stop him. If he wants to sign his papers and enlist after he turns 18, then Mommy and Daddy can do absolutely crap to stop him. Oddly enough, my dad thought he could stop me. It didn't work out that well for him, as I signed the papers anyway.

[93DevilleUSMC]

Originally Posted by EcSTSatic

I was following in the background. I have to admit that was a poor choice of words. So you aren't going to allow your son to exercise his right to choose when he comes of age?

I'd love to see him try.