Veteran's Day

[Old Soldier]

“It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.
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.”​

― Charles M Province

 

[skytrooper67]

Well put Old Soldier. I to am an old soldier. Be 78 this month. Two tours in Nam. 65/66 67/68 1/5 1st cav. Welcome home my brother. SFC Rob

 

[Old Soldier]

Welcome home to you ,Sargent, and Happy Birthday.

 

[LRRPF52]

When I read about what those guys went through at Fort McHenry in the War of 1812, or Washington’s rag-tag Army dragging their frost-bitten feet through the snow during any of the winters of the 8-year Revolution, I thank them eternally and feel a duty to live better, love life more, and be better for my family.

Then I think about the Vietnam vets who were spat upon by college punks after having been drafted or volunteered when their Nation called, or the Korean War vets who were already forgotten by the 1980s.

I think about all the guys I know and served with, especially the ones who came home in a casket or on a stretcher or wheelchair, and feel a sense of reverence and loss.

We have a great Country and these patriots served it well. Too bad we haven’t had a political class who honors them with their day-to-day service, but times are a changing....

 

[skytrooper67]

LRRPF52. I bet we ate the same dirt. Jumped the "fence" more than once. Welcome home brother. Rob

 

[LRRPF52]

LRRPF52. I bet we ate the same dirt. Jumped the "fence" more than once. Welcome home brother. Rob

I came later than you guys. I was in LRSC in the 1990s for reference, but I was a student of those guys throughout childhood. I always felt cheated that I missed Vietnam, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve let those ideas drift a bit.

Now I’m faced with the prospect of what my kids might do. Hard to advocate for them joining with the careerist imbeciles who have created such a toxic environment in our armed forces, but we might be needing our military more than ever before if these politicians get their way. Major catch-22.