Veteran's Day

[Caribou]

Thank you to all the veterans in our forum family.
And thank you to all of our active military and their families, too.
God Bless You  :)
Carolyn

[classicrockgriller]

Amen

[OU812]

God bless you all.

[Tenpoint5]

Thank you to all the veterans in our forum family.
And thank you to all of our active military and their families, too.
God Bless You  :)
Carolyn

What Carolyn said!!! Can't add much more than that for all the fellow veterans

[KyNola]

YEP!

KyNola

[deb415611]

Thank you to all the veterans in our forum family.
And thank you to all of our active military and their families, too.
God Bless You  :)
Carolyn

yes

[KevinG]

If there was ever a day that needed creation, this is it. Thanks too all for the sacrifice and dedication!

[Caneyscud]

Well said Carolyn, well said.  I'm always at a loss of what to say, my sense of gratitude is almost overwhelming.  What we have around us, what we do, where we work, where we pray and worship is only here because of our Veterans.  Before this day is over, I will be on my knees thanking God for you guys and gals.  


Freedom Isn't Free

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.
   

I heard the sound of taps one night,
when everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No freedom isn't free.


Facts about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Veteran) in Arlington.  If these volunteer soldiers can show this amount of respect for the fallen, why can't the others that wallow in the freedoms they they were given to them because they are "special".  AND why can not the media talking heads and the bureaucrats in DC have enough respect for the men and women who have served so that there is a country that they can pretend to "lead", to grant them privileges, respect and honor that they deserve?  It is a horrendous injustice that ______, ________, ________, etc....(you fill in the blanks) are given more privileges, honor, and respect than the men and women who have actually served and defended this once Great Country!  To the short sighted, egomanical, hypocritical psychopaths in DC  - Our veterans deserve better!!  They deserve the keys to the country - not those others you hold dear!  People, this is not a day for furniture and car sales, this is a day we honor those who have served this country and us.  Hollywood be convicted - do something more that run a couple of war movies!  

1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?

21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

3. Why are his gloves wet?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and if not, why not?

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb.  After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

5. How often are the guards changed?

Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be  between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist cannot exceed 30." Other requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.

The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.   There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV.. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery . A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most  decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame.  

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington , DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC
evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin,  marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

God Bless and keep them.




Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies schoolteacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten.

On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal, and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room, they discovered that there were no desks. "Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?" She replied, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk."

They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades." "No," she said. "Maybe it's our conduct." She told them, "No, it's not even your behavior." And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon, television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the desk-less classroom, Martha Cothren said, "Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you."

At this point, Martha went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk.

The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, "You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it."




It Is The Veteran

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet who has given us freedom of  speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the community organizer who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN, who salutes the Flag.

It is the Veteran, who serves under the Flag.

                   --Anonymous

I have no permission to post this, but I have found this post/letter so profound, that it is almost constantly on my mind.  

Veteran's Issues 3-12-09
Peter Macdonald 465 Packersfalls rd Lee NH 03824 603-659-6217
  Time running out to honor WWII Veteran's.  May be the editors just made my point.  Citizens that never served, get elected officials that never served, sixty years too late to want to award those still alive a medal.  Never mind the lack of medical care, understanding or life it self.  Veterans that went homeless, lost their family, or worst were chastised for being a loser because they could not accept what a civilized society will never understand, but condemns us for.  The editors today across the U.S. refuse to print my opinion letters because they are not in the best interest of the paper.  My trip to Vermont had it's problems for me but I chose not to talk about my case.  I felt honored to talk about a U.S. Marine that volunteers to help others even though society refuses to give him medical care for disabilities received in combat.  Agent Orange and the effects of being a tunnel rat never leave those that gave for the freedom you all relish in.  My cousin is just one more Marine that I learned about, that silently gives to help others.   If we talk about what we did, people believe we are looking for pity or that we did uncivilized acts that alienates us from this civilized society for ever.  People believe that our emotionless attitudes and our suspicious, questionable characters separate us from the ethical, moral society that has never been there.  I have wanted to kill my self since understanding what being called a "baby killer" by a young lady the day I first stepped foot back in the U.S. Volunteering is my way of attempting to join a society that I do not belong in. Can maybe Veteran's from all war and conflicts that time is running out feel this?
  Judge Peter Fauver violated the Constitution to intentionally harm other U.S. citizens.  The NH supreme court covered up this case to protect their monopoly over the people's rights.  I volunteer to help a Madbury NH family that the Madbury selectmen are using government powers to get retaliation on.  The NH government labels me a terrorist to stop my opinion letters exposing criminal wrongs by the officials we trust. My VA medical is stopped to stop my letters.  I am a 100% disabled Veteran with combat related disabilities.  I did eight convoys delivering surplus supplies to isolated friendly camps deep in the Bush as an American Advisor.  I have attempted to kill my self many times not for what I have done.  It is because I came back to a place that I do not belong.  I volunteer every day to help others to give so that what so many other veteran's gave their lives for will not be in VAIN.  Freedom is not protecting criminal judges and government officials.  Editors have lost the meaning of what Freedom of the Press means.
  Vermont gave me the reason that I went. Those two ladies and David at Okemo Ski Resort and the people that I met in town are what freedom is all about.  Time is not running out, it is just that the citizens of the U.S. don't try to understand. Veterans do not want your medals we want you to not let what we gave for, to never be diminished.
"Our Constitution".  Is not printing the opinion letter that exposes crimes Freedom?  WWII veterans I am sure would rather have you honor the Constitution than pin a worthless medal, so society can feel good and the politicians can protect their image.  Veterans are all around you.  Veterans are ever day people don't diminish our rights for what we did.  WWII Veterans as all Veterans deserve your respect, that is what we ask.  
Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi        


If anyone is offended with any of the above - I'm not sorry!

[muzzletim]

Thanks to all Veterans!!!

[westexasmoker]

Thanks to all serving and all who have served!

C

[OU812]

There are only 2 defining forces that have ever offered to die for you.

Jesus Christ and our American Soldiers.

One died for your soul, the others died for your freedom.

[pensrock]

Thank you to all who served and are serving as well as all their families.

[seemore]

I am a day late, and a dollar short, but my sentiments are the same.  God Bless our Veterans and our soldiers currently serving.
Mrs.

[KevinG]

I am a day late, and a dollar short, but my sentiments are the same.  God Bless our Veterans and our soldiers currently serving.
Mrs.

Don't think it's ever too late to thank a vet!

[Wildcat]

I do not know why I saw this for the first time this morning.

Caneyscud - that was really good.

I too would like to say thanks to my fellow veterans and current active duty personnel.

It is a shame at what our politicians do to ( or not do for) our veterans that are in need based on their service connected issues. I had a friend that was stationed with me in the jungles of Viet Nam in 1970. He was severely injured and eventually was discharged and declared totally disabled. After that he led a life in poverty and pain. It was difficut for him to obtain what little the VA was willing to provide. He died a few years back and his suffering is finally over.

Our US Senators and Congressmen have nice salaries, exceptional health care, excellent retirement and many other fringe benefits. This is as it should be if they truely performed their service in an honorable manner (which many do not). My problem is that they do very little if anything to provide for our service connected diabled veterans. On top of not having adequate care, what little they do get is so difficult to obtain that many just give up trying.

It was mentioned above about the worthless medals that are presented much later in life. I agree - keep the medals - do what is right. Take care of the ones that make it possible for you to live free.....

To all my fellow veterans out there - I salute you with pride!