A Shoutout To Our Military

[Wheretonow]

I'm very proud of my military service, as well as that of my father and my son.

Lately there have been several posts disparaging the military. Those folks are welcome to their opinions, and perhaps their interactions with the military differ from mine. Only about 0.02% of our population serve in the military, but all of our population benefits from their service.

An E3, about the minimum rank one would achieve before overseas deployment, makes $420.69 a week. That works out to $10.52 an hour, IF they worked a 40-hour week. They often work many, many more. Depending on their assignment, they may be entitled to addition hazardous duty pay. Look at a few "Wounded Warrior" commercials to see what they risk for their pay.



A few of the providers on ECCIE give discounts to our active duty military. Kudos to them for doing so.

General MacArthur, in his final speech at the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, had this to say about the men and women who choose to defend our freedom:

"And what sort of soldiers are those you are to lead? Are they reliable? Are they brave? Are they capable of victory?

Their story is known to all of you. It is the story of the American man at arms. My estimate of him was formed on the battlefields many, many years ago, and has never changed. I regarded him then, as I regard him now, as one of the world's noblest figures; not only as one of the finest military characters, but also as one of the most stainless.

His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen. In his youth and strength, his love and loyalty, he gave all that mortality can give. He needs no eulogy from me, or from any other man. He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy's breast.

But when I think of his patience under adversity, of his courage under fire, and of his modesty in victory, I am filled with an emotion of admiration I cannot put into words. He belongs to history as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism. He belongs to posterity as the instructor of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom. He belongs to the present, to us, by his virtues and by his achievements."

A copy of the entire speech is here (http://www.nationalcenter.org/MacArthurFarewell.html) if you choose to read it. It's one of the greatest speeches ever written. And a big "Hooah" to all of our military folks. Get home safe.

[Prolongus]

"Lately there have been several posts disparaging the military."
Can you elaborate on that?

Without knowing what you're speaking of, I can tell you that whatever criticism the present day military gets is NOTHING compared to what what Vietnam vets got when they came home. "Baby Killer" was an often-used term...in addition to being spat on by anti-war protesters through the airport.

The only vets that received honorable treatment back then were the POWs.

It was absolutely the worst time in U.S. history to be a part of the Armed Forces.

[Wheretonow]

Originally Posted by Prolongus

"Lately there have been several posts disparaging the military."
Can you elaborate on that?

Without knowing what you're speaking of, I can tell you that whatever criticism the present day military gets is NOTHING compared to what what Vietnam vets got when they came home. "Baby Killer" was an often-used term...in addition to being spat on by anti-war protesters through the airport.

The only vets that received honorable treatment back then were the POWs.

It was absolutely the worst time in U.S. history to be a part of the Armed Forces.

I served in the military during the Vietnam War, and am therefore first-hand-familiar with the interactions between certain segments of the population and the military.

But neither I nor any of my friends nor anyone whose opinion I respect was ever spit on. And it would have been extremely unwise for anyone to have done so. I have been called many names - "baby-killer" was very popular. They frequently took it back.

We had lots of desertions, Category IV substandard enlistments, fragging incidents, rampant in country drug use, etc.

And many of our contemporaries were experiencing free love and using many mind-altering drugs while we were slogging through the scenic Vietnam countryside.

There were court cases brought that prevented enforcing grooming standards against "weekend warriors". We often would forcefully ask them to leave the enlisted men's club when they showed up with long shaggy hair. There was never an instance where they didn't do so.

But there were many areas of the country where military service was respected for the honorable service that it was. It just didn't make the evening news.

[Jewish Lawyer]

Originally Posted by Wheretonow

I served in the military during the Vietnam War, and am therefore first-hand-familiar with the interactions between certain segments of the population and the military.

But neither I nor any of my friends nor anyone whose opinion I respect was ever spit on. And it would have been extremely unwise for anyone to have done so. I have been called many names - "baby-killer" was very popular. They frequently took it back.

We had lots of desertions, Category IV substandard enlistments, fragging incidents, rampant in country drug use, etc.

And many of our contemporaries were experiencing free love and using many mind-altering drugs while we were slogging through the scenic Vietnam countryside.

There were court cases brought that prevented enforcing grooming standards against "weekend warriors". We often would forcefully ask them to leave the enlisted men's club when they showed up with long shaggy hair. There was never an instance where they didn't do so.

But there were many areas of the country where military service was respected for the honorable service that it was. It just didn't make the evening news.

Excellent thread, and I always admired the General - great American.
I imagine today's America would break his heart.

[General Feuerbacher]

Salute to all military now serving retired and past

[tx-colonel]

Speaking from experience as well, there is almost no soldier, sailor, airman or marine that returns from deployment unchanged in some way. While we are not all affected in the way the people in the Wounded Warrior Project ads are the mental and social repercussions can be crippling as well. Wheretonow, I thank you for your service before mine and thank you to all those that have served after me. For those who have made disparaging remarks about those who willingly choose to serve, or in cases of generations past were called to serve, remember that you have the FREEDOM to do so because of the men and women that have laid their lives down to do so.

HOOAH
1BN/28 IN REG
"Black Lions"

[Duthgar1976]

I got spat at in Sicily but still had the greatest 2 years of my life living there. During that time i visited Paris, France. I did get spit on there. This was just before we went into Iraq in 2003. I stayed in my hotel room the rest of the week because it isnt my backyard and i was not going to rumble with a whole country.

My Navy career was 8 years and i loved everyday of it, for the most part, and would do it all over again. These days people may not agree with the Wars that we have been in but they respect us. It is not like the days of post Vietnam where our brothers were spat on by people that didnt know what it was like.

[General Feuerbacher]

The element of our population that disrespects the military exists today. The left coast is full of that group. Look at who they elect

[pinkyd66]

I did not serve in the military, but I have the utmost respect and appreciation for those who do and have in the past, especially those who have served in combat and other harsh conditions. From the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every one of you.

[Duthgar1976]

Originally Posted by General Feuerbacher

The element of our population that disrespects the military exists today. The left coast is full of that group. Look at who they elect

political background has 0 effect on if you like military or dont. i know left people that respect military and i know right people that say they do but are different in private. its the same with religion. My father is a christian concervative democrat. Yet one of my best friends is an atheist republican.

I myself am a proud navy veteran that is a democrat that believes in the 2nd amendment but also would like to see marijuana legalized and think Religous teachings belong in church and that science belongs in a science class.

[pyramider]

You're not from Kansas are you?