Up Next: Open Gays In The Military And Amnesty For Illegals

[sixdogsmom]

I appreciate the input tdub, all these old military guys on here seem to forget that one of the greatest military minds in the history of the world kept male concubines. I am speaking of Alexander the great.

[jarhead]

SDM,
I don't recall seeing anywhere where someone said Gays are not as smart as straights and dtub I don't see where anyone says a gay is not any less a man than a straight, where it comes to being masculine. I have relatives that are gay and I think just as highly as them as I do anyone else. Maybe because of my wise ass comment to Jerry about dropping a bar of soap in the shower should have had a smiley face after it.I wrote that just to rattle Jerry's cage.That is not the point. Point is, MOST of military personel want to keep the policy just like it is, including some gays so why cause problems by changing it. DTUB is right, with all the deployments we need all we can get into the military but you change the law and watch how many join or ship over !! I don't know if dtub was in the service but looks like the rest on this thread,who want the law changed were not in the Military. Interesting . The same ones on here that give lip service to supporting the troops then say things like what's been posted in the past. Now these not might be word for word quotes but went something like----"My husband was in the Army back in the 40's--now that was a real war " ----Really ?? Do I take that to mean Korea, Vietnam  or anything since is not a real war ? I had a wise old great uncle that was a WW-I vet and told me once that when you're getting shot at, it's all the same no matter what the war's name is. I imagine Sarge heard the same words from him, Sarges grand-pa.
Oh yea, we had a member say they had a friend "die a needless death in a needless war" refering to Vietnam. That's nice--real nice. I bet the dead "friend" really appreciates that little statement from their "friend"  telling them they died in a needless war.
Or when someone said"well we didn't do too good in Vietnam " Meaning what ?? We kicked ass and took names. It wasn't the soldiers fault our Govt. pulled us out and let the country fall to the North. We were long gone so don't blame us.
Sorry for the rant but one last thing---SDM, to say Alex the Great was the greatest miltary mind in the history of the world ?? Alex couldn't have carried Chesty Puller's jock strap !!!!

[tdub]

Jarhead - I apppreciate your comments. I have never served in the military so I lack a perspective that you have. I wish I knew what the attitudes were. ( for the argument and against )
I do have a lot of wishful thinking and hope.

[Diane Amberg]

Well, according to one who shall remained unnamed, we didn't lose Vietnam, which never was a declared war (a technicality, I know) and I agree Congress should never have had the influence it did. I don't know a soul on here that isn't eternally grateful to our military whether they were ever in harms way or not. I don't like to see people being asked to "prove it" too often, that can get tiresome, and can lead to hurt and misunderstandings. Jar, keep in mind we still had the draft for Viet Nam and for some that will always make their attitude different. We are still in Korea after all these years and there are serious concerns about that heating up too. Do we still have the luxury of being picky about who is accepted into our armed forces? I sure don't know.

[sixdogsmom]

Jar, please reread my post. I said that Alexander the great was one of the greatest military minds in the history of the world, not THE greatest. Sheesh.

[jarhead]

SDM,
Again I guess I should have added a smiley face. It was meant as a joke that I guess only OLD Marines (and Larry---and Sarge ) would understand.
Diane, Not sure what you're talking about having to prove anything. You aint gotta prove nothing to me. Would like to know what the draft had to do with anything being talked about here. Should I add a smiley face to show my qestion aint being snotty ?

[srkruzich]

SDM,
Again I guess I should have added a smiley face. It was meant as a joke that I guess only OLD Marines (and Larry---and Sarge ) would understand.
Diane, Not sure what you're talking about having to prove anything. You aint gotta prove nothing to me. Would like to know what the draft had to do with anything being talked about here. Should I add a smiley face to show my qestion aint being snotty ?

Well everyone knows that ole chesty was the greatest. Though i do consider lee, jackson, and all those good ole southern gents his equal.  Took on the north and dang near took washington back then against the odds.  Grant only won by attrition.  Superior numbers do not equal superior leadership. 

[Diane Amberg]

Jar, I promise you, you are not a problem.There is another though who enjoys baiting and setting up traps. I'm going to leave it at that. As far as the draft went, since a lot of people didn't really understand why we were in 'Nam there was resentment, especially in families whose lives were disrupted by the draft and whose sons didn't come home. If this country was directly in harms way or we had been directly attacked, it might have been different. But for many the idea of death to prevent the spread of a political idea...communism... in a country so far away, seemed to be a price too high to pay, with no return in the investment, except to the politicians .

[larryJ]

It is true that Korea and Vietnam were political wars.  The government had to stop the spread of communism in Asia.  Many of those drafted, including me, were not really interested in doing that.  It was thought by many draft age people that 'where are the communists going to go from there'.  Certainly there was no threat to the United States physically.  Why should I give up my education plans and separation from my family to fight somewhere that some called meaningless wars.  Like Jarhead said, if someone is shooting at you, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference where you are at, it is still a war.  When I was drafted, I gave up my college plans, came home to a less than grateful nation and wound up getting divorced from a woman who also didn't understand what I had gone through and wasn't willing to understand and wasn't willing to allow me to readjust to a civilian lifestyle again.  As it turns out, it was for the better.  God had better plans for me.  Also, like Jarhead said, in Vietnam, our troops did the job AS MUCH AS THEY WERE ALLOWED TO BY OUR GOVERNMENT. 

As posted on the SLICE OF WRY thread, today is the anniversary of the day the last combat troops pulled out of Vietnam in 1973.  I came home from Korea in March 1968 on the same plane carrying flag-draped caskets from Vietnam and when deplaning heard people standing by the fences and gates hollering "baby killers", etc.  Absolutely no respect for those guys who lost their life.  So what did I accomplish?  Something I hope, at least, I have the knowledge that I served my country in a time when it was needed. 

I have the utmost respect for all those who served and my never ending sympathy for the families of those who didn't come home.

Sorry for the rant.

Larryj

[Roma Jean Turner]

Well stated dtub.