Contest about Vets and the Military!

[smelvis]

Originally Posted by GunHand

I hope I don't sound to bitter, but I get a little pissed thinking about this whole general topic.

Sincerely, Shannon

Well you do but of course you have a right to be, I hope this thread does not contribute to much to it, I also hope from my limited time here you can tell I do a lot more than talk.

I know these things seem silly but if I get shit while bringing service people to the forefront of peoples mind then I will gladly take it.

I would ask you what or how should we go about this topic, I already quietly do as much as I can on my own. I thought this thread was honoring you and yours. If we say nothing people generally do nothing. People are lazy and forgetful we all know that! I did not mean to offend anyone by this thread and am sorry if I did!

Send me his address and name.

Thanks

Dave

[GunHand]

Dave, First, I want to let you know right off the bat I wasn't lumping you in with the whole 'I support the troops' (but do nothing other than put an easy to remove magnet on the back of my vehicle) crowd. You ARE trying to do something, and I think it's great. Sorry, but I should have made myself a little better understood. I appoligise for the mis-understanding. So, you definately didn't offend me, and I hope I didn't offend you, and if I did so, it was inadvertant.

Also, I was thinking...maybe this forum could be used to (for lack of a better word) 'reward' past servicemen (and SOTL) for their service to their country....I'd be willing to help out. Maybe we could colaberate some? Just a thought.... Later, Shannon

PS: This has been the ramblings of a middle-aged H1N1 infected fever-induced grump.....

[smelvis]

Hi Shannon
I sent you a long email. But to cut to the chase I also get tired of the yellow ribbon magnets, they can pay $2.99 for a ribbon but can't take the time to sit down and visit with a Vet. Some of my most memorable times have been having a meal with older vets who have no family left. I am fascinated and enjoy my time with them much more than they do with me. LOL

Your right and I am ashamed at most people, sorry but I do mean most people.

Thanks Shannon I appreciate it and you and your Future Father in Law.

Peace Brother!

[tobacmon]

I see many of our servicemen and women every day and welcome them home. I also let them know how much I appreciate their service to our country. This stems from many years back during the conflict with Viet Nam. I had 2 brothers at the time in the service, 1 in country and 1 in Korea. The stories my brother came home with during his tour in the Nam brought me closure to my brother and the whole group of vets that came home and are coming home. My brother has devoted his time to the Viet Nam Veterans and is a local chapter representative. These brothers sacrifice many things and deserve to be recognized for the job they did and not to be looked at as bad people. Unless you were there how can you pass judgment? I meet up every year for the Memorial Day parade and see many of the guys that stood side by side to defend our Flag and our Freedom. We talk, drink and smoke cigars and talk about the brotherhood that keeps me going back every year to thank the old and new vets for protecting my country, my family and I. I say it every year I appreciate their service to God and Country.

God Bless America!!!!

[GTCharged]

My entry:

First off I would like to say that I have appreciation beyond any words, to all of our soldiers that put their life on the line to protect the freedoms we have in this country. I have respect for every person who has in the past or present, fought for our wonderful country. Alive or deceased, many thanks goes out to each of you.

My grandfather fought in WWII. He was a very high rank, although I do not remember the exact one. I never got the chance to talk to him about his service before he passed away, but I'm sure he had many stories to share. When we were cleaning his house out, I found something he never told anyone he had. I had found his dog tags. To this day, I have these in my room in memory of all the men and women who have fought and died for our country. They will never be forgotten, because they are in our hearts forever. If my grandfather had not made it through the war, my father, nor I, would have ever been born.

In life, we take for granted the small things we have every day. Trees, rain, hot showers, luxury items, and such. The troops over in the middle east have none of these. They do not have the creature comfort of a hot shower. They don't have anything to sit back and relax to, like how we have cigars.

They have the bravery to keep fighting, on and on, knowing they do not have things like these to come back to at their base. Every conflict they have, they do not know if it is their last. Every bullet that screeches by, they do not know if another is going to hit. They are determined to get through it. Knowing that each action they take protects our freedom. These are the true heros. Every last one of them.

They go through the struggle of war to keep our country safe from attack. Sometimes they fight to keep the citizens of another country safe, just as vigorously as they do our own. They have the strength to do so, the compassion to keep another human being alive, even though we may be different. But they know, even though on the outside we may be different, we all are equals. Our lives have the same value. That is true compassion.

If I could, I would stand outside in the pouring rain for weeks to just give these soldiers the thanks they deserve. Words cannot express emotion, or gratitude, but being face to face with these heros, may just help.

[Jumes]

It has been great to read all the stories and especially to hear from the vets. This is not meant to be an entry but just a recollection of a memory I had forgotten. Several of my friends and I have ridden our motorcycles to Washington DC for the Run to the Wall. It is usually very hot and the parade takes many hours of sitting on your bike, moving a few miles and sitting still again. Often times as you watch your motorcycle getting overheated, and the sweat pouring off of you, you become anxious to have the parade over. I was at this stage once when, after riding in the parade for over two hours, I saw a gentleman in his late seventies or eighties in full uniform and standing at attention saluting every bike that came by. The only way I can imagine he was able to maintain that for so many hours is that he had gone through worse while in service. It did not seem nearly as unbearable after that. As I get older it sometimes takes a nudge to bring back old memories. Thanks for the nudge.

[Ray]

Well, I don't intend to really write an essay. I'll just say, I served, Dad was a Korean War (non war - "Police Action") Vet and my Grandfathers were WWII Vets. My parents never wanted me to join, but I had too much respect for the Vets before me not to. I served with many Vietnam Vets as my Senior NCO's and was proud to be thought of as a good soldier by them.

And I stand by my signature!

[tobacmon]

"For He today who Sheds his Blood with Me Shall be My Brother"--William Shakespeare

One of my favorite LINES!

[smelvis]

Ends tonight at 10:00

Well get to writing and lets give this a week, say it ends next Tuesday at 10:00 pm Happy writing and put your heart into it, They Did!

[Magicseven]

Vets get my respect because they have the honor, courage and determination to do what so many people are afraid to do. They are risking their lives for the freedoms of american, they risk their lives so family can sleep at night. vets give a unselfish love of man and country and for that they will always have my respect.

[Arnie]

As I sit here in my office reading these stories of Veterans who probably do not think of themselves as brave or as heroes my eyes are tearing up. So many of the things in life that I casually take for granted have been won for me through the blood and sacrifice of Veterans over the decades and centuries of this nation's existence.

I have read a little about the Revolutionary War, and talk about hardships!! We can't even begin to imagine what those brave souls suffered to get this country started!

Then the Civil War. Fought to free the slaves and unify us.

Right on down to the present, there is no way we can repay those who give their time and/or their lives to protect us and keep us a free people.

Sometimes I hike into the foothills west of Boulder and look out over the town and I am overcome with gratitude for all who have made this place such a great country. It is impossible to express the emotion. The life we live here, thanks in large part to our Veterans who have kept us free, is unimaginably rich. We are soooo lucky.

Now, it seems to me, sometimes the people who are running this country today have lost touch with all that. They appear to take for granted our security and prosperity. That is a shame and a mockery of the sacrifices of all our fallen heroes. Veterans deserve better representation.

I thank all the Veterans for their service. I thank the Founding Fathers for their sacrifices. I thank God in all His/Her forms for watching over us and keeping us safe. And I pray that we can remain worthy of all these blessings.

Tomorrow I have a day off and I am going to burn up a stogie in honor of all you Veterans. Hats off to you!!

[GTCharged]

Good luck everyone!

[smelvis]

okay before I announce the winners I need everyone who entered the contest on this thread to PM me their address, I am just a backwards sort of fella.


Thanks Everyone!

[commonsenseman]

Originally Posted by smelvis

okay before I announce the winners I need everyone who entered the contest on this thread to PM me their address, I am just a backwards sort of fella.


Thanks Everyone!

Don't do it! It's a trick!

As someone who knows, consider yourself warned......

[RobustBrad]

Jeff,

Please update your information of "Last cigar smoked" I keep seeing the Padron 80th and getting just more depressed.

Cheers,
Brad