Veteran's Day 2013

[aimtrue]

My respect and admiration for the men and women of America’s armed forces is sincere and deep. During my adolescent school years, I learned about the honor, valor and sacrifice that those in the military who lived before my time and freely gave of themselves to protect and preserve our American way of life.

Growing up in World War II, I observed similar sacrifices again freely given by devoted young Americans. I am grateful and humbled by such great patriots.

What angers me is the criticism that we Americans are Imperialists. That accusation is patently false. The best retort to this outrageous statement was made by Colin Powell when he stated quite emphatically that the only land we occupy in foreign lands are those burial plots in which our fallen military rest.

What I believe about American Exceptionalism is that throughout history, we have helped all others shake off the yoke of tyrannical oppression without our asking for anything in return. For, we believe that they like us “possess natural rights that include “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

It is the men and women of our armed forces that have make freedom possible for these people. And, it is because of our armed forces that we live today as free Americans.

Never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed more for the freedom and liberty of total strangers than the American soldier. In addition, our soldiers don't just give freedom abroad; they preserve it for us here at home.

It has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest.

It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag.”

On this Veteran’s day, I salute all of our young countrymen who serve. I am proud of them and ask God’s blessing for them.

I am eternally grateful that both my wife and I served our country during the Korean War of the 1950’s as members of the United States Navy.

[wyntrout]

Well said, and thanks to you and your wife for your service. My wife and I both served 20 years or more in the USAF and know the sacrifices that service members and families make with military service.

:Amflag2:

Wynn:)

[SGT5711]

Very well said. Happy Veteran's Day to all!

[Sage]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6gZefW4yEA

Thank you to my fellow Vietnam Veterans and to all who have served our great nation.

Jocko, that was just shameful. (I guess someone retracted your post.)

[Bawanna]

Perhaps shameful but true and for the record he deleted it himself.

[getsome]

Had an interesting chance encounter yesterday with a gentleman at Church...Our Church has two services. 9am and 11am...We go to the 11am service and I put up the flag before Sunday School ends and the Main 11 o'clock service begins....

Yesterday as I was clipping the flag to the wire I heard a voice say "Can I help you with that" ?....I looked around and saw an older Gentleman at least 80 who introduced himself as Paul and said he was the local VFW Commander and was just visiting the 9am service and was saddened that nobody had put up the flag...

He came to attention and saluted the Flag then helped me raise it up....I shook his hand and thanked him for his Service to our Country...His handshake was firm and his eyes were clear and bright....He asked me if I had served in the Military and I felt bad and told him no I had not but he didn't seem to care but was so thrilled that I was raising the flag....He thanked me profusely and i didn't know what to say as I was getting choked up....I think I craoked out "You're Welcome Sir"....He again came to attention and saluted then turned and walked away....

Yesterday I met one of the last of "The Greatest Generation" It was my honor to shake his hand and say thank you but it sure didn't feel like enough....

My Thanks to all the current Military members out there and to all the Veterans who served so that I was Free to Raise our Flag yesterday and meet Paul....:Amflag2:

[jocko]

Perhaps shameful but true and for the record he deleted it himself.

the reason I deleted it was that I was wrong on the Infantry badge that someone had sent to me that said ovomit used the wrong wording. That was a false statement. Iwanted to pull that to be correct.

As far as him giving that speech at Arlington, He is puke IMO. A piss poor commander in chief that no doubt every soldier if asked will tell you he is our commanderin cheif and we will follow, but they probalby won't tell u that they had to puke after making that statement toj.

Sorry I just hyave zero use for that man and I feel in his heart he has no realrespect for veterans, or he would have never let the WWII memoprial be blocked off over the government shutdown. That had to be the lowest sh!t any man could ever do to vets and especially to the Honor flight vets who was there and had to cross a damn no trespassing barrier to view what they fought and lost over 400K lives for. Fokk him:Amflag2:

[jocko]

I bet that ceremony at Ohio air museum of the 3 of the 4 last Doolittle membrs who drank the last bottle in memory of their follwo comrades. I et that was touching.

Did u know (I did not) that all the members had a special glass with their amesengravedon tat gasstwice, One upside down, and when the celebrated those who had died the glass was put upside down but stillhaving his name upright. So cool,so iconic. I would have thought some of the DC big wheels would have attented this event, but probably best that they did not, or they would have smelled up the event like a bunch of skunks. Just sayin

With 600 vets WWII vets dieing every day, we should also think that every day is Veterans day to.

[jocko]

The skunk has replaced the Eagle as the new symbol of the American Presidency.
It is half black, half white, and everything it does, stinks

[GROTMAN]

Thanks to all you who have and are serving. Ran across this and thought it was pretty neat. It actually can only be seen perfectly at 11:11, on 11/11 each year.


http://i.imgur.com/CrPaC.jpg

[jocko]

oh now ain't that just the coolest of the coolest. thanks.

[wyntrout]

From the last true POTUS and CINC US Armed Forces... a man I love and respect... though I did not agree with all of his policies, his hands were tied at times by the Democrats' control of both houses of Congress... a fact that many forget. Many of our current problems were caused by those Democ-RATS, as THEY controlled the purse strings and chaired the Congressional Committees that lead to the 2007 economic slump and our present financial state... "Bush's Fault", indeed!

Anyhow, I think that most U.S. Service Men and Women would view him in great favor as protector of the USA and its Constitution... unlike the present Pretender.

http://www.ijreview.com/2013/11/93586-video-veterans-day-message-president-george-w-bush/

:Amflag2:

Wynn:)

[downtownv]

Anyhow, I think that most U.S. Service Men and Women would view him in great favor as protector of the USA and its Constitution... unlike the present Pretender.

http://www.ijreview.com/2013/11/93586-video-veterans-day-message-president-george-w-bush/

:Amflag2:

Wynn:)

Amen to that. He genuinely made you feel appreciated, unlike this M-F'ing Liar we have now.

[aimtrue]

Although I started this thread as a tribute to our veterans, comments about the CinC brought to mind my memories of the commanders I served during my time in the Navy.

Then, I served under two Commander in Chiefs. Both were strong defenders of America. Each was a product of America’s heartland and was there educated in a manner in which the belief of patriotism was cherished.

Both Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower were experienced by their participation in government and the military. Both were mentally conditioned by two world wars. When each became President, they governed as guardians of the Constitution and protectors of the American people against domestic as well as foreign threats.

Neither was ignorant to affairs at home or abroad. To the contrary, both were leaders of men and as such had placed intelligent and competent subordinates in cabinet positions to advise and assist and importantly, to also criticize.

Neither shirked nor hid behind political barriers. Both were forthright with the people. I cannot recall an instance when either lied to us out of political expediency or subterfuge.

Barack Obama’s inexperience in the workforce actually applying a trade as most Americans do, or as an administrator in business or government along with his disdain for traditional American Values, has made himself a unique and evidently pitiful place in history.

Whereas a President leads as did Truman, Eisenhower, Reagan and GW Bush, Barack Obama has not led but instead been caught unaware of pending events and has not told the truth but has chosen to hide, stonewall and plead ignorance in the face of post-event controversies.

A consequence of his lethargic and inept responses have been catastrophic. His plea of ignorance as a defense, is indefensible. As President he should know what course to take and do so with urgency and authority. It is my opinion that his ineptitude has placed our nation in danger time after time.

As Commander in Chief, I consider Barack Obama a complete failure.

[RevRay]

Seventy years ago my father would have been going through his basic and advanced individual training as a new enlisted man getting ready to fight in WWII. A few short months later he got off a troop transport in the middle of the night and went straight into a foxhole on the front lines at Anzio beachhead. I'm proud to be the son of a veteran of the Greatest Generation.


He went on to make a career of the Army (retiring as a Major), which means he also fought in Korea in 1951-52, where he earned a Bronze Star and an Army Air Medal.

[xsailer]

My Dad did his 2 or 4 year(?) stint in the Army and discharged in 1937. He was stationed in HAWAII!

[xsailer]

Grotman, the memorial is so neat I would like to see it someday if possible. I didn't see if the location was identified. Do you know where might it be please?

bob

[getsome]

Although I started this thread as a tribute to our veterans, comments about the CinC brought to mind my memories of the commanders I served during my time in the Navy.

Then, I served under two Commander in Chiefs. Both were strong defenders of America. Each was a product of America’s heartland and was there educated in a manner in which the belief of patriotism was cherished.

Both Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower were experienced by their participation in government and the military. Both were mentally conditioned by two world wars. When each became President, they governed as guardians of the Constitution and protectors of the American people against domestic as well as foreign threats.

Neither was ignorant to affairs at home or abroad. To the contrary, both were leaders of men and as such had placed intelligent and competent subordinates in cabinet positions to advise and assist and importantly, to also criticize.

Neither shirked nor hid behind political barriers. Both were forthright with the people. I cannot recall an instance when either lied to us out of political expediency or subterfuge.

Barack Obama’s inexperience in the workforce actually applying a trade as most Americans do, or as an administrator in business or government along with his disdain for traditional American Values, has made himself a unique and evidently pitiful place in history.

Whereas a President leads as did Truman, Eisenhower, Reagan and GW Bush, Barack Obama has not led but instead been caught unaware of pending events and has not told the truth but has chosen to hide, stonewall and plead ignorance in the face of post-event controversies.

A consequence of his lethargic and inept responses have been catastrophic. His plea of ignorance as a defense, is indefensible. As President he should know what course to take and do so with urgency and authority. It is my opinion that his ineptitude has placed our nation in danger time after time.

As Commander in Chief, I consider Barack Obama a complete failure.



+1....Thank you aimtrue for your service to our Country.....You certainly have a way with words...Yours is the best description I've seen of what a President should be and exactly what the current Resident isn't......It seems his advisors don't exist as he has claimed to know nothing about Fast & Furious and backed up his A.G. Holder who also claimed ignorance...Obama said he didn't know Bengazi was a terriorist attack for 2 weeks and was about a youtube video, we now know he lied about it and covered for Hillary who said "What difference does it make now"....Obama claimed to have missed the whole IRS scandal along with the NSA spying scandal and said he only learned about it along with the rest of us when it was reported on the TV news....He claimed to not know about the whole Obamacare roll out debacle and if the man should have known anything about anything it should have been Obamacare but apparently he was off golfing while the Government was shut down and didn't get the message that his product stunk and didn't work...

All I can say is if he sits in the most powerful office in the world and doesn't know any more about whats going on in the Country and the World than John Q Citizen then my question is WHY is that and what the HELL is he GOOD FOR....

[Bawanna]

Golf in my mind is the stupidest game ever invented. I'm proud to say I never played it except the mini golf but I can tell you this, if or when I'm president I sure as hell won't have time to play it especially every weekend with my right hand poser who flies back to play with him.

[GROTMAN]

Grotman, the memorial is so neat I would like to see it someday if possible. I didn't see if the location was identified. Do you know where might it be please?

bob
A memorial for U.S. veterans in Anthem, Ariz. is designed to shine especially bright on Veterans Day. On Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m., the sun hits the memorial at a specific angle to reveal the Great Seal of the United States.
Conceived by retired Rear Admiral Ron Tucker and designed by Renee Palmer-Jones, the memorial is made of five pillars representing the five branches of the Armed Forces. The pillars sit in a section of Anthem Community Park atop bricks engraved with the names of 750 veterans.
http://cdnl.complex.com/assets/CHANNEL_IMAGES/ART/2013/11/content/1384191225_crpac.jpg
According to OnlineAnthem.com (http://www.onlineatanthem.com/anthem-veterans-memorial-about-memorial), Palmer Jones wanted to create something "entirely unique and yet, ‘classical’ in structure, while emphasizing the significance of November 11, Veterans Day, each year," so she placed a mosaic below the pillars. One day a year, on Veterans Day, the sun shines through ovals carved out of the pillars and illuminates the mosaic.
Palmer-Jones explains the significance of her design (http://www.onlineatanthem.com/anthem-veterans-memorial-about-memorial), "The objective of the Anthem Veterans Memorial is that the sun will illuminate every Veterans Day the glory of the American eagle mosaic which lay at the heart of the Memorial that is forever surrounded, loved and protected by our veterans."
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