Happy veterans day (no thanks to Bill O'Reilly)
My grandmother served in the Coast Guard during World War II. She stood by in Washington State, in case the Japanese invaded. I was lucky enough to spend Veterans Day weekend with her, albeit too briefly.
Her husband, my grandfather, no longer alive, waded ashore at the Battle of Guadalcanal with a rifle in his hand. He had an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on his chest, as he enlisted in the Marines at a young age. Her son, my uncle, spent 26 or so years in the military; first the National Guard, then Air Force. Three of her grandkids enlisted as well.
These are the people I think about on Veterans Day.
Other people include Dan Daley, who was awarded two Congressional Medals of Honor. His famous yelled, as he ran toward what should have been certain death, "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"
Compare these folks to some dirtbag I saw on TV -- the day before Veterans Day -- who dared to call John Murtha a "ballerina." Yes, Murtha is unpopular with conservatives and even some veterans for calling for a withdrawal from Iraq.
But Murtha, retired Colonel Murtha, volunteered for service in Vietnam in 1967. His country was sending its young men there to fight, so he went. He was also a drill instructor, and was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for his service in Vietnam.
"Ballerina."
Anyway, this dirtbag who probably isn't worth me writing about -- he has his own TV show. The Bill O'Reilly Show or something.
The same year Murtha went to Vietnam, O'Reilly graduated from high school. Perfect age. But O'Reilly, like Dick Cheney, had other priorities.
And if people don't want to serve, that's fine. But don't call other people ballerinas or uncommitted to national security or whatever, just because they don't have the same blood lust as yourself, if you don't want to raise your hand and take an oath. Stay out of the conversation, chickenhawks.
Anyway, this has gone off on a tangent.
Happy Veterans Day, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Dad, everybody.
(More on the military-civilian gap here.
Her husband, my grandfather, no longer alive, waded ashore at the Battle of Guadalcanal with a rifle in his hand. He had an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on his chest, as he enlisted in the Marines at a young age. Her son, my uncle, spent 26 or so years in the military; first the National Guard, then Air Force. Three of her grandkids enlisted as well.
These are the people I think about on Veterans Day.
Other people include Dan Daley, who was awarded two Congressional Medals of Honor. His famous yelled, as he ran toward what should have been certain death, "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"
Compare these folks to some dirtbag I saw on TV -- the day before Veterans Day -- who dared to call John Murtha a "ballerina." Yes, Murtha is unpopular with conservatives and even some veterans for calling for a withdrawal from Iraq.
But Murtha, retired Colonel Murtha, volunteered for service in Vietnam in 1967. His country was sending its young men there to fight, so he went. He was also a drill instructor, and was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for his service in Vietnam.
"Ballerina."
Anyway, this dirtbag who probably isn't worth me writing about -- he has his own TV show. The Bill O'Reilly Show or something.
The same year Murtha went to Vietnam, O'Reilly graduated from high school. Perfect age. But O'Reilly, like Dick Cheney, had other priorities.
And if people don't want to serve, that's fine. But don't call other people ballerinas or uncommitted to national security or whatever, just because they don't have the same blood lust as yourself, if you don't want to raise your hand and take an oath. Stay out of the conversation, chickenhawks.
Anyway, this has gone off on a tangent.
Happy Veterans Day, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Dad, everybody.
(More on the military-civilian gap here.
Labels: bill o'reilly, chickenhawk, military civilian divide, military civilian gap, veterans, veterans day
posted by bp at
6:52 PM
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