Today is Memorial Day. First proclaimed in 1868, Memorial Day was reserved to honor soldiers who died in the Civil War, one of the nation's bloodiest conflicts and the only one fought by and against Americans on U.S. soil. This is a special day for Americans to remember the ultimate sacrifice that our service members in the Armed Forces have made on our behalf in the name of freedom. The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard have served honorably in our time of need, from 1776 to the present.
From the fields of Gettysburg, Shiloh, Antietam, Manassas, Chancelorsville, Lookout Mountain to the fields of San Juan Hill, Chateau Thierry, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Normandy, Chosin Reservoir, Pork Chop Hill, Khe San, Hue, Tet Offensive, Beirut, Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm I, and last, but certainly not least, Operation Iraqi Freedom and the liberation of Afghanistan. These men, and in many instances women, who gave the ultimate sacrifice may have been opposed to the reason they were fighting a certain war, but like generations before them, whether drafted or voluntary, they answered the call of their country and gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy the right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
Let us Americans wave our flags, have our veterans' parades, eat our fried-chicken and watermelon, enjoy a picnic whether you are in Maine or Miami…Seattle or San Diego in peace, knowing that we have a fighting-force made up strictly of volunteers that are protecting us as we enjoy this Memorial Day. To all my fellow service members who cannot be with their families due to their chosen duties, whether floating in the Persian Gulf on an Aircraft Carrier or Frigate, patrolling the mountains of Afghanistan, slugging it out with terrorists in Iraq, keeping communism at bay on the DMZ in Korea, allowing the German, S. Korean, Italian, and Japanese people to pursue happiness due to your presence, or patrolling the Caribbean on a Coast Guard Cutter, allow me, on behalf of the American people, to say THANK YOU.
Today, many of our former allies hate us and would like to see us fail in Iraq and Afghanistan; many of these same people are members of RHP. Ignore them, and forgive them for they know not what they think they know. This post is not a debatable post; it is an observational post aimed at Americans. The rest of you are welcomed to read it and form your opinions. I expect slams and troll-trails, but that is OK.
The average American knows that he/her is a good and decent person who ultimately wants peace, but not at the price of appeasement. I will use a quote from the state of New Hampshire, where a good friend here on RHP lives, that says it all: “Live free or die”!
ENJOY, BUT REMEMBER AMERICA! HAVE A BLESSED MEMORIAL DAY!
Originally posted by chancremechanicMost people don't hate Americans
Today is Memorial Day. First proclaimed in 1868, Memorial Day was reserved to honor soldiers who died in the Civil War, one of the nation's bloodiest conflicts and the only one fought by and against Americans on U.S. soil. This is a special day for Americans to remember the ultimate sacrifice that our service members in the Armed Forces have made on ...[text shortened]... it all: “Live free or die”!
ENJOY, BUT REMEMBER AMERICA! HAVE A BLESSED MEMORIAL DAY!
Originally posted by AmauroteBelieve it or not, but the "only the poor" join the US military is more fallacy than fact. There are more enlisted personnel with BA and BS degrees than ever before entering the services and not because they couldn't find a job on the outside. Sure, joining the military is a great option for a poor person, but that poor person has to have morals and intelligence, not be a street thug.
Great post, chance, but I think we all know the real truth of the nature of volunteer armies. The poor in certain districts volunteer in much the same way as Hobson made a choice.
Originally posted by chancremechanicI don't hate Americans but I don't like you very much.
Today is Memorial Day. First proclaimed in 1868, Memorial Day was reserved to honor soldiers who died in the Civil War, one of the nation's bloodiest conflicts and the only one fought by and against Americans on U.S. soil. This is a special day for Americans to remember the ultimate sacrifice that our service members in the Armed Forces have made on ...[text shortened]... it all: “Live free or die”!
ENJOY, BUT REMEMBER AMERICA! HAVE A BLESSED MEMORIAL DAY!
Originally posted by chancremechanicYou have to have morals and intelligence to join the US miltary? Then why was there that news story about the retarded guy who signed up and then the Army wouldn't release him once it was pointed out he was impaired. I guess he was intelligent compared to other applicants.
Believe it or not, but the "only the poor" join the US military is more fallacy than fact. There are more enlisted personnel with BA and BS degrees than ever before entering the services and not because they couldn't find a job on the outside. Sure, joining the military is a great option for a poor person, but that poor person has to have morals and intelligence, not be a street thug.
Originally posted by XanthosNZYou'd think the lack of paragraphs in his application would have given him away.
You have to have morals and intelligence to join the US miltary? Then why was there that news story about the retarded guy who signed up and then the Army wouldn't release him once it was pointed out he was impaired. I guess he was intelligent compared to other applicants.
Originally posted by chancremechanicI wasn't restricting that remark to the US, though: the same thing happens here, where I live in the north of England - every hick town bandstand here and in Scotland is a recruiting sergeant's billet. I'm not saying only the poor join the army, either - but just as the middle-class are disproportionately represented in the special forces, the working-class are disproportionately represented in the infantry. I'm sure the army does great things for them while they're there in terms of character and self-discipline, I know a few people who've benefited from joining the armed forces (most of them have luckily ended up as prison officers), but I also know quite a few who ended up with nothing because most armies do such a poor job of looking after their own.
Believe it or not, but the "only the poor" join the US military is more fallacy than fact. There are more enlisted personnel with BA and BS degrees than ever before entering the services and not because they couldn't find a job on the outside. Sure, joining the military is a great option for a poor person, but that poor person has to have morals and intelligence, not be a street thug.
Originally posted by XanthosNZAre you writing an autobiography?
You have to have morals and intelligence to join the US miltary? Then why was there that news story about the retarded guy who signed up and then the Army wouldn't release him once it was pointed out he was impaired. I guess he was intelligent compared to other applicants.
Originally posted by dylIt never ceases to amaze me how you America-haters nit-pick at the least important parts of a message because you can't think of anything else to say....could THAT be a sign of low intelligence? For your info, it wouldn't let me put the message in paragraph format, except the way i edited it. Now, go find out where your girlfriend is...I hear there's a US Navy ship in town, and you're on a ches site? What a dweeb....😲
You'd think the lack of paragraphs in his application would have given him away.
Originally posted by AmauroteI agree...
I wasn't restricting that remark to the US, though: the same thing happens here, where I live in the north of England - every hick town bandstand here and in Scotland is a recruiting sergeant's billet. I'm not saying only the poor join the army, either - but just as the middle-class are disproportionately represented in the special forces, the working-class ...[text shortened]... o ended up with nothing because most armies do such a poor job of looking after their own.