Motivational Poster Thread (warning content)

That girl was totally clueless!

 

So was her cameraman. It sounded to me like he said it sounded like fireworks. She could've been reporting live, as the shooting was going on, but she came out looking like a fool.

 

Today is Memorial Day.

My Grandfather, a 1st generation German American, served in the Army - likely shooting at some of his first cousins. When he got his draft notice, the intake building had a fat, balding Sargent at the table. - Grandad was at first rebuffed, being told to go away, as the Army already had "too many G-D Krauts"
He waked down the street and found another office recruiting for the Forestry Engineers. 20th at the time, he later was part of the 21st FE. He returned home several months after hostilities ceased. 3 years. Emil Thomas - but he'd have folks call him "Bill": as it sounder "less German".

My Uncle joined the Army as a tanker, later asked to be transferred an anti-tank unit, as he put it to me as a kid, that seemed safer - at least you could duck. From North Africa, he went to Anzio, where he was horribly wounded. Abandoned as dead, he was found by a Medic, who got him to an aid station and he recovered in England. Later, once healed, he didn't go home, he went to France. Wounded again, went back to England. He was discharged to the Army Air Corps, there to drive a fire truck.
Less than 5 years later, was drafted in 1950. He was living in Monterey, Calif. The Air Force sent him to Tucson, D-M AFB to - drive a fire truck. He stayed in Tucson after discharge.

My dad joined the Army, was attached to a Quartermaster Corp unit and supported a "Evacuation hospital' (later called a MASH) for 3 years in the PTO. He left service at the PI and returned home to Tucson. He was drafted in 1950 while living in Tucson, sent to Ft Ord, Ca. There he was able to land a slot making dog tags. He was discharged and retuned to Tucson with mom and my two older brothers. At this point, neither of the two ever had anything nice to say about the Big Army.

I put in 23 years in USAF, in the slack just before Vietnam fell apart and after the end of the 1st Gulf Conflict. (1994) It was, in reality, just a badly paying job for the most part, but....exciting in too many other ways.

My son joined as a Marine. 0311 - Grunt. His Company, his squad - lost 3 guys to an IED outside of Hit, Iraq.. He was in the destroyed Hummer just a few min before he switched vehicles. His 'old' Hummer got hit with a 500lb aerial bomb/IED. He was injured to the point he draws a 85% VA disability from 'being too close to too many IEDs'.
For a long time he suffered from short term memory issues. His first dog, back home, saved his life.... We are blessed that he found a wonderful woman, they now have two children. He is currently doing 'security work'.
////
Four generations in service. So, Memorial Day, for my family, is more than a day for a picnic.

As for the pious politicians who mew their platitudes on this day... having nobody in their family ever serve -


/rant

 

no thank you, it's not what it seems. I'll be like America.