Gratitude for our troops

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Dave

Dave

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Joined
Jun 11, 2004
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Loc
Edwardsburg, MI
We have some friends near the coast who once or twice a week go to Pease Air force Base and welcome the homecoming troops. Pease is often the first time in a year that these kids have set foot on American soil.

All of the servicemen and women are exhausted from having cooped up for the better part of a day on a noisy, bumpy military transport. When they disembark, they are greeted by forty or fifty civilians (none of whom they’ve met) cheering and clapping at their safe arrival.

These volunteers set up tables with coffee and doughnuts and snacks (and sometimes McDonalds sends over food). They also have tables and computers set up so that these arrivals can e-mail their families. Nearly all of the greeters have cell phones which they freely lend to the troops.

Most of the returnees are overwhelmed with gratitude and the knowledge that they are greatly appreciated.

God bless them and the people who care.
 
kind of as little different from when I came back from Nam.
 
couture's gallery said:
kind of as little different from when I came back from Nam.
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I was going to mention this disparity too. Times were so different and tough then.

I've often thank veterans of Vietnam, Korea, WWII and even WWI for there service.
 
When we first went to Afghanistan it was pretty easy to send care packages to troops or to send things to any random service member as a show of support. With increased security it's more difficult to do so, unless you are a family member sending a package to a specific individual.

If you wish to make their lives a little better, you can still send a care package through the USO or similar agency. You can contribute through their website to sponsor packages for the troops here:

https://www.uso.org/donate/custom.aspx?id=730&p=455

Yes, the way vets were treated when returning from Viet Nam should be considered a national disgrace. Maybe this time around we can do better.
 
When I was active in the Nam era, it was against my choice.

I did not volunteer.

I did not believe in The Cause.

Those in the Middle East today were not drafted.

By and large, they are either looking for Socially Acceptable Welfare or have an uneducated view of reality.

For many, the last thought they have is that they are actually going to be shot at.

They don't have to be there.

They elected to be there.

I believe in supporting their well-being with appropriate supplies and equipment.

Don't ask me to support their bad decision.
 
Its bad decision after bad decision that gives you the ability to show such a level of disrespect.

I only know two people that have really gave for the military in the last 5 years. One is about 40 with 3 kids. He's a detective for the sheriffs department. He stayed stateside but moved his family for 2 years.

The other is about 40 with 2 kids. He is a captain in the local fire department. He did 2 tours in Iraq flying helicopters.

I'm pretty sure they don't fit your stupid idea of a solder.
 
well; my first tour in Nam was not voluntary for sure, but my second one was.
I actually enjoyed the challenge..of course I was YOUNG and FOOLISH at the time.
 
FramingFool said:
By and large, they are either looking for Socially Acceptable Welfare or have an uneducated view of reality.
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Holy sh*t. When you're done playing Internet Tough Guy maybe you'd like to get out into the real world and tell some Marines the error of their ways. Or some widows.
 
FramingFool said:
"By and large, they are either looking for Socially Acceptable Welfare or have an uneducated view of reality."



10 years ago I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you

10 years ago I was married to a boy in the army . I say boy because thats what he and his army friends were. They were not men. They were mostly boys who screwed up in high school and couldn't get into college and thought the army was "easy money" A couple were in the army because a judge gave them a choice of Army or jail on drug charges.

They learned nothing about the real world. They learned that no matter how fast after payday they spent their check, they had food, clothing and a place to stay. No matter how late they were or how much they goofed off, they still had a job because the army needed the bodies. The toughest place any of them ended up was a bar in Korea, where not much else was happening.

Now, that boy and I are divorced. He may or may not still be in the army, i dont know where he is. He may be in Iraq. I hope hes ok, wherever he is.

Now, I have many friends who joined the military knowing FULL WELL what they were getting into and where they were going. Many, BECAUSE they knew. And I thank them and respect them.

Tonite, I am going to go stand outside the funeral home where a wake is being held for a soldier KIA in Iraq. I am part of the Patriot Guard. A bunch of people, mainly motorcyclists, who go to wakes and funerals of soldiers and show our respect by holding the American flag. Patriotguard.org. Sometimes we are blocking the family of the soldier from seeing protesters gathered nearby making a ruckus.

My opinion of soldiers has changed, quite a bit. But so have times.
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