NOT AT: NOT POLITICS: Wanted - More Green Beret Recruits

[Guest guest]

Hey Janet,

 

> Well once again I will not be popular, oh well, never was as important

> as being able to think for myself. (Remember you can hit delete at

> anytime).

 

Not sure why you would think this post is unpopular. Of course, there

is nothing we can say that will please all folks ... but military folks

are not a political issue .. they are us and ours .. and we are them.

 

> During the Viet Nam war I lived at Ft Harrison, which at that time

> did all the military pay, for all branches of the service. I have

> been gone a long time, but I think they still do it at that finance

> center altho the base is closed and is now a state park in Indiana.

 

I think its all in Kansas City now .. and I think a part of the second

largest office building in America (the old USAF & AC) at Ft. Ben deals

reserve matters now .. I think. Ft. Ben Harrison was one of my favorite

places to play .. went to a 4 month school there and it was nice .. :-)

 

> My nephew just got his Captains bars, made the family proud he did.

 

Good show and they have reason to be proud.

 

> Well his mama was dirt poor when he was growing up. Probably cause

> her full time job was working at the local Boys & Girls club. I am

> sure the pay there was not one to allow for extra's. The boys father

> well I recollect he saw his son 3 times in the boys life. Great role

> model.

> Of course while she (the mama) was doing that (working at the Boys

> Club) she was taking classes to get a college degree.

>

> The boy, never had lots of extra clothes or toys, oh there was a bike

> and a TV. Doc, his uncle gave him a tennis racket and taught him to

> play. He spent his time playing baseball, basketball, later golf,

> tennis, lots of team sports.

> The boy grew up in a " project " environment, never did drugs altho his

> best buddies went to prison for dealing.

 

Lucky feller fer'shur!

 

> When he got out of HS he did get some financial support, not much

> at 30 on military pay he is still paying his school loans, went to the

> local Big Ten Campus school and go a degree in P.E.

> Everyone thought he was gonna be a teacher.

>

> Well in many ways he is. He just left. Ft Bragg, now in Oklahoma, then

> 6 weeks in Kansas, then on for two years in Korea.

 

Good for him .. :-)

 

> Paid enough, as a officer he has a room mate, another officer, they

> split the rent, pool their food allowance, found that shopping at

> " Sam's Club " food is cheaper than at the commissary. The married

> couples I have know in the military qualified for food stamps in

> most states where they lived.

 

Unfortunate fact that is .. for young married soldiers its not unusual.

Whether they take them or not is another matter .. most try to find a

part-time job because there is a stigma to taking food stamps - right or

wrong, this is the way the other GIs think.

 

> It is real easy to set on the sidelines be pacificist and say don't

> pay them any more.

> The get 3 squares and a cot. MY opinion we provide prisoners more

> dollars per person for basic care than we do the military.

 

Matter of fact this is for Federal prisoners .. not so much for some of

the state prisoners. I think Alabama spends about $2.39 a year on

theirs .. ;-p

 

> Well when you have a son, daughter, grandchild, niece, nephew, loved

> one in the military then you will take an interest...and my opinion

> that will come about sooner than you think.

 

I think maybe half the people on ANY list will fit this category at some

time in their life.

 

> These young people, and being too old myself to even join the reserves

> myself, most of the world is younger than me, deserve a decent living

> wage, they deserve to be able to have a family, Uncle Sugar and I

> disagree on this one,

 

I think that has changed a lot .. the military knows that happy soldiers

are those who have happy families. They lean hard on taking care of the

ones left behind during deployments.

 

> they deserve to be able to see to it their kids eat, have the

> clothing they need, not everything they want, without having to

> have everything come from Goodwill, Salvation Army or such places.

 

Basic human needs ..

 

> Y'all love Butch, do you think he would be the same guy if he had

> stayed in " Butcher Holler " , slaughter hogs, married and had 9

> young'uns and never left the farm? (Sorry Butch, just used you as

> an example, I still have kin that did just that and I love them

> for the people they are.)

 

I go back to Guthrie, KY .. where I was one of the 3-4 poor kids in my

class of 35 .. and things are different now. I still like to have a

beer with my old buddies and they haven't changed anything but wives and

pickups 3 or 4 times .. ;-p But I grew .. they either stagnated or went

downhill. Even those who graduated from university could not find where

I live on a map if you gave'em an hour .. and they think a trip to

Disneyland is something to discuss for the rest of their lives .. ;-)

 

> The military gave him opportunity, education and so much more.

 

That's a big Roger! My option were very limited when I graduated from

high school .. but, I had been determined to join the Army for years

before that.

 

> Yes there is the risk our sons & daughters will die while on duty.

> There is the risk their younger siblings will be shot at school,

> crossing the road, climbing a tree, or by one of their " friends "

> or neighbors.

 

Billy Wayne Sanford and I are the only two out of maybe 20 guys who went

to the military .. we volunteered and we stayed till retirement. The

others were able to avoid the draft (which we had back then) due to

small county politics and pappy's ability to put them in the university

for years on end. Some of those fellers died in car accidents and such,

one was murdered, but Billy Wayne and I made it OK even though we went

in a different direction that most thought was foolish.

 

> I love eo's, making eo candles, cooking, baking, arranging Grandma's

> old china and crystal on the table for a family meal, but I thank

> the powers that be we have a military, a country, a government and

> Doc, (the wonderful old Irishman in my life) that I have the

> opportunity to do it.

 

Sounds like you got it all .. :-)

 

> We have our priorities screwed up, in my opinion, we pay, all the

> sports figures BIG MONEY. Do they risk their lives for us? for our

> safety, no for our entertainment.

 

Yep .. and for the commercial sponsors .. ;-p

 

> Ok I will stop for now, I wonder what it will take for us to pay

> the people who truly make a difference to us in this world,

> teachers, military, police, fire, emts.

 

Takes things like 11 September to help soldiers and cops and emergency

workers and such .. if the spirit stays high. As for teachers, one of

the most abused groups around methinks .. I have no idea what it will

take. I think this is a common thing in most countries. Shame it is

but I guess they just don't get the high visibility .. :-(

 

> Well I am sure I will long be ashes in the wind before this world

> sees what is of value in the world in which we live.

 

My grandkids will likely be under snakes afore that happens .. ;-p

 

> Seems we only appreciate what we need.

 

Yep. Its been said by many for a long time and it will continue:

 

Our God and Soldiers we alike adore

Ev'n at the brink of danger; not before;

After deliverance; both alike requited,

Our God's forgotten, and our soldiers slighted.

.......... Francis Quarles .. " Emblems "

 

For it's Tommy this, an Tommy that, an'

" Chuck him out, the brute! "

But it's " Savior of 'is country "

when the guns begin to shoot.

.......... Rudyard Kipling ... " Tommy "

 

> Butch, I appreciate you more than I can express, because you

> bring to our attention things that are real and only when we

> place our attention on it can it change.

 

Thankee m'am .. feels good to read that. Especially after somebody on

another list saw it differently and became real insulting .. ;-p

 

> Think I will go smell some rose otto, and start to sort more of

> Granny's things to send to the younger family members... life

> seems to grow short, time goes by so fast, pray our service

> people civil and military have some peace in their lives every day.

 

Not a single day passes that I don't mention them in my talks with the

Great Spirit .. :-) Butch

 

> >Dr. Chuck Woodfield passed this to me .. we share a comraderie only a

> >few can understand. I wanna share it with you. This discussion is

> >NOT about politics .. it is about TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN!!!

> >

> >Some of you may recall on another list lately a lady began to discuss

> >some hot shot politico opposition to military pay raises ... and the

> >list mom cut her off ... said it was political. Perhaps it was as it

> >did focus on particular anti-military elected officials - this doesn't!