A Moment Of Truth

[MikeK]

[...]No, I never expected people to shake my hand or laud me, but, I would expect not to be subjected to some of the bullshit you put out.

[...]

Exactly what "bullshit" are you talking about?

The only point I've tried to make here is I've grown weary of the,"Thank you for your service to our country," platitude, which serves as a subliminal recruiting slogan and to surreptitiously imbed into weak and receptive minds the utterly false notion that the Bush Crime Family's military adventures in the Middle East actually serve the interests of our Nation. If you're looking for bullshit, buddy, there it is!

If you served in Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan, please do not impress upon the receptive minds of young and impressionable Americans that you were serving their interests or the interests of America. Because, unfortunately and sadly, the opposite is in fact true.

That sad fact is not your fault, nor is it the fault of any of the GIs who were forced or suckered into those unnecessary and wrongful military debacles. You were misused, which is a goddam shame, and it is important that you bring your countrymen, young and old, up to date on that ugly reality. Because perpetuating the warrior virtue orientation makes it easy for the next corrupt and incompetent politician in high office to get over on the public and give us another Vietnam, or Iraq, or Afghanistan.

Enough of this BULLSHIT!

You are a truly pathetic excuse for an American and totally out of touch with reality. I suspect too many drugs with your hippy friends. Or not quite enough.

If the best you can do is personal insults it's time for you to shut up and sit down.

 

[The Gadfly]

Thanking many of us Viet Nam era vets for our "service" is rather like thanking rape victims for the sex we donated.

Happy 4th of July to you too, Editec. Are you trying for new lows? Are you that much bought and paid for? Shame on you.

Blow me, kid, I was there.

I fucking hate sunshine patriots.

You sure about that? I thought I remembered you saying otherwise, and sure enough, I went back and found this excerpt, from your post on 25 March, 2012:

"The last U.S. Marine combat units departed Vietnam on April 31st 1971.

Nowq you may be wondering why I happen to know that.

Because, dear heart, I had ORDERS to go to Southeast ASIA assigned to a Marine Corps Helicopter assult team when NIXXON saved my ASS from having to serve there."

Now please understand that since none of us, draftee or voluntarily enlisted, had any control over where we were sent, I really don't give a shit whether you got to sit things out stateside while I was humping a ruck in the boonies up in I Corps-it's just that whining about how your poor, little, exploited, draftee/"not-so-voluntarily-enlisted" self had to endure the horror of a stateside hitch, while some less fortunate draftees were enjoying a "McNamara Fellowship" in beautiful, tropical South Vietnam, seems a little much on the occasion of our nation's birthday. Seems to me, you caught a pretty lucky break there, "Sunshine"; or at least, I know some of them would have gladly traded places with you-only they aren't around to discuss the matter. Whether you were ever in 'Nam or not, you and I have one thing in common-we both came out of our time in service alive, and with all our extremities in working order; I know too many who didn't, (and haven't since). My feelings towards all of them are pretty much like Ryan's words at Miller's grave in the last scene of "Saving Private Ryan": "I've tried to live my life the best I could. I hope that was enough. I hope, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me." Those words say it as well as any I've ever heard. You might want to think about that, the next time you decide to defecate all over a feel-good moment because you begrudge one warrior's honor to another. There are, after all, some things in life more important than your personal feelings or interests; but apparently, you never learned that. Thank you for your service, no matter how grudgingly you gave it.