Proud moment!

Re: Proud moment!

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>Perhaps, just perhaps folks have finally realized that if not for those older vets and especially the ones that didn't come back this Country would not be what it is today----Free. Those Old Vets where but boys as is the case with most vets when they went in Service on Air, Land and Water to do what had to be done.

Damn shame the reception the Vietnam Vets got when they got home. Perhaps it wasn't a populat war but by gosh they went and did there best given the "rules" in which they had to deal with. Politicians and Money was behind that war. I hope all them b@st@rds rot in their graves fr profiteering off of Americian Blood.

Ted, sorry for the rant concerning Politics, I couldn't help myself.

Todd O.

Re: Proud moment!

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>I want to emphasize that the below isn't intended to be about politics, but about people.

I was in my 20's during the Viet Nam war, and was a war resister - trying to raise the question of what we thought we were doing there and why it was important to sacrifice lives, American and Vietnamese, to do it.

The Viet Nam vets did, indeed, get a raw deal, because the war was either not very visible (before 1966) or seen very negatively by many people, who foolishly transferred these negative feelings to the vets. It is one of the saddest parts of that portion of our history that the men and women who came back from service there did not get the respect due them. Many resisters felt a good deal of sympathy for the vets, even as we opposed the actions of the government, but it wasn't always easy to say then - the times were so polarized. I am glad that, as all of us who went through that period have grown older, we've come to be able to talk with each other with respect.

Re: Proud moment!

nhlett

>Well said Gentlemen.

As I watched the dedication on TV yesterday, I thought of my Dad who was on the other side.

He was in Latvia when the Russians invaded, as a young man of 18 he found himself a wanted man. His crime, membership in the Sea Scouts, a sea going version of the Boy Scouts.

He fled and joined a resistance army formed for Latvian expatriots. He once told me that the German command was smart enough to keep them where they would only fight the Russians, realising that they would refuse to fight anyone else. Eventually they surrendered to the first American force they encountered.

My thought yesterday was that this memorial is for him too, or any other freedom fighter.

There is so much more I could say, but this is not the place.

Peter

Politics

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL

>Todd,

I am a very highly opinionated person when it comes to politics. However, I think that if we start voicing political opinions here, on what is also an international forum, things will degenerate very quickly from the generally amiable atmosphere which makes this place so pleasant.

Totally Agree Don

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>Sometimes I get just a wee bit to fired up. I am by no means a political analysist, scientest, or any other type of politicial learned scholor. I must run on common sense and right from wrong kind of thinking. While I try not to shoot first and ask questions later I still sometimes do. Best to let the subject rest, or if nothing else out of respect to Ellis to take it off line eh?

Todd O.

It's Memorial Day weekend, so...

Ted Owen, Moderator

>it's appropriate, I think. But everyone please keep things as respectful and non-political as possible.

Best, Ted

You hit it in the 5 ring...

Bob Hackett

>The message here can be summed up in one word,Respect.

Let`s try to live up to the example here gentlemen,in keeping with the spirit of Memorial Day.

Mainely,Bob

Re: You hit it in the 5 ring...

Steve Denvir

>Whatever the politics, it's always nice to see classy behaviour. From one of your many friends up north, I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Steve in Toronto