A "Must Read" Thread

Frank Z

A friend of my Dad sent this to him and he forwarded it to me.
As a former Marine this means a great deal to me, I hope you take the time to read it and let it soak in a bit.

Semper Fi

Here's to the Marines of MALS 39 and ALL Servicemen
> everywhere............... Please read on.
>
>
>
> Subject:
> Not Playing for the Super Bowl -
>
>
>
> Super Bowl battle is dwarfed by what band of brothers faces San
> Diego
> Post-Dispatch 01/22/2003 Sports Columnist Bryan Burwell
>
> SAN DIEGO - It was just around midnight Tuesday night, and the
> outdoor
> courtyard at Dick's Last Resort was throbbing with the rowdy energy
> of
> a spring break bacchanal. There was loud rock music blaring out of
> the
> stereo speakers, and the air was filled with the distinct and
> somewhat
> revolting aroma of deep-fried bar food, cigarette smoke and spilled
> beer.
>
> Dick's is the sort of bar-restaurant ideally suited for Super Bowl
> week mischief, because it has a down-and-dirty roadhouse feel to it.
> The waiters, waitresses and bartenders are charmingly rude, and
> the
> wood floors are covered with sand and all sorts of indistinguishable
> debris. The clientele on this evening is a fascinating mix of
> twenty-something college kids, thirty-something conventioneers and
> 40-something Super Bowl high-rollers.
>
> Yet there was one table in Dick's courtyard Tuesday night that was
> noticeably different from the others. There were six young men at
> the
> table and one young woman, and while they were drinking like
> everyone
> else in the room, there was something all too serious going on at
> this
> table that let you know that their thoughts were a long way from the
> mindless frivolity of Super Bowl week.
>
> Maybe it was the close-cropped "barracks haircuts" that gave them
> away. All the men's heads were cut in that familiar look of a
> professional soldier, skin-close on the sides, and on top a tight
> shock of hair that resembled new shoe-brush bristles.
>
> "We're Marines," one man told me. "And tomorrow we're boarding a
> ship
> for . . . well . . . I really can't tell you where, but you know."
>
> Of course we knew. In less than an hour, they would report back to
> a
> ship docked along the Southern California coast, then on
> Wednesday
> head across the Pacific Ocean, bound for a potential war in Iraq. So
> this was no Super Bowl party for them. This was their last night out
> on the town. One Marine was saying goodbye to his wife. The others
> were not so lucky. They all just sat around the table, throwing back
> beers and wrestling with the sobering uncertainty of the rest of their
> lives.
>
> "We're going to war and none of us knows if we're ever coming
> back,"
> said another Marine, a 28-year-old from Southern Illinois. They all
> requested that I not use their names. "Just tell 'em we're the men of
> (Marine Aviation Land Support Squad 39)," they said.
>
> On Super Bowl Sunday, the men of MALS 39 will be watching the
> game
> from the mess hall of their ship. "That is, if we're lucky and the
> weather is good and it doesn't interfere with the satellite signal,"
> said the Marine with the bald head and burnt-orange shirt. "But I
> gotta tell you, I'm not that big a sports fan anymore. It's going to
> be the first pro football game I've watched in . . . I can't even
> remember."
>
> Why is that?
>
> "Well, here's my problem with pro sports today," he said. "I don't
> care whether it's football, basketball or baseball. Guys are
> complaining about making $6 million instead of $7 million, and what
> is
> their job? Playing a damned game. You know what I made last
> year? I
> made $14,000. They pay me $14,000, and you know what my job
> description is? I'm paid to take a bullet."
>
> When he said those words, it positively staggered me.
>
> Fourteen thousand dollars to take a bullet.
>
> Not a day goes by that I am not reminded of what a wonderful life I
> lead. I am paid to write about sports and tell stories on radio and
> television about the games people play. But sometimes, even in the
> midst of a grand sporting event, something happens to put the
> frivolity of sports into its proper perspective, and this was it.
>
> Fourteen thousand dollars to take a bullet.
>
> As I sit here writing from my hotel room, I can look out my balcony
> window and I see a Navy battleship cutting through the San Diego
> Bay,
> heading out to sea. I can see the sailors standing on the deck as the
> ship sails past Coronado Island, the San Diego Marina and the
> downtown
> Seaport Village, and I wonder if any of the men from MALS 39 are
> aboard.
>
> It was only 12 hours ago that I was sitting at the table with my guys,
> buying them beers, and listening to their soldier stories. The Marine
> from Southern Illinois who sat to my right pointed to the bald Marine
> in the orange shirt who was seated to my left. "You know, I don't
> even
> know this guy, can you believe that? We just met a few hours ago
> when
> we came into Dick's. Oh, I've seen him on the base, but I've never
> met
> him before tonight. But here's what's so special about that man, and
> why I love that man. He's my brother. Semper Fi. I know a guy back
> home, and he is my best friend. I'm 28 years old and we've known
> each
> other all our lives. But today, that friend is more of a stranger to
> me than that Marine sitting over there, who I've never met before
> tonight. That's why they call it a Band of Brothers."
>
> The little Marine in the orange shirt lifted his glass toward the
> Marine from Southern Illinois and nodded his head. "That's right," he
> said. "That's my brother over there, and I'm gonna take a bullet for
> him if I have to." He said it with a calm and jolting certainty. There
> was a moving, but chilling, pride in his words.
>
> All around them, people were drinking, shouting and laughing. The
> college kids and the conventioneers and NFL high-rollers were living
> the good, carefree life. Across the street, a storefront that was
> vacant two weeks ago was now filled with $30 caps, $400 leather
> jackets, $40 mugs and $27 T-shirts with the fancy blue and yellow
> Super Bowl XXXVII logo embroidered on it.
>
> From every end of the streets of downtown San Diego's fabled
> Gaslamp
> Quarter, Super Bowl revelers toasted the Raiders and the
> Bucanneers
> with grog-sized mugs filled with beers and rums. But just around
> midnight in the middle of the courtyard of Dick's Last Resort, a far
> more deserving toast was going up to the men of MALS 39. We
> clicked
> our glasses together, and a few minutes later, they quietly slipped
> out the courtyard gates.
>
> Suddenly, the Super Bowl didn't seem so important anymore.
>
>
>
>

MxStYlEpOlKmAn

That is clearly a good post. It makes you think, and I agree with the sports thing. About how they complain about how much they get paid. MORONS they are! I wish a good luck, take care, and keep weel and watch after everyone that is over protecting our country now. Im sure we all can wish that all of the armed forces come back unharmed, and alive! My best wishes to all of you!

Tour2ma

Sobering post...

Will forward to my Daughter, a Navy Lt.
Discharged March, '01 to reserve duty; recalled Nov. '01 and still in...

F1nut

Frank,

Thanks! It puts things in their proper perspective.

Tour2ma

Sorry, but just did the forwarding of the link and the article, and had a few more thoughts I need to “put out there”…

When Americans go off to fight, and die, they do it to allow us to live our lives the way we choose to live them, and to protect the rights of the citizens of other nations to do the same. And when they do so, they do not get to pick and choose which individual’s rights they fight for. The $7MM per year, dissatisfied quarterback, the $15k per year fry cook and the $10 per year Afghani farmer are all the same, of equal value.

They fight for the rights of all to play a part in the determination of their own fate. This extends from the right to choose where and how we live, to what God we worship (if any), to speaking our minds, be it on matters as great and important as equal rights, or as relatively trivial as the best amp for RT’s vs. LSi’s… Again there is no picking and choosing…

They fight for an ideal. They have no choice in the application of that ideal. However, we, the benefactors of their service and potential sacrifice, do have a choice.

We can choose to be fully worthy of their service, fully unworthy, or worthy to any degree between these extremes. It is the choice we make individually, and collectively in gatherings, such as this forum. And when we gather, glimpses of our individual worthiness are there for all to see.

Our worthiness is the true payment to those like the men of MALS 39. I mean what is a fair salary for taking a bullet? If not $14k, $140k? … $1.4MM?… It’s not a tab that can be settled with any amount of money… No, it’s our worthiness that settles it.

I’m thinking here that I’d like to be a little more worthy. Maybe even worthy enough to leave a little tip when I pay, if that’s possible.

Frank Z

Well said.

Jstas

I have a unique perspective of all of this. I have a chance to work with military personnel in developing systems that they operate on a daily basis. I'm only 25 but I look at thier faces and see 18 year old kids, not even old enough to buy beer but we ask them to stand infront of hot lead for thier country.

It breaks your heart to go out to a site to do work with them and seeing Christmas decorations in the mess decks. You know you get to go home and see your famiy and have the picturebook Christmas yet these guys are getting sent to a desolate land where Christmas doesn't even exist.

I don't judge worthyness. It's not my place. What I can say for a fact is, the work my co-workers and I do on a daily basis helps to ensure that eventhough those boys aren't going to be home this Christmas, at least their safety will be ensured so that they can be home for many more Christmases to come.

It bugs me when people call me and my company baby-killers and war-mongers. It bugs me when I see protestors standing in the way of those sent to defend the freedom that those protestors are exercising by protesting the defense of that freedom and way of life. It's quite hypocritical and it makes me want to put on my boot and go and kick people in the head!

This past weekend, I was at a shopping mall with a friend of mine. While I was waiting for him to get out of the bathroom, I saw an old man in a wheelchair with a VFW cap on being pushed by an old lady, his wife. I walked infront of them and said "Excuse me, I noticed your hat and I was wondering what war you served in?" They looked at me with quiet astonishment and then the old man perked right up in his chair and said WW2, then Korea and then Vietnam. He entered WW2 at the age of 16 by lying about his age. He served in the Phillipines and was part of the force that occupied Japan. Then he said he was in Korea where he recieved 2 purple hearts and a medal of valor. By the time Vietnam came around, he was a Colonel and didn't see too much combat but was deployed to a combat unit. He looked so proud speaking of his service. He didn't look like an old and worn man hunched over in a wheel chair. I looked at him and said "Thank you." That brought a tear to his eye and then my friend came from the bathroom and I took my leave. His wife grabbed my hand as I was saying goodbye and said "God bless you!"

It's not much to make an old man happy but when you realize that the boys who are there now will be a worn old man themselves someday, it puts it all into perspective. Like my company's slogan says "We never forget who we are working for." I hate to see war and have to see us send our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters and friends to go and face the evils of the world but it has to be done. At least I can say that we are sending them out there as well prepared and protected as current technology allows. I hope and pray that they all come home safe and in one piece.

Dr. Spec

"Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?"

"No, son - but I served in a company of heroes."

Great post, Jstas - thank you for honoring that retired Colonel. As time goes on, I'm seeing more and more reality disconnect and disrespect from today's youth.

So many kids today are such goddamn selfish ingrates with an entitlement mentality. "Oh, you helped save the free world during WWII? WHO CARES - that was like 4EVER ago.....what's for dinner, I'm hungry....oh goody Joe Millionaire's on tonight."

It's just nice to see a 25 year old with his head out of his **** and screwed on straight - you are a credit to your generation.

Doc

F1nut

Jstas,

You're a good man!

Jstas

I've never been pretentious like that. It really wakes a person up to the real world when you get on the "inside" and behind those doors that say things Authorized Personnel Only or to look at those documents that say "Access on a Need to Know basis only".

Makes you realize how small of a picture everyone else is going on and how off-beat most democratic officials are on the foreign policy deals and even republicans too.

Another short story, a guy here on security was bragging about his work as a volunteer on an ambulance squad. While it is a noble cause, it's not something to beat a drum about just to get recognition. If you are doing it for recognition then you are doing it for the wrong reason. Anyway, he pointed to the bumper sticker on his truck and said "I save people's lives, what do you do?" To which I smirked and said "Dude, you work here, forget the saving lives part, working here you defend the free world!" Then he says "Oh yeah, I never thought of it that way."

I also grew up around war veterans. My scoutmaster was a Vietnam vet and two of my teachers in high school were called up during my freshman year to go serve in Iraq. I had 4 uncles in 3 different wars and now I am watching my friends go off to Bosnia, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq and even Korea to enforce U.S. policy and to alleviate oppression of people so weak in resources and manpower than they can't defend themselves from dictators and war lords.

I was in a bar on a business trip where we were doing our thing with the Navy. Our waitress's son was on the ship we were working with that day. She overheard us talking about it and asked how we knew of it. We told her what we were doing and she put her tray down and said "Thank you so much! It's comforting to know that my son is well protected even during his deployments because of the work of people like you." Then she went around the table and shook everyone's hands. We got a free round of drinks too!

Most people never get to see the human aspect of the military. They are all still men and women with families. Most had to grow up too quick because they entered the military hoping to find a better life for themselves and thier families. Then to see ignorant, unwashed protestors spitting on them as they walk by on the way to thier assigned duty where ever it may be, it...it...well, I am sure everyone knows how it feels.

It's also odd to see other Naval ships from other countries stopping in a U.S. Naval base for whatever reason. the sailors get liberty and then they wander around the U.S. bases in total awe and astonishment because not even many Americans get to see the nitty gritty of what goes on.

There is so much more to the military. When defense budgets get cut, it's not the defense programs that suffer, it's the families. Things like veteran benefits get cut. Government subsidised family housing for enlisted personnel both on and off base gets cut. Civic programs for the base familes get cut. All in order to keep the military operating at where we need it to be to keep things the way they are now. People do not realize this stuff. In addition to those families getting cut backs, the workers at the defense contractors and such are faced with truncated budgets and accelerated times scales. People get laid off, products aren't good as they could be and basically we are forced to do more with less. All this affects the effectivness of our forces in the feild and at home both active, reserved and retired. Nobody seems to realize that until something like 9/11/01 happens. Then they spend out the wazoo and **** about the economy going into the pooper.

I just hate seeing people that we owe so much get dumped on and I hate hearing people complain about military spending but then shout to the president and joint cheifs of staff "WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP THIS?!" when things like terroist attacks happen. It's hypocrisy to the highest degree and all people can think about is those nasty republicans and thier pooperific agenda or those dirty democrats and thier money grubbing tax plans.

There is more to it all than everyone's own personal agenda based on thier twisted, rationalized and self-righteous view of reality. Nobody realizes that until they stop closing thier eyes to what they don't want to see and listen to what they only want to hear, we are going to be stuck having to have such a large military force to enforce policies and directives for not only the U.S. but the rest of the world too. The U.S. is not the problem in the world. The problem is, the rest of the world turns to the U.S. for a solution and is unwilling to go through with the solution so they say they don't like it and then resent us for sticking our noses in in the first place.

All this affects the little guy because it's the little guy who joins the army to get the benefits of the G.I. Bill and then gets sent to die for his country because some silly a rab can't get it through his thick head that we are all in this together and that he should, for once, sit down, shut up and take a freaking bath! Meanwhile, we elect a guy, no matter how strange of an election it is, to office, put the weight of the world on his shoulders and then call him a bumbling monkey because he isn't the greatest orator of all time. SO this causes us to complain about a political election system that has been in place for well over 200 years and say it needs to be changed. Why? Because some of us are too stupid to actually READ a ballot and check the box of the guy we wanted in the first place! God forbid we should expect people to use thier heads for more than a hat rack!

OK, I'm gonna shut up now because I'm getting myself all worked up and I have work to do.

Jstas

Yeah, sure. I thought it was listed in my profile. It's in there but I guess nobody can see it. Anyway, send me email at jrjr@snip.net

That's my home account so any response you get will have to wait for me to get home. I'm going to be at George Grand's house tonight so I won't be home until after 8 pm some time.

TroyD

Jstas,

You are in for a real treat, I look forward to my visits with Mr. Grand and his wonderful family. The He-Man rig is awe inspiring but the highlight is really George and the girlies.

BDT