11th day of the 11th month

It’s Veterans day, commemorating the end of world War One, The Great War. It’s good that it ended, but because the politicians didn’t know much about psychology or economics, they ended it badly, guaranteeing  a rematch. Ouch. In any case, just a few thoughts.

I volunteered and served in the Army Reserve. Drove boats for them – at the time is was MOS 12C (bridge crewman) a subcategory of combat engineer specializing in bridging. Also spent time packing an M60 around. I was in during the first Gulf War but not deployed. I did my six years and got out. My dad and his brother were both drafted around the Korean War, served their time, got out. My mom’s brother was career Air Force, and her dad was in during the 30’s (army, horse- and mule-back unit) and WW II (coastal patrol, kind of vague on navy vs coastguard). My brother in law is retired regular AF, now in the AF reserves as an E9, senior NCO on the airbase. A great uncle was in the Spanish American war. My wife’s “adoptive” dad was a gunner in WW II on a troop transport, saw kamikaze attacks landing troops on Okinawa. [Later edit: Oh, yes, I don’t want to forget the great aunt that was a WAAC. She wound up in North Africa in WW II]

I always thought it interesting that there was never much talk about “duty” and all, no strong service rivalry. It was just sort of a “respectable thing to do if it was a good fit” sort of thing, but it still rubbed off on me that it was more of a “very good thing to do unless it was a very bad fit.” I know it’s not for everyone. But it is done for everyone, even those that hate the military – and I think that’s one of those things that galls the peace-niks on the left most. They can’t stand the idea that maybe the military where they couldn’t or wouldn’t serve MIGHT be necessary, and really MIGHT be doing it for them as well, and that level of selflessness from people they despise and look down on just totally rubs them raw. On the other side of the coin, for all the inter-service rivalry, trash-talking and  competition, at the end of the day they all respect each others signing up and going through it.

But it seems like there are increasingly two Americas, one that doesn’t expect it deserves anything, and as a result it volunteers and serves (or at least supports and understands those that do), and those that expect to be given a lot, have a sense of entitlement, and at the some time don’t serve or honestly respect those that do. Not sure what it all means, or where that’ll lead, but it doesn’t strike me as a good thing.

Those those that served, cheers! To those that understand, thanks for your support.

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7 thoughts on “11th day of the 11th month

  1. Thank you for your service, and please accept my thanks on behalf of your family members who also served (please pass along my thanks to those who are still with us!).

    My grandfather (Dad’s side) went into the Army Air Corps as a B24 propeller tech and ended up fixing/replacing shot up/worn out props in Italy (darn B24 jocks, flying those beasts like they were cars….and about that high off the ground!). My Dad was career Air Force, served in Vietnam (SP’s, guarded the flight line at some close-enough-to-the-front-lines-to-have-some-stories-to-tell base, then transferred to a lab tech). My brother is career Army, currently stationed in Italy, spent several tours over in the Sandbox and several countries where “we were never there, please don’t email me until I tell you I’m back because I can’t answer, can’t tell you where I’m at, and you’ll just fill up my inbox”. I did 6 years in the Navy, helping make submarines poke holes in the ocean. It wasn’t a good fit for me, so I got out after one enlistment…not necessarily the military, just my MOS wasn’t where I was meant to be.

    • ETA: Granddad on Mom’s side volunteered for the Navy, but Japan surrendered while he was waiting to go to boot camp, so they just cut him loose. Best part is, he volunteered FIVE FRIKKIN TIMES before he passed the physical and was accepted. The man just wouldn’t take no for an answer. His country needed him, and dangit he was going to go. I wonder how many in today’s society would do that? I have to think that there’s some kid somewhere who would be willing. Otherwise all faith in today’s youth (and thus tomorrow’s future) is gone.

      Sadly, I found out about this after his funeral. I wish I could have talked to him about it.

      • My grandfather had spent 4 years in a cavalry unit packing machine guns around in the 30s. Fascinating stories. And yes, there is a FM on how to lube a donkey, because back then they bred there own mules. He was fishing in SE Alaska when Pearl Harbor got hit, and a local coast guard commander was a friend of his. He turned the boat around, found him, asked “where do you want me?” was handed an old hydrophone, and they worried about the paperwork and formalities later as he headed out for his first coastal sub patrol. Later he wound up fighting fog out in the Aleutians. At least, that’s the gist of what I remember of the story. Some might laugh at “defending Alaska,” but the fact is it WAS invaded. Good thing, too, because it caused Japanese planners split forces, and put the battleship Yamato out in the middle of nowhere between midway and the Aleutian Islands where it was useless to both battles. We might have lost Midway if it was down there, simply because our fly-boys would have gone after that heavily armored anti-aircraft platform if they saw it, and the carriers would not have been hit.

  2. To understand the “peace-niks” you must fully undersatand their definition of “Peace”;
    Peace: The lack of meaningful opposition to socialist, Marxist, Fascist, communist or jihadist military expansionism. Example: “It’s time to stand up and fight for ‘Peace'”. Also see “Unity”.

    and “Unity”;
    Unity: Similar to “Peace”, unity describes a situation in which all opposition to socialists and socialism has been effectively silenced. Whereas “Peace” describes a lack of military opposition, “Unity” describes a lack of opposing views in the media, in politics, or in personal interactions.

    So when, for example, the U.S. had troops fighting in Vietnam, there was no “Peace”. When the U.S. pulled out, and mass murder and mayhem insued as a result, there was “Peace”.

    You must also understand “The Hypnotic States of America” video as fully as possible. Also check out a few Yuri Bezmenov videos, as he describes in intimate detail how the Soviet system of phychological warfare operates.

    Once you have those basics down, everything makes sense– You’ll never be left wondering, or being frustrated, again.

    • Also; our current military is now deeply infiltrated at the highest levels. It is, to a significant degree, staffed and operated by the enemies of liberty. This is not to disparage those who serve. Rather it is a warning– Be careful out there. Never forget why you’re there, because your basic principles will be challenged.

  3. “Oath before orders.”
    Ooohh, I like it.

    “…all enemies, foreign and domestic…” resonates with me. Might explain why I’m pissed off all the time.

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