Click HERE to go to next page, HERE to return to Directory

"War doesn't determine who wins, war determines who is left"

This poem was in the Stars and Stripes Europe addition that was sent to us in Baghdad.
I would like you to read it once without thinking about it than read it again and think about each line.
To: ALL SOLDIERS, FAMILIES.
Comments: As a mother of a soldier in Kuwait, I thought that you would appreciate the
following poem found on the Camp Doha(doe ha) unofficial site:

Who has your back? (author unknown) I am a caring mother. My son has gone to war...
My mind is filled with worries that I have never known before.
Everyday I try to keep my thoughts from turning black. I may be scared, but I am proud.
My son has your back. I am a strong and loving wife, with a husband soon to go.
There are times I'm terrified in a way most never know.
I bite my lip, and force a smile as I watch my husband pack... My heart may break, but I am proud.
My husband's got your back.. I am a small and precious child, my dad's been sent to fight..
the only place I'll see his face, is in my dreams at night. He will be gone to many days for my young
mind to keep track. I may be sad but I am proud. My daddy's got your back.. I am a soldier.
Serving  Proudly, Standing tall. I fight for freedom, yours and mine by answering this call.
I do my job while knowing, the thanks it sometimes lacks.
Say a prayer that I'll come home. It's me who's got your back.

FROM: MOM

I don't think the author would be mad if you changed the soldier to sailor.
A few of my soldiers laughed at the name of this poem until they read it,
the fathers all cried in their own ways and a few e-mailed this to there mom's,
and wives as soon as they could. Me I kept it in my wallet to keep it safe so I could show
it to them in person. I cannot read this poem even to this day with out getting misty.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ordnance wisdom. Military Wisdom --- Don't Disregard These Warnings!
"A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire when you least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what's left of your
unit." -Army's magazine of preventive maintenance.
"Aim towards the Enemy."    -Instruction printed on US Rocket Launcher
"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend.  -U.S. Marine Corps
"Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs are guaranteed to always hit the ground." -U.S.A.F. Ammo Troop
"If the enemy is in range, so are you." -Infantry Journal
"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed." -U.S. Air Force Manual
"Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons." -Gen. Mac Arthur
"Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo." -Infantry Journal
"You, you, and you . . . Panic. The rest of you, come with me." -U.S. Marine Corp Gunnery Sgt.
"Tracers work both ways." -U.S. Army Ordnance
"Five second fuses only last three seconds." -Infantry Journal
"Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last, and don't ever volunteer to do anything." -U. S Navy Swabbie
"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid." -David Hackworth
"If your attack is going too well, you're walking into an ambush." -Infantry Journal
"No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection." -Joe Gay
"Any ship can be a minesweeper... once." -Anon
"Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do." -Unknown Marine Recruit
"Don't draw fire; it irritates the people around you." -Your Buddies
"If you see a bomb technician running, follow him." -U.S.A.F. Ammo Troop
"All ships can submerge ........ once" submarine Veteran
and "Keep your number of dives equal to number of surfaces"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you see in the news last week where
The A C L U doesn't want any crosses
on Federal Property?

Well,Duh! What would they do with these?
 
 

ENOUGH SAID? Pass it on!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Army, Air Force, and Marine Generals are standing in front of a rappelling
tower with a Navy Admiral. The Air Force General says to the others,
"My men are the most courageous of the Armed Forces."
"Ha!" says the Army General, "My men are the most courageous and I'll prove it."
The Army General calls a Private over from the tower. He tells the Private,
"I want you to jump off that tower - no rope, no parachute."
"Yes, Sir!!!" the Private yells and proceeds to climb the tower.
The Private walks to the edge, yells "Hoo-ahh!" and jumps off the tower.
He is killed instantly upon impact.
"That's nothing," the Air Force General says. He calls a Senior Airman over.
"Son, I want you to jump off that tower - no rope, no parachute and I want you
to do it with style."
"Yes, Sir!!!" the Senior Airman yells. He climbs to the top of the tower,
walks to the edge and jumps. He executes a swan dive that would make Greg
Louganis proud, hits the ground and dies on impact.
"Hmmph," the Marine growls. "Ya'll obviously forgot the Marine Corps are here."
He calls a Lance Corporal over. "Marine, I want you to jump off that tower
and make the Corps proud!"
The Corporal yells, "Ooh-rah!", by way of response and runs to the tower. He
grabs an M-60 and ammunition belt on the way and wraps the belt around himself
in the Pancho Villa style. He climbs the tower and walks to the edge.. Upon
reaching the edge, he throws two grenades into the air, yells "Semper Fi Do or
Die!" and jumps off. He starts shooting the M-60 in mid-air, clipping treetops
and yelling the entire way down. His impact is obscured by the two exploding
grenades. When the smoke clears, only little pieces of the Marine are left.
The others are impressed and nod their heads in admiration. Then the Admiral
says, "That's nothing." The others turn to face the Admiral, their faces in
disbelief. The Admiral calls a Seaman over who was cleaning latrines.
"Son, I want you to jump off that tower- no rope, no parachute."
The Seaman looks the Admiral in the face and says, "Why don't you kiss my ass
and jump yourself!" and walks off.
The Admiral turns to the others and says, "Now THAT'S courage!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Military Salesmanship
Airman Roberts was assigned to the induction center, where he was to advise new recruits
about their government benefits --especially their GI Insurance. It was long before Captain
Thompson noticed that Airman Roberts had almost a 100% record for insurance sales...which
had never happened before. Rather than ask about this, the Captain stood in the back of the
room and listened as Roberts made his sales pitch. The airman explained the basics of the
GI Insurance to the new recruits and then said:
"If you HAVE GI Insurance and go into battle and are killed, the government has to
pay $200,000 to your beneficiaries. Now, if you DON'T have GI Insurance, and you go into
battle and get killed, then the government has to pay ONLY a maximum of $6,000"
"Now, which bunch do you think they are going to send into battle first?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Real Job Status
Some people still don't understand why military personnel do what they do for a living.
This exchange between Senators John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum is worth reading.
Not only is it a pretty impressive impromptu speech, but it's also a good example of one man's
explanation of why men and women in the Armed Services do what they do for a living.
This IS a typical, though sad, example of what some who have never served think of the military.
Senator Metzenbaum to Senator Glenn:
"How can you run for Senate when >you've never held a "real job?"
Senator Glenn: "I served 23 years  in the United  States  Marine Corps.  I served through two wars.
I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by antiaircraft fire on 12 different occasions.
I was in the Space Program. It wasn't my checkbook, Senator; it was my life on the line.
It was not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank.
I ask you to go with me ... as I  went the other day... to a Veteran's Hospital and look those
men - with their mangled bodies - in the eye, and tell THEM they didn't hold a job.
You go with me to the Space Program at NASA and go, as I have gone, to the widows and
orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee ... and you look those kids in the eye
and tell them that their DADS didn't hold a job.
You go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I
have more friends buried than I'd like to remember, and you watch those waving flags.
You stand there, and you think about this Nation, and you tell ME that those people didn't have a job?
I'll tell you, Howard Metzenbaum, you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God
that there were some men - SOME MEN - who held a REAL job. And they required a dedication
to a purpose - and a love of country and a dedication to duty - that was more important than life
itself. And their self-sacrifice is what made this country possible.
I HAVE held a job, Howard --- What about you?"
For those who don't remember - During WWII, Howard Metzenbaum was an attorney representing
the Communist Party in the USA.  Now he is a retired senator.
 
If you can read this, thank a teacher...
If you are reading it in English, thank a Veteran !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

space available here  for your military and or veteran humor
send it and I'll post it here or in next Veterans issue.
Click HERE for e-mail address of editor

 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click HERE to go to next page, HERE to return to Directory
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hit Counter