Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Hangtime on April 09, 2003, 05:41:08 PM
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..till it's over, and our boys and girls are home.
Today, I was shamelessly spilling tears.. after many a false start, after wearing the uniform of my country while she staggered through the miasma of southeast asia, after losing faith in my leaders and my government and after growing long in the tooth and short of temper.. it has finally happened.
We did something 'wrong' and from the 'wrongness' of pre-emptive war, a rightness, a good deed; done grandly; on a stage vast and foriegn.. a great nation has reached through the uncertainty and disdain of international politics and freed a people from the yoke of a murdering dictator. Once again, America and her allies can stand tall, our young people have their 'great deed'.. we have another 'greatest generation'. Good on them.. good on us.. good onto all who stood with us.
Today, more than any day in a long long time... I am proud to say, I am an American.
But.. it's not over.
Lets get the boys 'n girls back here, so we can show 'em we appreciate their professionalisim, their courage and their sacrafice. Lets get 'em re-armed, retrained, and get 'em ready to go again.
Because, boys 'n girls... it's not over. This is just the beginning..
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This post definitely deserves a big
!
Daniel
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That is a well-said sentiment.
Hangtime. Lets bring em back, the sooner the better.
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It is going very well. The boys and girls looked sharp.
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hey hangtime feel better knowing that alot of the professional motivation of the boys came from anger over how you guys were treated after SVN. for every superbowl team theres a dozen guys who fight the good fight with just as much skill but never get the recognition they deserve. also know that alot of hard learned lessons paid for by you guys made for better training and better tactics for future generations of American warriors. thanks. my lpo in my first platoon was in SVN. he taught me things that are invaluable that i still pass on to this day.
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Hang! Yes, it was a good day. Now, mop up Badhdad, move North, mop up............bring em home!
(wonder how many people in snowbelt are thinking time-share):D
Thorns
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I had a blast watching Joe Scarborough on MSNBC replay tapes of all these Hollywood buffoons making fools out of themselves. The title of the piece was "Eat Your Words." These people need to learn to leave the politics to the folks who didn't drop out of high school.
Big to our guys and ladies over there, they did a helluva of a job like I knew they would.
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saddam has been in power for some 25 odd years , a represive govt where if you said any thing bad about saddam you could have your tongue cut out and/or torture and death for you and your family.
when the iraqis saw the marines in baghdad, for the first time in some of their lives the iraqis could speak freely without fear of the secret police.
at first they looked like they could not believe it was happening, then they said things like "marine good" "i feel safety" "i see much happy people" "saddam gone"
i saw a man bring his kids out to see the marines.
yeah, i got a little emotional
44MAG
former marine
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okay, don't get me wrong.
I honestly want to believe it, but so far all I've seen is maybe 1000 people (and about half of them foreign photographers) in a square in Baghdad pulling down a statue, and cheering. Yeah, Iraq is free of ol' SH, and thank the almighty for that. Yeah, I really want to see Iraq with an ostensibly democratic but actually minimalist government; the Iraqis I've known and shared a roof with have merited that (I've seen a lot of people from a variety of countries, and had many of them as neighbors or housemates; of the bunch, the Iraqis were the most "free thinking"). But here we are in a city of 5 million, and maybe 1000 folks show up for this event witnessed around the world. How many of these grew up learning to worship the guy with the gun to your head? All I'm saying here (so don't read more into it) is that, as a citizen and taxpayer of one of the occupying armies, the big job is ahead of us. Nobody with any brains doubted the ability of our military forces. The big problem is and has been to convince this people that the foreign force invading their bellybutton and slaughtering their young men has their best interests at heart.
That's a Psyops detail I wouldn't relish, but I wish for the best.
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I hear yah dinger.. and yeah, it seems a small start; but have you noticed.. wherever the cameras go now.. pictures of sadaam burning, regime offices smashed, people in the streets, crowds forming around the marines.. friendly crowds.
it's spreading.
it's like watching the berlin wall come down.
unbelivable.. and undeniable.
Freedom.
I sure hope we don't screw this up.
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Cool post Hang!
BUT knock it off willya? Gettin me all teary-eyed AND thinkin I might get to start packin soon!
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There isn't going to be an end. The war on terror has no exit strategy.
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Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
There isn't going to be an end. The war on terror has no exit strategy.
Damn, here we go!
Sandman, there will be an end when terrorism ends. You see a problem with a war against terror as long as terror exists?
The war on terrror just may end when terror ends..... is that logical enough for you?
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Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
There isn't going to be an end. The war on terror has no exit strategy.
another addition to my sig. Thanks Sandman!
The war on terror has one exit strategy.......when terror ends, the war against it ends. Maybe that is to simple for you to understand.
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Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
There isn't going to be an end. The war on terror has no exit strategy.
Sandman??? you go to bed? Your statment needs an explanation sir.
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Guys,
Don't worry about sandman. He's taking over for blur and weazel. Someone has to be the voice of doom and gloom. They haven't anything better to do than put down the country they live in. They don't feel good about anything so they want you to feel bad as well. Just ignore.
Hangtime, Good post sir. The youngsters have done us old folks proud. I can hardly contain myself with the pride I feel for the job they have done and are doing as well as the indication they provide that the country produces some DAMN fine folks. Not everyone under 50 is self centered and whiney! :)
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Sandy displays about 400% as much personal integrity and intelligence as blitz and weazel combined.
if he can see his way clear to support the troops and oppose the war, i guess i can see my way clear to supporting dissent while I disagree with the dissenter.
..just sayin. ;)
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Originally posted by Hangtime
Sandy displays about 400% as much personal integrity and intelligence as blitz and weazel combined.
if he can see his way clear to support the troops and oppose the war, i guess i can see my way clear to supporting dissent while I disagree with the dissenter.
..just sayin. ;)
Thank you, Hangtime. :)
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I recall crying when Saigon fell. Thankfully most of the big events since then have been on the upside, Dancing on the Berlin Wall, The Dominos Fall East, Yeltsin on the Tank, Desert Storm I, and now, V-B Day!! Oooo-rahhh!!
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Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
Thank you, Hangtime. :)
blow me; peace phreak.
;)
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Nice HangTime. Im with you in the spirit of it all.
Sometimes a seems too weak for certain moments. This is definately one of em.
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Originally posted by Hangtime
Buncha' sap
studmuffin!
SOB
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The bringing down of that statue in the square was so absolutely packed with symbolism it was almost uncanny.Ive seen an ex-Iraqi citizen commenting on it and he was teary eyed.
The people at first looking afraid eventually in spurts began to rise up.They tried several ways to get up to the statue.First the single attampts , then the human pyramid.Again and again they were frustrated but they didnt give up.Eventually they got up and put their ragged and frayed rope around his kneck and struggled to topple him.The frustration returned as they managed to get their rope on but the rope was agonisingly short.Frustrated they started to give up.
In steps the US with its heavy tech help.The people work TOGETHER with the troops to again attach the rope.The soldier rubs americas victory in Saddams face then symbolically it seems showed we are NOT there to control he takes down the flag and puts up the IRAQI flag!!.This time With the help of the allies the Iraqis bring saddam to his knees but he doesnt go quickly.He teeters on the edge and still threatens harm (if that statue fell it would have crushed a couple of over excited onrushers) Agian the US troops (without guns!!) move the crowd back.The statue finally Crashes to the ground revealing it was not a SOLID statue of Bronze but a cheap hollow immitation! All that is left is a huge pair of shoes to fill! the bare structure is damaged and its internals lay bare.
Did you all notice it? I was stunned by the stark symbolism and moved to tears almost by the releif i felt when i saw those crowds.
IRAQI's KISSING marines??????
MAn i was beaming from ear to ear!. :D
I think God spoke in simple pictures there for the whole world to see.Open your eyes to it and it sure gives you good hope.
Hangtime and others who have supported our decision even though the thought of war is gaulling to us all it was so necessary it had to be done.Those faces i saw confirmed that for me.
it seems my prayer for Godspeed really did work eh? :D the WORLD :)
I know its far from finished but Im very happy today and i hope it is a tatse of the good things to come.A stable middle east, happy to relate to the west as fellow beings of equal worth.Who knows? maybe we are seeing the beginning of something great.
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WTG
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Originally posted by hazed-
The bringing down of that statue in the square was so absolutely packed with symbolism it was almost uncanny.Ive seen an ex-Iraqi citizen commenting on it and he was teary eyed.
The people at first looking afraid eventually in spurts began to rise up.They tried several ways to get up to the statue.First the single attampts , then the human pyramid.Again and again they were frustrated but they didnt give up.Eventually they got up and put their ragged and frayed rope around his kneck and struggled to topple him.The frustration returned as they managed to get their rope on but the rope was agonisingly short.Frustrated they started to give up.
In steps the US with its heavy tech help.The people work TOGETHER with the troops to again attach the rope.The soldier rubs americas victory in Saddams face then symbolically it seems showed we are NOT there to control he takes down the flag and puts up the IRAQI flag!!.This time With the help of the allies the Iraqis bring saddam to his knees but he doesnt go quickly.He teeters on the edge and still threatens harm (if that statue fell it would have crushed a couple of over excited onrushers) Agian the US troops (without guns!!) move the crowd back.The statue finally Crashes to the ground revealing it was not a SOLID statue of Bronze but a cheap hollow immitation! All that is left is a huge pair of shoes to fill! the bare structure is damaged and its internals lay bare.
Did you all notice it? I was stunned by the stark symbolism and moved to tears almost by the releif i felt when i saw those crowds.
IRAQI's KISSING marines??????
MAn i was beaming from ear to ear!. :D
I think God spoke in simple pictures there for the whole world to see.Open your eyes to it and it sure gives you good hope.
Hangtime and others who have supported our decision even though the thought of war is gaulling to us all it was so necessary it had to be done.Those faces i saw confirmed that for me.
it seems my prayer for Godspeed really did work eh? :D the WORLD :)
I know its far from finished but Im very happy today and i hope it is a tatse of the good things to come.A stable middle east, happy to relate to the west as fellow beings of equal worth.Who knows? maybe we are seeing the beginning of something great.
Anyone catch the short clip of the Marines in the Hotel passing by a group of women and children, the families of Ba'ath Party members apparently left behind... they were absolutely terrified. Maybe the media decided the face of fear was too much but that clip was never repeated in full... but anyway, I'm really worried about what they were terrified of. Was it the Marines... or was it fear of what the people who weren't Ba'ath might do to them. I'm no kidding worried about that... show's more and more the "we" may end up actually protecting some of the bad people (not that the women and children were bad... ). Just left behind like that... what utter vile cowards.
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Originally posted by Hangtime
blow me; peace phreak.
;)
I'm not "that way."
Go talk to Dowding and remember... it doesn't matter whether you're pitching or catching... it's still baseball.
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Beautiful Hangtime, great post!
mauser