I'M PROUD TO BE A VETERAN!

  

Thank you, 

Bruce for sharing

 

 

 

TO UNDERSTAND A MILITARY VETERAN, YOU MUST KNOW - 

 

We left home as teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure.

 

We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives.

 

We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew.

 

We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth.

 

We found new friends and new family.

 

We became brothers and sisters regardless of color, race or creed.

 

We had plenty of good times, and plenty of bad times.

 

We didn't get enough sleep.

 

We smoked and drank too much.

 

We picked up both good and bad habits.

 

We worked hard and played harder.

 

We didn't earn a great wage.

 

We experienced the happiness of mail call and the sadness of missing important events.

 

We didn't know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again.

 

We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all.

 

We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others.

 

Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn't.

 

Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn't.

 

Some of us dealt with physical warfare, most of us dealt with psychological warfare.

 

We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can't fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical.

 

We participated in time honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie.

 

We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it at all.

 

We have dealt with victory and tragedy.

 

We have celebrated and mourned.

 

We lost a few along the way.

 

When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new and some of us never came home at all.

 

We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.

 

We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don't experience, and few will understand.

 

We speak highly of our own branch of service, and poke fun at the other branches.

 

We know however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat.

 

Being a Veteran is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away.

 

It has no monetary value, but at the same time it is a priceless gift.

 

People see a Veteran and they thank them for their service.

 

When we see each other, we give that little upwards head nod, or a slight smile, knowing that we have shared and experienced things that most people have not.

 

So, from myself to the rest of the veterans out there, I commend and thank you for all that you have done and sacrificed for our country.

 

Try to remember the good times and make peace with the bad times.

 

Share your stories.

 

But most importantly, stand tall and proud, for you have earned the right to be called a VETERAN.

 

I'M PROUD TO BE A VETERAN!

 

Please share with all your Veterans and friends.

 

A Tribute to Diane

By Terry Orr

Image from Google Search

Today my heart is heavier than normal. Last night, I received shocking news that my dear friend Diane Forrest has passed. Her Mother replied to my text to Diane, stating,“This is Diane(s) Mother, I just found (out) Diane has passed away.”

Over the next few days, hopefully we will learn more. 

I met Diane on the Internet twenty-four years ago and we have been good friends since then. She also was my partner in developing, writing and maintaining this Blog. Diane wrote more than three hundred and helped on countless more articles on a very wide range of topics.

I am going to share a poem she forwarded to me after her birthday in May 2013 that her Uncle Jack had written for her.

Diane

How wonderful it is to know those who thrive

Happily bringing joy while living their lives

With a wonderful smile you carry each day

The world is made better as you go your way

We know that a Taurus is embedded with traits

Live Love and giving plus remember special dates

You are faithful to your passion of sending cards to friends

It reflects who you are, the perfect means to an end

Twas warm on the fiday when you came into the world

The family was blessed with a beautiful baby girl

Your professional vocation is a mission of love

And your caring heart fits like a glove

You take everyday events all in stride

While staying the course is your mark of pride

Then there’s the picture Perfect Love

Your caring for Dave until he was called above

As a daughter and sister and daughter and a son

You reflect all that’s good when all is said and done

Routines become habits and some make you glad

Like watching judge judy each day with dad

And snoopy, yes snoop

Is you live in king

While enjoying attention he does his own thing

As an excellent chef, cooking is your flair

Your uncle jack’s favorite is chocolate eclairs

So congratulations is now offered on this 3^rdof may

Reaching a high mark on your special birthday

Jeopardy Question: ARLINGTON CEMETERY

Arlington National Cemetery

Thanks Bruce for sharing this email

On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was

"How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns" 

All three contestants missed it! 

This is really an awesome sight to watch if you've never had the chance. Very fascinating.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?

21 steps: It alludes to the twenty-one-gun salute which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

3. Why are his gloves wet?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and, if not, why not?

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

5. How often are the guards changed?

Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.

They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.

The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet.

There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.

There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV.

All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.

A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are:

President Taft,

Joe Lewis {the boxer}

Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII and of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty

ETERNAL

REST GRANT THEM

O LORD AND LET

PERPETUAL LIGHT

SHINE UPON THEM.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment; it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

God Bless and keep them.

I'd be very proud if this email reached as many as possible. We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

God Bless America

You Want To Take A Knee?

Sharing an Email

Thank you Z

Take a little trip to Valley Forge in January.  If you don't know where that is, just Google it from the sidelines. Hold a musket ball in your fingers and imagine it piercing your flesh and breaking a bone or two.  There won't be a doctor or trainer to assist you until after the battle, so just wait your turn.  Take your cleats and socks off to get a real experience.  Then take a knee.

Take a knee at Pearl Harbor. Look at the remains of the USS Arizona.  Read the names on the wall.  Do you see small globules of oil coming to the surface, after 75 years.  There are American Sailors inside.  They are there forever.  Then look aft at the USS Missouri.  The Arizona was where it started, the Missouri is where it ended.  There is no goal post here.

Then, take a knee at the beach in Normandy where man after American man stormed the beach, even as the one in front of him was shot to pieces...the very sea stained with American blood.  The only blockers most had were the dead bodies in front of them, riddled with bullets from enemy fire.

Take a knee in the sweat soaked jungles of Vietnam, from Khe San to Saigon...Anywhere will do.  Americans died in all those jungles.  There was no playbook that told them what was next, but they knew what flag they represented.  When they came home, they were protested as well ​ ​ and spat upon for reasons only cowards know.

Take another knee in the blood drenched sands of Fallujah in 110 degree heat.  Wear your Kevlar helmet and battle dress...Your number won't be printed on it like football ​ ​ unless your number is up!  You'll need to stay hydrated but there won't be anyone to squirt Gatorade into your mouth.  You're on your own.

There are a lot of places to take a knee.  Americans have given their lives all over the world.  When you use the banner under which they fought as a source for your displeasure, you dishonor the memories of those who bled for the very freedoms you have. That's what the red stripes mean.  It represents the blood of those who spilled a sea of it defending YOUR liberty.

While you're on your knee, pray for those that came before you, not on a manicured lawn striped and printed with numbers to announce every inch of ground taken...but on nameless hills and bloodied beaches and sweltering forests and bitter cold mountains...every inch marked by an American life lost serving that flag you protest.

No cheerleaders, no announcers, no coaches, no fans....just American men and women...delivering the real fight against those who chose to harm us...blazing a path so you would have the right to "take a knee."

You haven't an inkling what it took to get you where you are...but your "protest" is duly noted.  Not only is it disgraceful to a nation of real heroes, it serves the purpose of pointing to your ingratitude for those who chose to defend you under that banner that will still wave long after your jersey is retired...!

(Author Unknown)

If you want to upset a Conservative, tell them a lie.

If you want to upset a Liberal, tell them the truth.