Veterans Day

To all those who have served honorably in the military, thank you.

A thought for the millions who fell in WW1, a particularly stupid conflict that mostly consisted in good men slaughtering one another for reasons most couldn't even understand.

We remember you.

I remember when I was stationed in Spain, and I was assigned to a recon flight squadron. My office was attached to an enormous hangar. On the side of the hangar, you could see the following words painted high up on the outside wall, in two-foot high letters:

ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY

Those words really helped me focus on why I was there, what my real job was. Whenever someone thanks me for my service, I share those seven words with them.

I didn't join up out of a sense of duty, or a higher calling to serve my country... I needed a job, and the Navy was hiring. That said, every time I put my uniform on and went to work, I did so knowing that I was giving myself to a very necessary service.

If it hadn't been for the Navy, I may never have built the skill set that got me to where I am today. So while everyone is thanking veterans like me, I'd like to say thank you to the United States Navy.

War is war. You could argue that nothing is worth losing your life over. For those who decide different, for queen, for country, for our freedom, or our futures, thankyou.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqFoqtpUFY8

What I meant is that even the thickest peasant in the most remote village of rural France has probably got a mild idea of why WW2 might have been worth fighting... While WW1 was a case of sneezing in a Mexican stand-off.

You could argue that dead is dead; whether his death served a just cause or not hardly makes a difference to a corpse. For those who think different, WW1 might just be the worst war ever.


If by this you mean "war is never a pleasant thing", we agree.
Yet, call me naïve but I still believe some wars are dirtier than others (spirit-wise, that is. Gore-wise, that's mostly a matter of technology).

I'm a little late on the thread but I fully give my support to the veterans of the past, the present and the future.

Many of us had Grand Parents and Parents that served in past wars. My Great Grandfather fought in WWI for Belgium and was a Soldier of the 2nd Regiment of Grenadiers and was highly decorated. He was also a founding member of the FNI (Federation Nationale Invalides) in Brussels in 1933. I have several of his medals that he handed down to my father and then to me. My Grandfather came from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and fought in WWII as did my Grandmother who lived in Leatherhead, Surrey, England and where she served and where they met and where my father was born.

To them, to those serving now and to those that will serve in the future; thank you.

Good or bad, stupid or justified, conflict is human nature and here to stay, and recruiting will always rely on lies, ignorance, and/or money to get guys to go. Whatever your reason for going to war, when you get there it becomes meaningful because when you're there the only thing that matters is getting your friends home alive and surviving. That's about as meaningful as it gets. There's less bull [censored] there than back in the "real" world.

Was once a Nuclear Weapons Guard Team Leader and Shore Patrol Squad Leader in the Navy. And yes, to all who served honorably in the military. Thank you and good job to all veterans.