Anything Goes
Page 6
Army Beach Boys
I received the page to the left in an e-mail and liked it so much I wanted to share it with you as most of us are at the age to identify with what the author is trying to convey but before doing so I did a search on Snopes.com to check it's origin and validity. I found the comments to be true but the origin falsely stated. So I decided to go ahead and put it on the site along with Snopes comments in the page to the right.
Read and enjoy....I did.
Ford Honors American GI's
"What is A VETERAN"
When a Veteran leaves the 'job' and retires to a better life, many are jealous, some are pleased, and others, who may have already retired, wonder if he knows what he is leaving behind, because we already know.
1. We know, for example, that after a lifetime of camaraderie that few experience, it will remain as a longing for those past times.
2. We know in the Military life there is a fellowship, which lasts long after the uniforms are hung up in the back of the closet.
3. We know even if he throws them away, they will be on him with every step and breath that remains in his life. We also know how the very bearing of the man speaks of what he was and in his heart still is.
These are the burdens of the job. You will still look at people suspiciously, still see what others do not see or choose to ignore and always will look at the rest of the Military world with a respect for what they do; only grown in a lifetime of knowing.
Never think for one moment you are escaping from that life. You are only escaping the 'job' and merely being allowed to leave 'active' duty.
So what I wish for you is that whenever you ease into retirement, in your heart you never forget for one moment that you are still a member of the greatest fraternity the world has ever known.
NOW! Civilian Friends vs. Veteran Friends Comparisons
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you're too busy to talk to them for a week.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having the last time you met.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ---
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Have cried with you.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ---
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- -
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ---
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will kick the crowd's bottom that left you behind.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ---
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are for life.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences. ..
VETERAN FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no citizen could ever dream of...
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ---
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, 'You better drink the rest of that before you spill it!' Then carry you home safely and put you to bed...
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ----
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk crap to the person who talks crap about you.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will knock the hell out OF THEM...for using your name in vain.
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A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or reserve- is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The Government of the United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life'. . . and military wives are as much veterans as their spouses.
From one Veteran to another, it's an honor to be in your company.
Thank you Veteran
I'm Alive!
Click here to view a well produced Power Point presentation of various aircraft shots with the song "I'm Alive" sung by Celine Dion in the background.
You Could Have Heard A Pin Drop!
JFK'S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60's when DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaulle said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible.
Rusk responded
"Does that include those who are buried here?"
DeGaulle did not respond.
You could have
heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush.
He answered by saying,
'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'
You could have
heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?'
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly:
'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply
emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day,
they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
You could have
heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?'
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied,
'Maybe it's because the Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
You could have
heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN
WITH THE ABOVE...
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.
"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.
"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."
The American said,
'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."
"Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!"
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained,
''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to."
You could have
heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Travel at the Government's Expense
You might not realize, but you may be eligible for travel at the governments expense. The travel program is called Space-A, and you may qualify to utilize this benefit. The criteria for eligibility of this benefit is spelled out on several websites. I have added a link to the best site I've found. To check the information out on other websites simply type "Space A" into your search engine of your browser. Charles Fitzsimmons and Don Ulbright have both used this method of travel several times. The only cost to you, $7.85 for a box meal. Not a bad deal! There are some obvious drawbacks such as: 1) Few if any flights leave the Twin Cities area, 2) You might not get on the flight, or may be bumped and 3) Your family most likely will not be eligible to use this avenue of transportation. Charley flies in and out of Grand Forks, N. D. Check out the site and see if you are eligible. The site that I have the link for also has a listing of all the facilities in the world that you can fly in and out of.
Another website that Charles Fitzsimmons uses for his Space-A travel is:
Prince Toasole And The Fire Dance
Israeli Missle attack on Syrian