4 War 80 year old Veteran With Brains

[dryadsoul]

Having Served with the USMC and being wounded in Viet Nam, Cuba, Korea and WW2; here is a True Veteran's take on World Conflict:

The History of War from 1938 to 1971

In the lucid words of one who killed for God & Country during armed conflicts spanning from WW2 through Viet Nam, encluding
the Bay of Pigs which placed Fidel Castro on the throne of the last
existing Soviet Socialist Republic to still exist today.

I asked a friend who is in his early Eighties and a veteran of four of the most deadly military engagements in the history of mankind
to share his opinions on the mechanics of War. And i am relating
this story to you because it happens to a very different outlook
from one who has been there and served more than his just dues.

These are niether my thoughts & or words, but those of an honorable man that managed to not only fight but live through
four major wars, for whom i have the utmost love and respect.

Some Sorted Thoughts to Consider:

Well, I am not gonna get into no history lesson here, sonny.
The short, short version is that the League of Nations (established after World War I to prvent wars) failed to stop Mussollini's Italy from invading and conquering Ethiopia. It failed
to stop Japan from invading and conquering Manchuria and much of China. Their committees wrung their hands and spoke in platitudes but did absolutely nothing to stop the war.

At Frances coaxing Britain's prime minister Nevil Chamberlain met with Adolph Hitler in Munich and surrendered the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany in the interest of "peace in our time." The French and British watched as Germany took Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia. They all had committee meetings and wrung their hands and talked peace.

World War II erupted when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Britain had a mutual defense treaty with Poland so they couldn't escape. They declared war on Germany. Germany had a mutual defense treaty with Japan so Japan declared war on Britain. France wet their pants and surrendered to Germany as fast as they could and gleefuly shipped all the Jews they could find to death camps in Nazi Germany to prove to Adolph that they really loved Germany.

Japan attacked the United States and, because of Japans mutual defense treaty with Germany, Hitler declared war on the United States.

Up untill December 7th and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, a large number of our people were wringing their hands and crying, "Appease Hitler. He is really a good guy who just neeeded a little more land for his expanding population. The dear man just wants peace. And World War II was in full swing leaving better than 50,000,000 people dead including about 450,000 American GI's.

Three cheers for the League of Nations!!!
After World War II it was decided to do the whole thing over again. This time we would call it the United Nations and we will have committee meeting and hand wringing parties and make sure peace prevails throughout the lands.

While that august body wrung hands the Soviet Union split Germany, invaded Poland and Yugoslovia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria along with Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The peaceful world saw Korea with 37,000 American soldiers killed, over 1,000,000 South Korean soldiers and civillians killed and the country nearly destroyed.

Since then we have had over 50,000 American soldiers killed in Viet Nam and have fought wars in Somolia, Herzegovinia, Panama, Granada, plus the Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait.

We should have gone into Baghdad and taken out that evil regime then but the United Nations would have no part of that.
All they would allow was for us to chase the Iraqis out of Kuwait. then peace would prevail.

Now, here we are Saddam violating all 17 United Nations resolutions while he has amassed poison gas and Bio weapons.
He is frantically trying to develope a nuke and his buddy, Kim Jong-II of North Korea may give a few. (It was the United Nations
who prevented us from taking out North Korea when the war was hot and we had a means to do it.) PEACE!!!! Yeah, Sure.

France is wetting their collective pants in fear that the United States will take Sadam out and along with him, France's 60 billion dollar contracts with Iraq. Russia hedges because Iraq owes them 6 billion dollars that they sorely need.

In answer to your question..................Hell yes we should go to war with Iraq. We should have done it six months ago. We should also get out of the United Nations. Can you believe that the United Nations has appointed Iraq and Syria to head up the United Nations Disarmament Commitee? Can you belive they also appointed Libya to head up the Human Rights Committee?
ALL three of these countries are on the UN List of Terrorist States............Absolutely ****ing Unbelievable!!!

Just don't get me going now. Throughout recorded history the only time peace has prevailed is when the Good Guys have militarily Whipped the snot out of the Bad Guys. Who are our best friends in the world? Japan because we whipped them. Germany because we whipped them. Italy because we whipped them.
Britain because we whipped them.
So, my young friend, you tell me what's fair.

This is but One opinion on War, but, as seen through the Eyes, Ears, Heart and Soul of the last True American Veteran of Four Foreign Wars.

I would also like to take this brief moment in which to nought only personally thank Great Britain and Australia for their support
in this overdue effort against Saddam, but, offer my appologies and vigilant prayers for all those who have and or will suffer lose
in this effort to unite a people and it's country with the humanity of justice. Thank you for your time on behalf of myself and all those boys and men putting their lives on the line to bring this
injustice to it's final conclusion. May it not be a wasted collective effort. God speed you and yours to Victory.
:group:

[Mr. C]

I recieved the following email yesterday and this thread provides a perfect place to share it with you all.

I can't attest to the source of the following words, but surely I am able to validate the sentiment they carry;
I'll place it here as I recieved it (annoying little arrows and all :)

-------------

Last week, the Shelby County Alabama Legislative
>Delegation hosted a "Stand Up for America Rally." More
>than 1,200 people attended including featured speakers
>Chief Justice Roy Moore, Adjutant General Mark Bowen
>and Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman.
>
>Attached is a copy of Mrs. Chapman's speech, which
>resulted in five standing ovations, tremendous
>applause and an encore. It's a short read and well
>worth it. I hope you enjoy it as we continue to "Stand
>up for America!" Stand Up for America Rally Speech
>
>By: Beth Chapman
>
>I'm here tonight because men and women of the United
>States military have given their lives for my freedom.
>I am not here tonight because Sheryl Crowe, Rosie
>O'Donnell, Martin Sheen, George Clooney, Jane Fonda or
>Phil Donahue, sacrificed their lives for me.
>
>If my memory serves me correctly, it was not movie
>stars or musicians, but the United States Military who
>fought on the shores of Iwo Jima, the jungles of
>Vietnam, and the beaches of Normandy.
>
>Tonight, I say we should support the President of the
>United States and the U.S. Military and tell the
>liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippy,
>tie-dyed liberals to go make their movies and music
>and whine somewhere else.
>
>After all, if they lived in Iraq, they wouldn't be
>allowed the freedom of speech they're being given here
>today. Ironically, they would be put to death at the
>hands of Sadam Husssein or Osama Bin Laden. I want to
>know how the very people who are against war because
>of the loss of life, can possibly be the same people
>who are for abortion?
>
>They are the same people who are for animal rights but
>against the rights of the unborn.
>
>The movie stars say they want to go to Iraq and serve
>as "human shields" for the Iraqis. I say let them buy
>a one-way ticket and go.
>
>No one likes war. I hate war! But the one thing I hate
>more is the fact that this country has been forced
>into war-innocent people have lost their lives - - and
>there but for the grace of God, it could have been my
>brother, my husband, or even worse my own son.
>
>On December 7, 1941, there are no records of movie
>stars treading the blazing waters of Pearl Harbor.
>
>On September 11, 2001; there are no photos of movie
>stars standing as "human shields" against the debris
>and falling bodies tumbling from the World Trade
>Center. There were only policemen and firemen -
>-underpaid civil servants who gave their all with
>nothing expected in return.
>
>When the USS Cole was bombed, there were no movie
>stars guarding the
>ship - - where were the human shields then?
>
>If America's movie stars want to be human shields, let
>them shield the gang-ridden streets of Los Angeles, or
>New York City, let them shield the lives of the
>children of North Birmingham whose mothers lay them
>down to sleep on the floor each night to shelter them
>from stray bullets.
>
>If they want to be human shields, I say let them
>shield the men and women of honesty and integrity that
>epitomizes courage and embody the spirit of freedom by
>wearing the proud uniforms of the United States
>Military. Those are the people who have earned and
>deserve shielding!
>
>Throughout the course of history, this country has
>remained free, not because of movie stars and liberal
>activists, but because of brave men and women who
>hated war too. However, they lay down their lives so
>that we all may live in freedom. After all - "What
>greater love hath no man, that he lay down his life
>for his friend," or in this case a country.
>
>We should give our military honor and acknowledgement
>and not let their lives be in vain. If you want to see
>true human shields, walk through Arlington Cemetery.
>There lie human shields, heroes, and the BRAVE
>Americans who didn't get on television and talk about
>being a human shield - they were human shields.
>
>I thank God tonight for freedom - - those who bought
>and paid for it with their lives in the past - - those
>who will protect it in the present and defend it in
>the future.
>
>America has remained silent too long! God-fearing
>people have remained silent too long!
>We must lift our voices united in a humble prayer to
>God for guidance and the strength and courage to
>sustain us throughout whatever the future may hold.
>
>After the tragic events of Sept. 11th, my then eleven
>-year-old son said terrorism is a war against them and
>us and if you're not one of us, then you're one of
>them.
>
>So in closing tonight, let us be of one accord, let us
>stand proud, and let us be the human shields of
>prayer, encouragement and support for the President,
>our troops and their families and our country.
>
>May God bless America, the land of the free, the home
>of the brave and the greatest country on the face of
>this earth!