I was over at a friends house tonight working out on his free weights....he's one of my best friends...well as my wife puts it, one of my only two friends.....thanks dear...

During the session, we started talking about the Berg killing that general lack of resolve on part of the main stream public and the media....I remember when I was a kid, watching a show called "Why we fight"...they would show it at nights on PBS..before they turned left on us...with our tax dollars...

I would watch it with my Grandpa, a WWII vet...North Africa, France, Germany....he told me that they would play these before movies, you know when they would have newsreels...it would tell the nation of the dangers of the Germans and the Japanese....and why we were fighting the war...

Not long ago I was reading a book about the reaction of the country after Pearl Harbor. The day after, the leadership of all the Labor Unions agreed to call off any impending strikes and not to have any work stoppages and order thier union membership to be ready to work around the clock if needed...Congress agreed to curtail spending other than for basic services and the War effort.

Tens of thousands of Americans besieged recuiting offices....a country that was bitterly divided was, over-night united for a common cause. America came togther in a way never seen before or since.....we seemed to for a time after 9/11...but now it seems that expect for a few, that day has been forgotten....I'm one of those that think that once a month the names of the dead should be read and the video of that day played....once a month forever

Even today we honor the lives that were gave freely for the cause of Freedom. This year marks the 60th Anniversry of the Operation Overlord, D-Day. We remember these things because to not, we will be doomed to repeat our mistakes.

And now it seems we are repeating our mistakes. John Kerry wants to turn the hunt for bin Laden and his scum to the FBI. I would like to see the FBI humping the mountains of Afganistan. People are demanding we withdraw from Iraq...now. And what, leave a country that has more infrastructure to support terror in the hands of a bunch of radical fundamentalists who at morning prayers advocat killing Westerners?

There are shortages of muntions, body armor, vehicles, weapons....men and women going off to war are having to buy their own gear. Something that no trooper of the 82nd or the 101st would have done before D-Day.

Now we hear the whining about the prisoner story....yes it was bad, yes it should have not happened...but were was the outrage when the 4 Blackwater employees were dismembered, burned and hung by a bridge. WHERE WAS IT?

Except for a few, there were none.

Now we care about who got voted off Survivor, or made it to the next round of American Idol.....

We are fighting for our very existence...these people want to kill us...I was at my 5 year old's T-ball game tonight, before I went to lift....I was looking around and thinking..."if there was just one terrorist here with a AK, he would try to kill every man woman and child.."

And my Mom and Dad wonder why I carry, even to a T-ball game.....


To me there seems to be no hurry, no concern about what is going on...all people seem hung up on is the economy and scandels....all that will mean nothing unless we pursue the enemy, to his doorstep and kill him...

My Grandfather is a Combat Vet and is my Great Uncle.....at the last family gathering, we were talking about the war and the fighting that the loss of life...My Uncle Frank said this-

"The news media and the Anti-war people would have been out of their skins if they had to live through the loss of life that we had in WWII. If they had been around, they would have brought us home and called it off....."

My Grandpa said this-"Unless we are ready to make the hard sacrifice here at home and be ready for what happends over there and accept it, they (the terrorist) will win..."

Grandpa's never lied to me yet.....

Your right most Americans don't have the stomach to sacrifice today.During WWII an average of 314 Americans were killed EVERY Day for the 4 years of War.The Marines at Iwo Jima lost 6,000 KIA in 36 days of fighting.Twice what we lost during 9/11.During the Vietnam War an average of 16 Americans were killed EVERY Day for more than 10 years.Since the War on Terror began it's about 4 KIA a day on average between Iraq and Afghanistan.Of course the troops are much better trained and equipped today.Superior body armor,superior battlefield evacuation and medical traetment.

Semper Fi,

Ahh, sweet complacency.

Taking nothing away from our brave men and women in our armed forces - but I agree Dog1.

Our nation is at its worst. We do not have the stomach for this fight - We're more concerned with our comfort level than ridding the world of this plague.

We try and negotiate with animals, hoping somehow we can come out the 'better' person.  Just once, just once, I'd love to see our leaders quit dancing around the issue with catch phases and politically correct speaches.

We are dealing with an enemy whose sole purpose is to rid the world of non-muslims.  Religious zealots cannot be negotiated with, bargined with, nor appeased.  Why do we talk of negotiations with "clerics" who cannot be trusted to begin with?

On the news tonight, a local family who lost their Army Reservist son in Iraq (Godspeed my brave man), are making the claim that their "...Son wasnt properly protected by the US Military...while riding in a duece and a half truck, that was struck by an RPG"

"...Wasnt properly protected..." - yep you heard it right.  

Tell me, of all the brave souls who lost their lives storming the beaches at Normandy, waist deep in water, in the open.... - I wonder if their parents ever thought they werent "properly protected."

Perphas they did, or maybe they didn't.  Yet somehow I think that what took the forefront of their thoughts was the pure evil they were up against, and what needed to be done.  Personal selfishness took a backseat to the true "greater good"

I've somehow resigned myself to be allowed to be "led" by pissant politicians such as Kennedy, Klinton and the like.  They are not leaders, they are poor excuses for "the best we can offer" in todays society here in America.

They keep us comfortable, and unfortunately for us, thats just plain selfish.

Most sheeple won't believe there is a war going on until the shooting in their own backyard. Actually, the 9/11/01 WTC/Pentagon attack should be a wake up to those people, but they just lapse back into their old ways after a short time, too many other things to worry about.

I agree with all of you, but I feel as though the depression contributed to this kick in the ass, or wake up call.  It gave people something to fight for.  In a twisted way, it helped our country out of the depression and it's horrible effect on the general public.  The times were so much different.  No TV, no computers, no real technology per se.  People were lucky to have an education or job.  Also, it's clear that most people were patriots and we had a very American populous, whereas now we have so many different races, religions and cultures imbedded in our country, that this only adds to the problem.  Don't think though that there weren't morons who opposed the war back in the 40s.

Quoted: I agree with all of you, but I feel as though the depression contributed to this kick in the ass, or wake up call.  It gave people something to fight for.  In a twisted way, it helped our country out of the depression and it's horrible effect on the general public.  The times were so much different.  No TV, no computers, no real technology per se.  People were lucky to have an education or job.  Also, it's clear that most people were patriots and we had a very American populous, whereas now we have so many different races, religions and cultures imbedded in our country, that this only adds to the problem.  Don't think though that there weren't morons who opposed the war back in the 40s.

EXACTLY

Common misconceptions:

There was a large anti-war movement in the US in the late 30s and early 40s.  This was seen as Europe's war and we shouldn't get involved.

The biggest misconception, in my mind, is that about 2 out of every 3 GIs in WWII were drafted.  Compared to Vietnam when 75% were volunteers.  But of course we all remember the loudmouths, and the Baby Boombers are remembered for being anti war when really they volunteered at a much higher rate.

Quoted: Theres a reason the WWII generation is though so highly of...

It strokes the ego of a demographic that buys books...

The Generation prior is the one that deserves the credit for American behavior in WWII.  I'm not saying that the 20 somethings of WWII are not honorable people, far from it, the did a great job.  But, as praise is being bestoed on them, I hear very few mention that it was their mothers and fathers who were the true players.  Everyone likes praise, and with that prior generation dead, they aren't around to tell everyone what a bunch of no good slackers their kids are/were...

Quoted: I agree with all of you, but I feel as though the depression contributed to this kick in the ass, or wake up call.  It gave people something to fight for.  In a twisted way, it helped our country out of the depression and it's horrible effect on the general public.  The times were so much different.  No TV, no computers, no real technology per se.  People were lucky to have an education or job.  Also, it's clear that most people were patriots and we had a very American populous, whereas now we have so many different races, religions and cultures imbedded in our country, that this only adds to the problem.  Don't think though that there weren't morons who opposed the war back in the 40s.

I agree with this statement. The lean and hard time of the Depression made those that fought in WWII and those here at the Home Front a hardy bunch.

Also the comment about the draftees were right. Not taking anything away from them, those that signed up after Pearl Harbor were a different breed than the draftees.......they felt a sense of duty, that the country was theirs to defend.

I'm too old...or I would have signed up the day of 9/11....

Pat Tillman had that spirit......he saw that there was something bigger at stake than a football carrer.....