What is a Vet?

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GA Under Water

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What is a Vet?
Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the souls ally forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking.

What is a vet?
He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel. He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel. She - or he - is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang. He is the POW who went away one person and came back another - or didn't come back AT ALL.

He is the Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat - but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other's backs. He is the parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand. He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by. He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknown, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.

He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket - palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come. He is an ordinary and yet extraordinary human being - a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.

He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.

So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded. Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU".

Remember November 11th is Veterans Day. It is the soldier not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester . . . to burn the flag.

Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, Lt. Col., USMC



::Edit::
I truly apologize for missing the credit that was due this Marine. I have added and humbly give credit where it is due.
 
Last edited:
Today I was(again) reminded what a Vet was.

On the local news there was a 112 y/o Britsh Gentleman,who had been fighting in the Great War.1914-1918.
He was telling the reporters how it was on the battlefield in those day's.:shakehead:
Man,that gave me goosebumps all over.

Let's not forget those who gave their life,so we can have our happy, peacefull lives right now.

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO MADE MY LIFE POSSIBLE.
 
What is a Vet?
Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the souls ally forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking.

What is a vet?
He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel. He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel. She - or he - is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang. He is the POW who went away one person and came back another - or didn't come back AT ALL.

He is the Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat - but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other's backs. He is the parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand. He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by. He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknown, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.

He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket - palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come. He is an ordinary and yet extraordinary human being - a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.

He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.

So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded. Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU".

Remember November 11th is Veterans Day. It is the soldier not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester . . . to burn the flag.

Well written and thank you on behalf of all the present and former members of the military who keep the rest of us safe and free.

I still remember the words from the member of the Air Force Honor Guard at my Dad's funeral as he presented the flag that had draped my father's coffin to my Mom.

"On behalf of the department of the Air Force, the President of the United States and grateful nation we present you with the flag of the United States of America".
 
~~SNIP~~

Remember November 11th is Veterans Day. It is the soldier not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester . . . to burn the flag.

Well said my friend!

Lets not forget we all have the ability to say thank you to a Vet all year long, not just on Veterans day and Memorial day. . .
 
for us, 11th Nov is Remembrance Day...

They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning
We will remember them.

http://www.rslwahq.org.au/ode.html
 
I have edited the Original to give credit to the Marine that deserves it. Personally I don't think I am that articulate

I remember another great quote from a military preacher as we were standing for the final prayer about midway through. You would have thought the skies were full of all Marine Machines that are capable of flight decided right then to do a fly-by of the building. Well, the prayer stopped and the preacher kept his head bowed, eyes closed and remained still. Once the sound and vibrations of the passing flight passed, an extra "Thank you" was added.

"And thank you Lord for those wonderful sounds of freedom!"
 
HERE-HERE!!! My complements to you sir. You stated that very eloquintly. My personel statement is always... A Vet is anyone who choses to stand between the civillians of our nation and ANY enemy threat. I am not a very Godly man, But, I pray our leaders will have the intellgance to use our millitary capabilities wisely.
 

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