Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2008 12:06:10 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Inappropriate posting coming (NVC)
In-Reply-To: <753051.25422.qm@web51508.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Why, then, for Pete's Sake, has this country been engaged in War of one
sort or another almost continually since 1776. If you want a summary of
the conflicts, check Wikipaedia - it's pretty clear. I was born in 1939,
and by the time WWII was over I was 6 - and I can remember some things
at home about that war - the fleets of airplanes flying over head, the
blackouts, the sirens, the searchlights shining into the night sky and
against the clouds - scarey stuff for a 2-6 year old, and I lived in
Pensacola, FL - not some far off land where we were bombing. I was 6
years in 1945. Five years later in 1950 we were at war in Korea. And it
goes on and on, right up through present day. And you have to ask
yourself "Why" for pete's sake Why are we continually in conflict and
trying to beat each other into submission, kill each other off. There
must be a better way. Nearly all of it has to do with political will,
and unfortuately political will more often than not has to do with power
and power with money and money with corporate greed.
If you want a real eye opener, read "War is a Racket" by General Smedley
D Butler, USMC, Retired. This guy was a hero several times over, a
career marine - 35 years of service. The guy even uncovered a plot to
overthrow the government of Franklin D. Roosevelt by the people in the
ivory halls of financial power in the USA back then. This was in the
United States by the so-called elite in our society. Roosevelt stepped
on toes, they were out to get him. Butler found them out. Everybody
ought to read this book. An eye opener
Worst of all, Butler came to consider the military a baseball bat with
which corporate America through the government could bash any country
into submission for their corporate interests. He said he was a thug for
the US Government. Made him sick to his stomach. thinking about it in
later years, seeing the history through the eyes of maturity and
experience.
I served in the military - US Navy - and I know about duty. Those guys
and gals who have been through all the conflicts, and those who are in
the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts now - God Love'em. I do. I back them
to the hilt.
I could go on - but this list is about Vanagons - so........
I use my Vanagon as my daily driver - and I use it to visit the VA
hospital frequently. I have never, ever seen another Vet patient besides
myself, show up in a Vanagon. As a consequence, the vehicle becomes a
door opener for conversation with a lot of guys, and usually at some
point, the conversation moves from the van to subjects with greater
depths, often deeply moving. I'm getting to be an old fart, and I go in
there with my aches and pains, and grumbling a bit, and I see these guys
on crutches, in wheel chairs, with missing arms, legs, eyes - and I shut
my grumbling mouth, and I straighten up, and walk and I carry myself
erect, Using that which I have been allowed to keep, without complaint.
It is my small way of honoring all those guys who have served this
country and all of us, in a manner for which there is NO comparable service.
Regards,
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Anthony Egeln wrote:
> Is there anyone who is pro-war? Least of all anyone who has served any time in the military.....in my entire military career I never met anyone who was pro-war, nor have I ever heard of anyone who was pro-war...that's why we served.
>
> Sorry for the NVC post.
>
> Anthony
> '89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)
>
> --- On Fri, 11/7/08, Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> From: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: Inappropriate posting coming
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Friday, November 7, 2008, 10:27 PM
>
> I have no objection whatsoever to your annual Remembrance Day celebration
> Al.
>
> Just because I'm anti-war doesn't mean I'm anti-soldier, nor does
> it mean
> I'm blind to the circumstances that sometimes force war upon us.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> On Fri, Nov 7, 2008 at 5:22 PM, Al Knoll <anasasi@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>> Just to refresh the collective intelligence. Next week is both the
>> USMC birthday and Armistice/Veterans Day. For those who remember
>> posts of mine regarding those two days and would like another copy of
>> either 'Soldier in the Rain' or 'Bronzes' or 'Old
>>
> Green Hat' let me
>
>> know by private mail and I'll send one along.
>>
>> Else if you-all have great objections to my twice yearly (Veterans
>> Day/Memorial Day) completely WOT posts make your feelings knows by
>> responding and I'll try to keep the objectionable drivel to a minimum
>>
>> Cane Rattler (MAAGie 61-63)
>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Jake
> 1984 Vanagon GL
> 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
> Crescent Beach, BC
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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