I'm staying at DU. And I appreciate and honor veterans.

[ruggerson]

I'm sure there's many more like me, despite troll rumors to the contrary.

[RetroLounge]

1. Here here...

RL

[Catch22Dem]

2. I'm a veteran AND a DUer (*gasp*)

Can you believe it? We have a LOT of vets here. Some of them have been through some really rough shit too.

I have no idea what you're talking about though? What happened?

[ultraist]

20. Yes, we have a lot of vets here that voted for KERRY

Because Kerry was more supportive of the troops as are all Democrats, who vote FOR: increased VA funding, an end to a backdoor draft, increased pay for soldiers, and fewer pre emptive wars that put soliders in harms way.

Repukes spew out pro military and nationalist propaganda, sport yellow magnets and vote to put troops in harms way unnecessarily.

WHO is really anti troops? Repukes or Democrats? Get fucking real.

[FreedomAngel82]

77. All you have to do

is look at how Bush has been treating the vets lately in programs. Them having to pay for bills and meals while they're there. Disgusting. *sigh* :( And I remember reading a story how a wife (or maybe mother) didn't get their person's check for their family because they didn't serve certain months because they were dead. :wtf:

[Trajan]

3. vetwife was no troll ...

and heck yeah: Im stayin .....

Oh .. and btw ? ... I appreciate and honor our military personnel, past and present ....

We just gotta change their CiC, because he is a crazy man ... CMON 2008 ....

[ruggerson]

8. she might as well have been

n/t

[Mr_Spock]

63. tombstoned now

What does that mean?

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Glad you're sticking it out! I don't hold much by those who will run away

so swiftly. It's not all hearts and flowers and everyone in agreement here. It's funny how "they" accuse us of lockstep behaviour. Heehee. :hi:

[Career Prole]

5. The trolls should check some profiles here.

DU has no shortage of veterans.
What we lack here are "armchair warriors". I find that amazingly refreshing.

[Jamastiene]

11. If "armchair warriors"

are who I think they are, then I am surrounded by those where I live. They are so pro war, but half of them never served. My aunt is a dem and a veteran and against the things that are happening right now. She might not be able to type, but she asks me to post something for her every now and again. We aren't anti-troops here, just anti leadership leading the troops to a human meat market. They shouldn't be put in that bad of a situation and they shouldn't be asked to do some of the other things I've seen pictures of. In this day and age, machines can be programmed to do an awful lot. Let's keep our military and our country as safe as possible.

[Career Prole]

38. By armchair warriors I refer to those who loudly proclaim

which country's "ass we should kick" while having no inkling of the costs because they've never had to be involved in an "ass-kicking".
More disgusting to me still are the chickenhawks, the foulest sort of armchair warrior.

[WoodrowFan]

73. AKA

the 101st Fighting Keyboarders. (not you, the faux vets)

[Career Prole]

75. What a cool name for them! Thanks!

I love it! :toast:

[shreck]

6. And I don't mind

being called an X-Marine.
So, how many old Devil Dogs are here?

[Catch22Dem]

13. I know we have a few

I'm USAF myself 1992-2000.

If you were a Marine, there's a good chance you were in Okinawa at some time? Were you? I was there for 4 years.

ON EDIT: Welcome to DU by the way :toast:

[Johnyawl]

37. When were you on Okinawa?

I was there in 1970, after they pulled the 3rd Marine division out of Vietnam. I don't know what it was like in the '90s, but when I was there I thought it was heaven. Everything was cheap, the night life was fantastic, it was party, party, party, and the best thing was nobody was shooting at us.

[Catch22Dem]

57. It was the same in the 90s. Great place to live

Very safe, stunningly beautiful beaches, everything you need is right there. I was there from 1996 - 2000

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. Here's one. I'm an EX-marine too.

To hell with that "former" BS.

[Johnyawl]

36. one here...

USMC 1968-71.


Speaking of Devil Dogs. When I joined the Marines in 1968, they announced it at the church my family was attending at the time, and this really old guy that alway sat in the back, that I'd never talked to came up and shook my hand. He said "Well, I don't imagine they've changed much in 50 years". Turned out he'd enlisted in the Marines in 1917, and had fought in Europe! I'm beginning to feel that ancient, it's been 37 years since I enlisted.

[Bigmack]

69. Shiiiiitt...

That ain't old... I got MarCor socks as old as that. USMC 1962-66
Southeastern Asia War Games 1962-72... our motto "Hey... we took second place.."

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

53. Hey! I entertained a large group of Devil Dogs before they

shipped out to gulf war I :hi: Were you ever at Tustin?

[annarbor]

79. Devil Dog DU'er here!

I love it here and I'm not leaving either.
Lot of us Vets here!

Ann Arbor
USMC Veteran

[leanin_green]

80. How about an ex-Corpsman that took the devil dogs out for walks?!

Just kidding. I'm a proud ex-Navy Corpsman that served with the Marines. Not a better bunch of guys to be in a fight with, that's for sure.

Signed,

Doc

[Bigmack]

82. Doc...

I got this big fuckin' blister.....

Corpsmen walk on water as far as I'm concerned. Anybody that makes "house calls" during a firefight has balls.... big BRASS ones.

[lonestarnot]

7. Absofuckinglutely! n/t

[mzmolly]

9. Just got a plea from my local "Mothers Against Bush" chapter

to support Sears because of their generosity to employees who've been called to duty.

So much for the liberals hate the troops caricature.

[artfan]

10. To many on the right...

respecting and honoring veterans is waving the flag along a parage route and looking the other way when encountering a homeless vet sleeping under a bridge.

"WhoooHooo! look at em' shoot"

"just ignore the bum, he/she should get a job"

[FreedomAngel82]

78. On the website

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info they have a movie about veterans who are homeless. It's so heartbreaking. :cry:

[merh]

12. I honor and appreciate all veterans and members of the military!

I also thank you for this post and glad that you are here at DU!

I saw that other thread and began to type a reply but decided that insulting the insulter was stooping to her level, so I deleted it.

I am a grown up and can discern the truth. Most DUers support the troops and all veterans. You can hate this "war" and support the troops. The administration and the GOP are the bodies that hate the troops and continue to harm the vets.

Thank you vets, I for one will not stop fighting this admin for you and all in the military. I will not abandon the fight and I will not allow disruptors to distort the message. To give credence to the disruptors is to give legitimacy and power to their efforts, I will not fall for that.

To all the veterans :yourock:

[Career Prole]

14. I'll now eat some crow.

Edited to remove pissy post and say I apologize for the tone, Ruggerson. I didn't know about her participation in the dark side site. Have at it.

[ScreamingMeemie]

16. I would, if I didn't know what I now know about her. I didn't know her

that well here, but I do know of her from another site. And I am surprised that DU now would allow a troll moderator from another website. Good deeds for soldiers or not, she isn't one of us. :hi:

I would say she lost her dignity in my book this morning...

[Kingshakabobo]

22. What site is everyone referring to?

FR? I want to check it out.

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Totally Committed]

47. Are you serious?

Good grief!

TC

[Career Prole]

24. I've clearly missed something then, MissusGrumpy

I trust your judgment. Toss me a link and let me see what Amanda's done. :hi:
Christ, it's starting out bad and getting worse today. :eyes:

[ScreamingMeemie]

29. Check your PM.

:hi:

[ScreamingMeemie]

74. Because I forgot something...

;) and a :P

[Bouncy Ball]

17. Oh, ok so honoring and appreciating vets

is now a dick measuring contest where everyone's got to lay out how many hours they spend on it, how much time they spend on it?

Every waking hour? Really? Well, damn, I doubt the rest of us mere plebes could measure up to such epic sacrifice.

And what's up with this "how do you appreciate and honor us?" I cannot imagine my veteran husband demanding to know of others how they appreciate and honor him. I can't imagine him thinking if someone hasn't thanked a vet today, they are ungrateful (regarding vetwife's letter).

DEMANDING appreciation and honor rarely results in either.

[Career Prole]

28. I'm behind this morning...give a guy a hint?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3182474&mesg_id=3182709&page=

[ScreamingMeemie]

31. Check your PM box.

:hi:

[Career Prole]

34. Thank ye, hear?

Apologies to all I've irked. I didn't know until now VW'd gone to the dark side.
:shrug:

[ScreamingMeemie]

35. It's okay. I don't think a whole bunch knew.

:hi:

[AlCzervik]

43. Can someone let me in on this?

[ScreamingMeemie]

45. Check PM.

:hi:

[Career Prole]

41. I think you're the last one I need to apologize to, Bouncy...

I didn't know she had an alter-ego. I was responding to what I thought at the time was an attack on a moderate Dem.
I've since found out the details.
Sorry I offended you.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3182474&mesg_id=3182644&page=

[Bouncy Ball]

49. You didn't offend me.

I'm really very hard to offend! It's all good. Sorry if I came off a bit rough, but after her really insulting post last night, I had enough of that BS.

[Career Prole]

59. I hear you. I've got the story of what happened since I was on

yesterday afternoon. Well...not all of it, but certainly enough.
Glad I didn't get my foot too far down my throat to pull it back out!
:hi:

[haele]

65. Heck, I'm a vet myself

USN/USNR; 1977 - 1998.

Wanna know how to "honor and appreciate me"?

Bring back good paying jobs - make the "working class" a working middle class again instead of indentured servants. The majority of vets, especially those who didn't retire as I did, don't have that MBA; they end up working the rest of their lives as shop managers, factory workers - you know, "honest laborers"...
Affordable housing - the VA housing loan is great - if you can find a house under $400K. Again; your average vet is still an honest laborer making an average of $25 - $50K a year on the job whis is considered lower middle class; in a lot of areas where Vets end up after their stint of duty, housing is far above the grasp of the average worker.
Inexpensive education and job training/re-education. Good community schools for the children, not just of the vet, but of the community around the vet's family.
Universal health coverage - especially increasing mental health and substance abuse clinics. Things that vets really need. Again, tied to the job. Most vets end up depending on the VA if there is no medical tied to their employment. And those who are increasingly caught in the trap of the working poor(making too much to recieve assistance, but not making enough to pay for it on their own) are beginning to be turned away because of "means testing".

That's how you thank a Vet. Not waving flags and chanting slogans. I don't want you to come up to me in the mall and say "thanks for the sacrifice of 20 years of your life"...that's just as genuine as it is when the 13-year-old says "sorry" after screwing up the same way for the 30th time.
I don't want the f**ing pedestal. I'm a human being, as good or as bad as the average citizen. And to tell y'all a secret that most of us vets understand; unless we're fighting on our own soil or fighting off an invading enemy, we aren't "protecting" the our way of life or our country any more than any security guard is at the mall. If we do a good job by managing to get through whatever political contreps that our government stepped into without incurring too many , we feel proud because we did that good job.
Blatant jingoism is just a way of using us vets as a cover while screwing people over.

I'm proud I served. My relatives that have been in the military and/or fought in wars are proud to have served. But after we've gone through what we had to do while we served, we're really not any more special to the US than that policeman, fireman, teacher, post-office clerk...get it?
Be glad we're home. Be happy we've taken the job. But don't abuse us by sending into unjust wars for failed policies, and then treat us like a spouse being cheated on as well as being beaten. That alternation between body blows and half-assed complementry apologies wear real thin after a while.

Honor the vets by providing jobs with livable wages, universal health care, low cost housing, and good education to all Americans. That's how you honor the sacrifices vets have made.

Don't just tell me I'm beautiful. That doesn't pay the bills, nor does it repay my service to the country.
On edit:
Oh, by the way - at least half the vets have never "been to war"; they may have supported a combat action or spent their career "supporting the peace" at a communications, training, maintenance, medical, or supply unit.
They were tools that were kept in case of trouble but never used. Does this make the sacrifices of their time and years of their life any less important than someone who had actually had been shot at and had shot back?
Perhaps this is why so many "armchair warriors", the Cold War rug-huggers and buttercups who spent their service safe out of harms way end up as right-wing hawks when it comes to other people's lives. They feel slighted that they spent their four to six years on base and weren't able to play "Audie Murphy" (and you know how he ended up) and actually understand what war is like - and suffer like the thousands of broken Korea era, Vietnam era, and now "Iraq era" Vets that are now reduced to living on freeway offramps because of lack of mental health care, good paying labor jobs, and affordable housing.

Haele

[ultraist]

27. We voted for KERRY for starters

DEMOCRATS are not the anti troop party, that would be the Repukes who have CUT VA BENEFITS, placed troops in harms way unnecessarily, created a back door draft, as well as other ANTI TROOPS policies.

Just because we don't engage in parroting nationalist propaganda rhetoric and have yellow magnets on our SUVs, does not mean we do not support the troops.

[Career Prole]

39. After finding out what VW was up to elsewhere

I had to change the post you've replied to. My apologies.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3182474&mesg_id=3182644&page=

[ruggerson]

61. no prob CP

I was pretty sure she was a troll, something set off my "trolldar", but, in the end, she has succeeded at nothing except to unite all of us even more.

[Career Prole]

64. Thanks!

:hi:

[janx]

15. That thread was insulting. n/t

[Bouncy Ball]

23. That's what I was trying to put my finger on, thank you.

It made a hell of a lot of assumptions. Heck, I was even told I don't know of what I speak and I don't know about hurting veterans.

Hate to mention this again, for fear of looking just like certain other people, but I'm married to a veteran and we're watching my father in law die of leukemia from Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. He's only 57. To be told I don't know about the suffering of vets is beyond insulting. I'm so pissed off on behalf of him and other veterans I can't see straight at times.

[janx]

33. Of course it did! How anyone could assume that people who

post on this web site are not connected to military concerns is beyond me. It was a self-serving and insulting post, and I'm sorry you had to read it--or anyone had to read it. Most people in this country have family or ancestors who have died for this country.

Imagine someone who has just started posting here who has lost a son or daughter recently in Iraq...imagine the emotion and the anger at reading such a thing.

[ultraist]

42. I agree

One has to wonder...a moderator at a conservative pro Bush site like this is telling us that we don't respect the troops?
http://www.1-2-free-forums.com/mf/americanconserv.html

[Bouncy Ball]

48. Well, that's the second conservative website

I've been pointed to at which she is a moderator and frequent poster.

The first one was just vile (all 66 members, LOL!) and I'm sure this one is no different. I checked it out enough to see she's a moderator there, too.

Very interesting.

[tsuki]

54. The fRight Wing is trying to tie the Bring the Troops Home movement

of the 21st Century to the Viet-Nam war protests in a desperate move to discredit the new movement. Trouble is, many protesting this war, I marched with them on January 20th, and will be marching on March 19th, are Vets, and know exactly how the troops are supported.

[RetroLounge]

55. Well this just keeps getting better and better

She Moderates two Repig web sites?

So why is she NOT tombstoned here?

RL

[ruggerson]

58. Yep, it's the same troll

if you follow the link on the rightwing site, you end up here:

http://groups.msn.com/UnitedVeteransofAmerica/

[depakid]

71. I have news- vetwife WAS NOT a troll

or if she was, she did a damn good job of hiding it FOR YEARS on the Smirking Chimp.

Just to be sure, I went back and checked some of her posts- and they are the same ones I'd been reading... virulently anti-Bush.

My take on it is that her over-riding interests are as a veteren's advocate- and if that took her to CU, oh well. Maybe she had a break with reality- but I doubt it- since she was consistent and active all that time- and people at SC knew her. Then again, she did live in a far right part of Georgia- and that would have to get to you after a while....

[ruggerson]

76. Well, frankly if her overriding concern was veteran's rights

then she should be even angrier with rightwingers, as this administration has a truly miserable record on veteran's rights and affairs

[depakid]

81. I think she'll come to that conclusion again

it's pretty well inescapable. Give it time....

[smirkymonkey]

62. Totally. It was a pathetic vanity post and nothing more.

It really turned me off in more ways than one.

[barbaraann]

18. I'm staying and the truth is I have mixed feelings.

Smedley Butler makes a lot of sense.

http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/racket.html

[WilliamPitt]

21. Can someone explain to me what happened?

I clearly missed something.

Please PM me if an open post will cause problems. Thanks.

[Must_B_Free]

25. Someone with a big chip on her shoulder

who goes around bashing people over the head with it, started an "I'm leaving" thread.

Apparently we "bash the troops" too much for her taste, so she's teaching us all a lesson

[ultraist]

30. Right, those of us who voted for KERRY are anti-troop...

whatever...

[Kingshakabobo]

26. This happened.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3181381&mesg_id=3181381

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bouncy Ball]

51. I NEVER go to that nasty site

but after getting about seven PMs last night about it, I finally checked it out and I'd have to concur with you. They are quite thrilled about what she said here, and that says a lot to me (that and her moderator status there and on the American Conservatives Forum).

[RetroLounge]

56. She sure has, and other Conservative sites too..

RL

[seabeyond]

32. i honor the troops, people that voted bush, turned back on troops

and when i hear a young 19 year old boy who has been conditioned and brainwashed and drugged on speed do and say something stupid, i am going to talk about it without a feeling a finger will be pointed and say i dont support troop. i am quite capable of valueing a person, and critizing a behavior

i think this is so wrong to once again pin n the dems in one feld swoop we dont support troops

media does it, republicans do it. we want dems to stand up to them, have spine. well on this board, no one is going to pin on me i dont support troops, and to support troops i must keep mouth shut. not speak out. what troops fight for.

we are not the one fucking the troops.
we are the ones saying quit fucking them

[The Stranger]

46. Gosh, I just got me goosebumps from all yer pride and honor and such.

I thought for a minute I was watching Fox News.

[Shopaholic]

50. Oh yeah, sure I don't honor vets--

It's not like that my father and THREE of my Uncles are vets or anything. Jesus. :shrug: And I will continue to honor them by protesting against this illegal and immoral war so we can bring more of them home alive!

[HamstersFromHell]

52. I'll apologise if anyone felt slighted by my little tirade last night...

...but the start of that thread just irritated me to no end with it's baseless assumptions.

I know I don't post a lot...that not to imply I don't read a lot.

It stunk from the start and only got worse the more I read.

Now after a nap I see some fellow DUer's have done some checking and it's another case of Kool-Aid overdose. I'm glad I swore off that stuff when I was a kid. :D

[B Calm]

60. I'm a veteran and I am not leaving DU. I learned a long time ago

that two people don't always think alike. That said, it's time for some people to grow up and get a thicker coat of skin!

[TacticalPeek]

66. I'll stay , too.

And I am a vet, my son is active duty special operator in Iraqnam, my daughter-in-law is a vet, my dad is a vet, his dad was a vet, my great-grandfather was a vet, albeit CSA (does that count for or against?).

And same-wise for several uncles at Omaha Beach and many Pacific theater fun spots.

But I don't honor Timothy McVeigh or Charles Whitman, both veterans. And I honor my son and his unit in Iraqnam, but not Sergeant Graner or General Boykin, who disgrace the uniform.

Anyone who claims that DU is anti-vet or anti-troop is full of Republican hooey.

[Swamp Rat]

67. Support our troops! ... How?

... by advocating their expeditious return and posting this regularly at DU!

[Name removed]

68. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ScreamingMeemie]

70. You might want to check out the other side of that bed you got out of

this morning. While there are times I don't agree with Will, I would never suggest that he is not a valued contributor to this site.He also has given credit to this site in his books and on his own site. Jealousy is a cruel and destructive monster.

[Jack Rabbit]

72. I am a proud veteran and a proud evil DUer

The war in Iraq is an immoral, colonial war that had nothing to do with the war on terrorism.

No private soldier, not even Lyndie England or Charles Graner, should be prosecuted for crimes at Abu Ghraib until G. W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and Alberto Gonzales are prosecuted for war crimes and crimes against humanity for establishing an offshore system of gulags away, or so they think, from any appeal to justice and whose guidelines include the use of torture and other humiliating treatment prohibited by the Geneva Conventions and the Convention against Torture.

[Corgigal]

83. As a former vet

and never a vets wife but the actually vet, you can honor all veterans by not allowing this adminstration to start a draft to steal my boys.

I can't imagine anyone being against that.