To answer one of the questions posed by one of our members:
I WOULD GO BACK ON ACTIVE DUTY IN A NEW YORK MINUTE IF THEY WOULD TAKE ME.

The problem though, is that I no longer qualify for military service because of medical problems.

I suffer from high blood pressure, Adult Onset Type II Diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity due to a variety of factors beyond my control, my knees and hips are shot from too many years of at sea operations and football injuries when a young man, and I am pushing age 62 ... my Social Security check begins arriving next January (2007).


BUT ... even with all of that, I miss serving with my old shipmates and WOULD answer the call without hesitation even with my decrepitude.

It hurts that so many of my ex-friends, neighbors and old shipmates have died because of GW's decision to invade Afghanistan and Iraq. The count presently stands at seven ... that means that as I was going about my retirement from active duty, the world changed and 7 people that I knew and respected, were killed. Countless others have been injured from a variety of reasons ... not all of the injuries were combat related.

I will NOT argue the right or wrong of GW's decisions ... suffice it to say that I did NOT ... and ... do NOT agree with them ... but ... would still answer the call if it were issued.

Originally Posted by Chief Bones

To answer one of the questions posed by one of our members:
I WOULD GO BACK ON ACTIVE DUTY IN A NEW YORK MINUTE IF THEY WOULD TAKE ME.

The problem though, is that I no longer qualify for military service because of medical problems.

I suffer from high blood pressure, Adult Onset Type II Diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity due to a variety of factors beyond my control, my knees and hips are shot from too many years of at sea operations and football injuries when a young man, and I am pushing age 62 ... my Social Security check begins arriving next January (2007).


BUT ... even with all of that, I miss serving with my old shipmates and WOULD answer the call without hesitation even with my decrepitude.

It hurts that so many of my ex-friends, neighbors and old shipmates have died because of GW's decision to invade Afghanistan and Iraq. The count presently stands at seven ... that means that as I was going about my retirement from active duty, the world changed and 7 people that I knew and respected, were killed. Countless others have been injured from a variety of reasons ... not all of the injuries were combat related.

I will NOT argue the right or wrong of GW's decisions ... suffice it to say that I did NOT ... and ... do NOT agree with them ... but ... would still answer the call if it were issued.

The only difference between you and me is that I'm only 55. I have all of the same malady's that you have, they are all under control.

I do not agree with all of what the president has done, but I still back him and the effort currently at hand.

You, being over 60 are basically fully retired, I still have 5 years of recall potential left. I wold lose a considerable amount of pay but I would still go.

Look, losing people in war is bad. Something that has to be considered is the people that could be lost with another attack. There is a high probability that al Queda is planning another attack and a large one at that.

More later if I'm not gone.

Isn't life a real bummer Senior. I do NOT remember if you served in an an active combat zone ... my contribution was Vietnam and then Granada.

If there had NEVER been another reason to send any young man or woman into harms way, I could have died a happy person.

I guess it just wasn't meant to happen ... now I am sitting here remembering the seven people that I knew and respected that are no longer with us ... and ... I can't help thinking that God has a very perverse sense of humor. You and I would go into harms way without a moment of thought, and here we sit .... hundreds of thousands of Americans believe that this is a 'war' that should never have happened. ('War' because it isn't a war - never declared as such ... I guess this one will take an act of Congress to categorize it as a war. That is what it took for Vietnam).

I will hope that the recall doesn't land on your doorstep - you and I have done our part for God and country.

http://www.military-quotes.com/forum...ice-t7084.html

Vietnam, Desert Storm, and GWOT.

I lost several friends in Vietnam, I lost a couple of friends in Desert Storm (non battle condidtions) and I lost one friend and one family member in the attack on the Pentagon.

Life is hard, then you die. We do not pick the place or circumstances regardless of if we are in war or not. To avoid war to save lives brings the conditions that we won't defend ourselves and that is one of the biggest problems we face. More doves and fewer hawks and we end up subjectated by someone that has no fear of death.

Originally Posted by Senior Chief

http://www.military-quotes.com/forum...ice-t7084.html

Vietnam, Desert Storm, and GWOT.

I lost several friends in Vietnam, I lost a couple of friends in Desert Storm (non battle condidtions) and I lost one friend and one family member in the attack on the Pentagon.

Life is hard, then you die. We do not pick the place or circumstances regardless of if we are in war or not. To avoid war to save lives brings the conditions that we won't defend ourselves and that is one of the biggest problems we face. More doves and fewer hawks and we end up subjectated by someone that has no fear of death.

I have NEVER advocated that we sit on the sidelines when we have been attacked. My problem is attacking a nation that NEVER attacked us, and so far hasn't been shown that it was as big a danger to us as it was accused of being.

Today (9-12-06), the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report that AGAIN proves that AlQaeda had NO ties to Saddam ... as a matter of fact, it now seems that Saddam and his intelligence people were trying to capture the #2 AlQaeda leader and missed him by just hours. Saddam didn't seem to have any more use for AlQaeda than we did.

Before I stand by and see our nation subjugated by a foreign power, even though I am fat and not in great health, I would take up arms and meet them in the streets of our country wherever they are. If they think that terrorism is only a one way street, they better go back to the drawing board.

Originally Posted by Chief Bones

I have NEVER advocated that we sit on the sidelines when we have been attacked. My problem is attacking a nation that NEVER attacked us, and so far hasn't been shown that it was as big a danger to us as it was accused of being.

Today (9-12-06), the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report that AGAIN proves that AlQaeda had NO ties to Saddam ... as a matter of fact, it now seems that Saddam and his intelligence people were trying to capture the #2 AlQaeda leader and missed him by just hours. Saddam didn't seem to have any more use for AlQaeda than we did.

Before I stand by and see our nation subjugated by a foreign power, even though I am fat and not in great health, I would take up arms and meet them in the streets of our country wherever they are. If they think that terrorism is only a one way street, they better go back to the drawing board.

Chief,

I got reamed for using caps and bolding to emphasize a point. It isn't a very good tactic.

The report seems to contradict information I read in 2002 and 2003, but far be it from me to contradict the revisionist reports now out.

If you will remember the small incident in 1991 when there was a UN enforced No-Fly zone over portions of Iraq. The Iraqi's fired on our planes, and planes of other nations. That was an act of war.

What happened to the reports that showed evidence of Saddam redirecting money from the Oil for Food program? It now appears that everyone seems to feel that information was something that never happened. But again, why contradict a new report that in effect revises history?

The Senate Intelligence Committee, now there is a real contradiction in terms.......Senate and Intelligence used in the same title. I'm sure all partisan politics were put aside in determining what went into the report!

It seems as if even when traces of Sarin was found in Iraq in quantities enough to prove that the gas was present and possibly manufactured should have been proof enough for most, what gets me is that Saddam used Sarin against his own people and the "powers that want to be" have negated that as a WMD.

Even if Saddam was not in bed with Bin Laden he was still a potentially dangerous threat to many nations including the U.S.