The 2007 Army-Navy Game
The score on the field is irrelevant. The relevant thing here is that thousands of American kids are signing-up to serve something greater than themselves. They know what's ahead of 'em... and they sign-up anyways. These kids know the meaning of self-sacrifice.
And not just at the the four Service Academies, but also at places like Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, SC; Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Il; Ft. Jackson Army Training Center, NC; Lackland AFB, TX; and the Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, NJ.
And the Brit and Aussie and Canuck kids who have the 'nads to raise their right hands fall right into place, as well.
With all due respect to the WWII "Greatest Generation", I personally am humbled by these kids nowadays. Even though it's still early, I'd venture to say that they are and will be always remembered as the 21st century's greatest generation.
But back to the Army-Navy game. Just to keep things in perspective, check this out...
~ For the 2007 season, the minimum rookie salary in the NFL is $285,000.00
~ The young men who we just saw play football today will start off making $37,278.00
~ The youngsters who complete Boot Camp will start out making $15,616.80
The pro football players, even though they're world-class athletes... let's be honest, they're just entertainers.
The other two listed categories of people will fight (and some will die) to ensure we live free. In essence, they've stood up, looked to the person to their left, looked to the person to their right, and they've firmly stated; "I'll defend you". Where do we get men such as these? Good God -- I'm humbled just to be around 'em.
Especially in this day and age of conspiracy theorists; limousine-liberals who try in vain to bull shit us all about how much they "support the troops", but we know that deep-down they despise them; and cultural appeasers who hate Western Civilization and mock and sneer at anyone who would have the bad manners to defend such... let's just say that I know who I respect and admire for not only their physical courage, but their moral courage as well.
I know who I consider my heroes. The rest of the self-loathing liberal surrenderista jellyfish can go to hell.
Semper Fidelis and have a Happy Marine Corps Day,
Vir Speluncae Catholicus
MSgt USMC (ret)
Vir,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! When I raised my right hand it was a theoretical possibility. When my son-in-law raised his, it was a certainty. My daughters fiance is trying to get into the Army, and will be eligible in February. My ex-son-in-law has raised his hand, and departs 13 Feb for Ft. Lost-In-The-Woods, Misery.
My S.I.L, btw, leaves for pre deplaoyment training with his National Guard Cav. Sqdn. Tomarrow.
Balls like big brass melons. I'm proud of 'em.
Well, this is how I managed to put a damper on the Thanksgiving dinner with my husband's family.
ReplyDeleteAll was going well, until his 25-year-old cousin announced that recently she had gone to the movies with her new husband, and was "offended" to see military recruitment ads played before the show started. Her "offense" came because these ads, in her opinion, didn't "realistically" portray what recruits were "getting into." At that point, her mother made a comment how it was disgusting that military recruiters "went after" high school kids and someone else at the table used the term "cannon fodder."
I thought for a nanosecond about just keeping my yap shut, but c'mon, you KNOW I wasn't about to do that. So I asked Cousin Michelle why she was infantilizing the ADULT men and women who raise their right hands to serve and did she think they were so stupid as to never read a newspaper or magazine, or watch the news, such that they knew what the hell was happening in the world, and they were just idiots being "suckered" by an MTV-style ad? I pointed out to her that I enlisted in the Army when I was 19 years old. At that point she made the fatal error of saying to me, "Oh well, it was different with you - you went in to get money for college and training."
"How the hell would you know WHY I went in when you weren't even BORN yet, chica?", I bellowed. "Did it ever occur to you that we serve out of sacrifice for HIGHER goals? Or was I just some whore looking for GI benefits?"
Now I was fit to be tied. "How DARE YOU INSULT VETERANS, YOU IGNORAMUS!" Immediately came the chorus of "Now, now, that type of talk is not fitting for the holiday table, c'mon now . . ." Oh? So long as we all have consensus that modern servicemen and servicewomen are mindless sheep feeding Evil George Bush's war, it's completely appropriate? But if someone - who happened to be the ONLY person who had served at that table - has a differing opinion, I'm in wrong? Her mother lit into me about "attacking" her daughter - I reminded Mommy Dearest that her daughter is 25, a college grad, and recently married, so perhaps she's old enough now to fight her own fights and understand there may be consequences for making comments without recognizing the audience (oddly, Cousin's husband just stayed silent and washed dishes).
Later Cousin came up to me to apologize, but was still insisting that she meant "no offense" to enlistees, only that the ads "didn't show the truth." My husband asked her then if she would be so offended if there was a military recruitment ad in The New York Times. She quickly responded, "Oh, but the Times wouldn't have one of those."
At that point, the Digihusband and I realized it was late and the kids were tired and we wanted to get an early start to see the Grand Canyon the next day (we were in Prescott, AZ), so good night everyone, we're hitting the road, yeah, yeah, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone . . . kids, grab your coats and get in the car . . .
Next year, hopefully the house will be sold and we'll be in Tennessee and Thompson will be in the White House.
IR,
ReplyDeleteAnd may God bless 'em all
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Way to go, Digi!!