her tears on birthday - comments
7 CONVERSATIONAL COMMENTS:
Anonymous said...
I'm extremely happy that this years experience
was more rewarding for you. It was a first for me. I'm glad I missed the
previous one.
It was a very nice event and it looked like everyone was enjoying themselves during the toasts, in between them and let's not forget afterwards, too.
I've been told by a certain source that "1762 Broadway Lounge" was the only bar in the 5 Towns to have any kind of special trubute to our Veterans this year.
I hope to attend another one there next year.
It was a very nice event and it looked like everyone was enjoying themselves during the toasts, in between them and let's not forget afterwards, too.
I've been told by a certain source that "1762 Broadway Lounge" was the only bar in the 5 Towns to have any kind of special trubute to our Veterans this year.
I hope to attend another one there next year.
Anonymous said...
I heard from a friend about this event. I'm
glad that all veterans were welcome to a Marine Corps birthday party. If you
have this next year, could you please use the time also to raise funds for the
widows and survivors of Iraq and Afghanistan?
You all seem to be really good and decent people, I ask this because I didn't realize that we had people living on Long Island that had lost people in this stupid conflict.
Thanks for being a patriot.
You all seem to be really good and decent people, I ask this because I didn't realize that we had people living on Long Island that had lost people in this stupid conflict.
Thanks for being a patriot.
Reuben
James said...
I'm going to leave a video tribute from picts
taken at the Toast and from picts I found of Mary and of Gunny Gallagher. As
soon as I get things together I will add it to the post.
I meant to get everyday people to realize that someone out there called a 'Veteran'is paying a high price for us to live the way we do. I found that this year this 'Toast' has me thinking that everyday people should get involved in the healing process of the Veterans of the current wars.
These Wars are different. They have men who have sworn an oath to life and death believing they are betrayed and alone.
I believe now that every day an American lives free is Veterans Day.
I meant to get everyday people to realize that someone out there called a 'Veteran'is paying a high price for us to live the way we do. I found that this year this 'Toast' has me thinking that everyday people should get involved in the healing process of the Veterans of the current wars.
These Wars are different. They have men who have sworn an oath to life and death believing they are betrayed and alone.
I believe now that every day an American lives free is Veterans Day.
Anonymous said...
Not to downgrade your post or return comment
but I saw a lot of citizens that night who appreciate what this country has
given them and respect the soldiers who went and still go to fight for us.
Although your aim was to honor the Marine Corps 233rd Birthday and Veterans Day combined, you seemed, in your writing, to focus on the tragedy that happened when this Marine returned home. While, in good taste, not mentioning the act this soldier committed after returning home was probably appreciated by his wife, children and family, your portrayal of heroism in this case was not up to par according to your standings.
Your post kind of irked me, not because you focused on one individuals inability to handle whatever he had to face.......no, I'm lying, yes, that is what irked me and this bothers me because as a former Marine yourself, how can you be so strong and someone else so weak? You are right about alot of things including citizens helping returning Veterans to deal with what they had to go through, but as a Marine (Uber-Soldier) wouldn't you think that the people who let this man come home to his family would check his mental status prior to releasing him from duty?
Honorable or dishonorable (not to say Gunny was
dishonorable, he wasn't) our military has its responsibilities also. What is
the VA doing for these men? How can an ordinary citizen help these men? I can
only talk to people and with an empathetic ear and heart listen to them. This
countries VA hospitals have real doctors and psychiatrists working and either
the military or the hospital is dropping the ball.
If you or other Veterans I see almost everyday did not commit a mortal sin after all they saw, then why did the soldier you wrote about do it? One word (no disrespect intended, AT ALL!!)
and that word is "Weakness". Another word is "Selfish".
Maybe, in your post, you should have mentioned, roundabout of course, the truth of the matter.
I apologize for being confused and a bit harsh but to focus on one when there are so many more is just unthinkable. What about the men who gave their lives while actually fighting (on the battlefield )for this country? You need to post another article with this in mind. I think we need to hear about this subject from another point of view....can you go there? I think you can, so how about honoring the true fallen?
I'm not saying that "Gunny" wasn't one of
those, but don't think that we all didn't notice that you gave props to no one
else but this poor soul, not mentioning that his wife and children bore witness
to his demise. Who are the real heroes besides those who have given their lives
and not taken their lives? The answer can only be the families they torture
with selfish acts. This sin is not forgiven by me, sorry to be hard-ass about
it but who is suffering? Not him.
Please re-read Psalm 23: (For some reason I find this to be a joyous prayer and
not a funeral ritual. If the Lord takes you it must be for a reason. If you
take you it's a different story)
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.....
I hope I didn't offend. I just needed to state my point of view regarding your post which was a little biased. That is my opinion as an American citizen and thank you for fighting for my 1st Ammendment Right to Freedom of Speech.
Respectfully......You know who
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.....
I hope I didn't offend. I just needed to state my point of view regarding your post which was a little biased. That is my opinion as an American citizen and thank you for fighting for my 1st Ammendment Right to Freedom of Speech.
Respectfully......You know who
Reuben
James said...
To You Know Who and all
who read this comment
I did, with profound and deliberate intent focus the latter part of the blog entry on this man and his sacrifice.
Attempting to explain the bitter realities that go into the empirical dynamics of modern warfare, including the physical and psychological damage that it affects to those who never have been in harms way would be like explaining the foundations of calculus to one who had not mastered addition or subtraction.
The people who let this man and hundreds other like him to come home without checking him are the same people who sent him in the first place, The DOD, Dept. of the Navy, Headquarters Marine Corps and finally CENTCOM.
Unlike other branches of the service, Marines can be sent anywhere, anytime on the orders of the President of the United States for up to 180 days without consent of the Congress.
The dark reality of this war is that men have been committed to the act of war for more than one year. In WWII, men were given R&R outside of the Combat area long enough to be evaluated physically and psychologically.
In Vietnam, men were not required in any branch of the service to do more than one tour, although many Marines would volunteer for a second tour. Many Marines today are on their third and fourth tours in a Combat Area.
The sights, smells, anxiety, boredom, terror and elation of war can barely be described in words. It’s like only having shadows to explain the reality of light. Many hard, honorable, unwavering, stalwart and upstanding man has been broken by the unmentioned realities of war.
How do you deal with watching a friend die because you just couldn’t get to him? How do you deal with being the only man left alive in your squad after a fire fight?
The ‘assumption’ by the civilian authorities who send men to war is that they are so cold, hard, trained killers that if they can survive shooting, hacking and slashing the enemy, they will be relieved to just get home. Again, assumption proves to be the mother of all fuck ups.
From the American Civil War and every conflict since in which men have fought, some men, after coming back to their homes have committed suicide.
The other ‘assumption’ that these men were weak or somehow less durable than the men they led in battle or bled with in vicious fighting is a fallacy. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, Jr, son of a Lieutenant General of Marines , son of the most decorated Marine who ever lived, committed suicide.
Captain Charles B. McVay, US Navy, was held responsible for the Japanese sinking the USS Indianapolis when the truth was quite different. He committed suicide. Captain McVay was posthumously exonerated by Congress in the year 2000.
Merritt A. Edson, Major General of Marines, One of the two Colonel’s who founded the Marine Corps Raiders took his 1st Marine Corps Raider Battalion in hand to hand combat with the Japanese at the Battle of Tulagi, Savo Island, Tasimboko and Guadalcanal committed suicide in 1955.
Edson's leadership helped make it possible for the Marine Corps to morph into the greatest Combined Arms fighting force on earth.
It is the ugliest form of self righteousness to think that men who have delivered freedom to the free will go to hell for falling on their sword.
Who can fathom the infinite mercy of an Almighty God to spare sons who could not escape from the hell on earth they have rescued countless others from. Surely as God will keep them, we must help them.
I did, with profound and deliberate intent focus the latter part of the blog entry on this man and his sacrifice.
Attempting to explain the bitter realities that go into the empirical dynamics of modern warfare, including the physical and psychological damage that it affects to those who never have been in harms way would be like explaining the foundations of calculus to one who had not mastered addition or subtraction.
The people who let this man and hundreds other like him to come home without checking him are the same people who sent him in the first place, The DOD, Dept. of the Navy, Headquarters Marine Corps and finally CENTCOM.
Unlike other branches of the service, Marines can be sent anywhere, anytime on the orders of the President of the United States for up to 180 days without consent of the Congress.
The dark reality of this war is that men have been committed to the act of war for more than one year. In WWII, men were given R&R outside of the Combat area long enough to be evaluated physically and psychologically.
In Vietnam, men were not required in any branch of the service to do more than one tour, although many Marines would volunteer for a second tour. Many Marines today are on their third and fourth tours in a Combat Area.
The sights, smells, anxiety, boredom, terror and elation of war can barely be described in words. It’s like only having shadows to explain the reality of light. Many hard, honorable, unwavering, stalwart and upstanding man has been broken by the unmentioned realities of war.
How do you deal with watching a friend die because you just couldn’t get to him? How do you deal with being the only man left alive in your squad after a fire fight?
The ‘assumption’ by the civilian authorities who send men to war is that they are so cold, hard, trained killers that if they can survive shooting, hacking and slashing the enemy, they will be relieved to just get home. Again, assumption proves to be the mother of all fuck ups.
From the American Civil War and every conflict since in which men have fought, some men, after coming back to their homes have committed suicide.
The other ‘assumption’ that these men were weak or somehow less durable than the men they led in battle or bled with in vicious fighting is a fallacy. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, Jr, son of a Lieutenant General of Marines , son of the most decorated Marine who ever lived, committed suicide.
Captain Charles B. McVay, US Navy, was held responsible for the Japanese sinking the USS Indianapolis when the truth was quite different. He committed suicide. Captain McVay was posthumously exonerated by Congress in the year 2000.
Merritt A. Edson, Major General of Marines, One of the two Colonel’s who founded the Marine Corps Raiders took his 1st Marine Corps Raider Battalion in hand to hand combat with the Japanese at the Battle of Tulagi, Savo Island, Tasimboko and Guadalcanal committed suicide in 1955.
Edson's leadership helped make it possible for the Marine Corps to morph into the greatest Combined Arms fighting force on earth.
It is the ugliest form of self righteousness to think that men who have delivered freedom to the free will go to hell for falling on their sword.
Who can fathom the infinite mercy of an Almighty God to spare sons who could not escape from the hell on earth they have rescued countless others from. Surely as God will keep them, we must help them.
Anonymous said...
Who said anything about "hell"? In
my religion there is no "hell" there is just life here on earth
(which I am told is considered purgatory) and then it's "Ashes to Ashes,
Dust to Dust". But there is also no mention in my religion about where you
go when you commit suicide.
I guess we'll know when we get to wherever we are going or not going when we die. My point (in the comment which was not enabled) was that I cannot understand why someone would do this to his wife and children. It's a horror that was preventable (he obviously knew he wasn't right in the head if he had to go to this extreme) and you would think that a man who faced things that mere civilians never will would have been able to deal with it no matter what.
I guess we'll know when we get to wherever we are going or not going when we die. My point (in the comment which was not enabled) was that I cannot understand why someone would do this to his wife and children. It's a horror that was preventable (he obviously knew he wasn't right in the head if he had to go to this extreme) and you would think that a man who faced things that mere civilians never will would have been able to deal with it no matter what.
Why put the living through this heartache and heartbreak? Especially your
children. I'm sorry that my opinion is not to some peoples liking, but it's a
point of view that many people share. Suicide is not an acceptable way out.
It's an easy way out.
Anonymous said...
To say that the civilians in this country,
especially New York City, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania have not witnessed
and experienced war like acts, which killed thousands of people all at once, is
not considered "in harms way"? There is your "Assumption proves
to be the mother of all fuck ups" (since you like using that phrase so
much lets turn the tides a bit) September 11, 2001, remember that? Was that not
psychologically, emotionally and for some, physically damaging to everyone?
That was being in harms way to the 10th power. Soldiers aren't the only ones to
witness things that are too awful to deal with.
Moving on to the suicide issue, rank and ribbons do not equal mentally or
pschologically fit. It should not be considered an honor to kill yourself. Your
only going to hurt your loved ones. Sure, the person who kills himself will
have no more pain and won't have to deal with or get help for what caused it
afterwards, but his family will. SELFISHNESS is no excuse to leave your family
feeling helpless, hopeless and wishing they could have done something more to
help. I'm sure the family feels worse than the person who kills themselves.
Actually, I'm positive.
END OF RE-POSTED COMMENTS
To the question "How can an ordinary citizen help these men?" Soon a post will be made of events and places to go before, during and after Memorial Day to help Veterans of all wars that America has fought in. I am amazed at what was written and appreciate just how passionate Americans are about our country and who we send to fight for it.
Thank You
DC for RJ
A possible way to help: Hope for Wounded Warriors.
ReplyDeleteOn the Board of Directors is the notable actor Gary Sinise. This group helps raise funds for projects geared towards Military personnel with issues of all kinds as a result of their tour(s) in War(s). One of the wonderful things they do is provide a service to re-boot or build homes that are "disabled" friendly. The renovation or build is determined by the type of disability. So, hit that GOOGLE button or whatever search engine, and look it up. After all, if you can be online to comment on these posts? then you can take the time to research exactly how A CITIZEN CAN HELP!
CR from SL
Thanks. I will be posting other information on Veteran and Civil associations that are helping Veterans also. This is good. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome DC.I had seen an interview on a news program about some of the programs Mr. Sinise is involved in. This was one of many, but this one stuck out...
ReplyDeleteRemember fellow Americans: Our ancestors arrived in the New World and created our great country from scratch. If the amazing men and woman of our military over the many years since had not fought for our rights, well, imagine what type of country we would be living in today...
I never appreciated history when I was growing up, but I certainly do now because I am more aware of what may have been....
CR from SL