badge of flipping honor?!!
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Posted on Oct 04, 2010 04:48 am
whosyourdaddy00
Hold 'Em Czar
Member Since: Dec 30, 2004
first off, i gotta appoligize because what i'm about to say is based PURELY on raw emotion (and 80oz. of beer) but i honestly have no where else to let these thoughts out, and i hate to use these boards for this but this site is a bit of a home/family to me.....my cousin who is 5 years younger than me recently lost his life while on duty with the army overseas.....and a news article/website gave a short blurb on him and his family....this was all well and nice until i read a bit at the end of the article that said this......" His awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Combat Action Badge and Air Assault Badge. "
now i'm no military expert by any means, and i'm sure these are all real awards....but the vagueness of ALL of them imply something deeply distressing to me......i interpret them collectively as a pile of crap.....not that my cousin didn't do something to earn them, it just seems so freakin' elementary....like a potty award for a kid who remembers to flush..
it seems (to me) that our military "decorates" fine soldiers with little gold and silver stars for just about anything....i know what the F a purple heart means....but this kinda crap seems so trite and P.C. to me. it's almost as if they give these out JUST FOR these situations where one dies and the surviving family memberscan feel like they did something...
i know my cousin, i know alot of his thoughts and motivations......and i personally view these medals and honors as political band-aids so when a soldier dies, it doesn't hurt so bad...let me be clear, i am NOT saying they carry no meaning, but i feel like my country gave him these so it will not hurt as bad when he dies. it really really feels like a kid gettin' a gold star for poopin' in the potty. there is no doubt in my mind 95% of our soldiers are "decorated" with such medals....just so it feels better for the family that looses them, kinda give 'em somethin' to be proud of...so they don't see that their cousin/brother/father died in the name of americas financial interest......
those of you that know me, know my politics, and YES i'm approaching this from that viewpoint....my question to y'all is when will this war be over? y'all think vietnam was bad, or the 100 years war....we are living the latest incarnation of a HOLY war based COMPLETELY on RELIGION and MONEY....the line is so blurred i don't even know which takes priority. so yeah, everyone keep on killin' each-other and the one with the most ammo($$) shall win.
ok end rant....again, i'm about to go to a funural for a soldier and i can't express this view to those present, nor can i on facebook, which is why i came here because it's the only place i have (thanks dan)....
my cousin was a gentle happy-go-lucky boy, and my government broke him down, rebuilt him into a trained killer, and sent him off to die FOR MONEY AND GOD.....it was his choice (or was it, his father was air force, his brother was army, his grandfather was air force yadda yadda yadda)....i just wonder what he could have been. i'd bet it would be more than what he was.
i'm sorry y'all, i'm cryin' as i type this...and i hate to use this wonderful recording forum for such a rant, but like i said, i dare not express this to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers, this is the only place i can say it. (again thanks Db)
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Oct 04, 2010 05:10 am it's kinda funny, we completely dismantled Afghanistan in the hunt for Bin Laden (sp?) and now EVEN THOUGH we KNOW he's not there, we're still gotta pick up our mess and clean up. least we're good guests. next up.... Korea, Valenzuela, Cuba, and anyone else who has beef with us....yay america. NKOTB that should be our slogan, New Kids On The Block.....as a nation, that's what we are. and we all know how well they worked out long term...
on a personal note, i can't wait to see this country collapse under it's own greed....we deserve it, we (USA) are the historical equivalent of a raging bulletproof ideological teenager (wait, that's me) on the world map....and i personally believe it's time we get put in our place.....SMACK, dumb country, now chew your beans.
Oct 04, 2010 05:16 am AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! then i just got hit with a video advertizement! noooooooooooooooooo, not sure if my browser caused it, or the site or firefox in general..yay capitalism!
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Oct 04, 2010 06:58 am Hey WYD,
I can see where youre coming from i really can.
At the end of the day though, i would think the medals to him would mean little, and the actually "doing" what he did defined him as a soldier and a civilian and made him proud of "himself" medals or not.
But on the other hand, to just punch em out and throw em out there like its anyone's business shows the coldness, shallowness and ignorance of the Powers that be.
I watched a thing on 60 minutes, last night actually, about a similar thing. I was kinda shocked to hear how the PH's
were handed out.
Now i dont want to sound harsh here but, i always thought the PH was for heroic acts for over and beyond expected and not everyone had one.
Im not gonna get into what they were giving them for, but lets just say alot of soldiers were getting them, some seemingly often.
So 3 or 4 PH's a person. Doesnt sound right to me.
It would really take the shine off them.
I think political correctness has made it this way
Again this has nothing to do with who deserves what, please dont take it that way.
.
I really feel for ya WYD, drink up, drown the sorrows, get better.
I think its more than appropriate for you to vent here. I will always listen.
whether you want it or not though, The USA wil never go down IMO, and im an Aussie.
Come over here man, take a load off, have a beer, maybe set up shop.
Oct 04, 2010 07:37 am I think the medals, in many cases are more for the pain of the family than to reward the soldier. I mean, what can they do? This family gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country...formally, there isn't much they can do but give a little medal or some such thing to let them feel some sort of validation of the worthiness of the sacrifice.
As sad as it is, every soldier goes into this job knowing the loss of their life is a possibility, that is what soldiers do, they fight...it's their purpose and what they are trained for, God bless them.
The medal is a simple act of appreciation and validation as I see it...can't say as though I know though.
That said, considering your grief, I won't respond much to you comment about not being able to wait to see the country in which you live collapse...that angers me to no end...there are good and bad everywhere.
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Oct 04, 2010 08:19 am The world would be a very different place if the US didnt do what they have done over the years.
Very different, and not in a good way.
For everyone.
Oct 04, 2010 08:28 am I'm with Dematrix, people see the US as a bully...but damn, if we hadn't stepped in a few times, things would be WAY worse in some places...and the "greed" isn't always bad, capitalism and free market is a good thing, it does create a few "Gordon Geeko's" along the way, but it's also the motivation to achieve, innovate and create...the motivation of a little individual success.
The typical alternative, those being varying degrees of redistributionism...socialism, marxism, communism, etc have the same type of problem on the lower end of the social ladder...the more you give people that they haven't worked for or earned, the greater percentage of those people that will do less...
The more and more that the world has been moving toward entitlement and redistributionist programs the less and less productivity they are getting out of people.
Capitalism may create greed on the top end, but redistributionism creates complacency and laziness on the lower end, and, less motivation from the top end since the more they do, the more that simply get redistributed.
The greatest overall good, as I see it, is a system that motivates the opportunity for individual success.
ValidTreyMember
Since: Aug 11, 2007
Oct 04, 2010 11:07 am I'm sorry, the view that the US is a bully just angers me... My brother died in Iraq. I didn't agree with that war, but Afghanistan, yes, it was justified. They attacked us.
People that live here are so quick to bad mouth this country... WHY DON'T YOU GO OUT AND FIGHT A LITTLE WITH A SOLDIER.
This world is a BETTER place because of the US. WE stormed the beaches at Normandy, saved Europe from economic ruin with the Marshall plan, invented the Internet, uprooted tyrants, and give foreign aid away like it was candy. We're evil though...
Yeah, it's real cool to run down the US. You become an instant radical and feel intellectually enlightened to boot– patriotism is an uncritical, reflexive act, right?– only a deep thinker would hate his country (yet stay on to enjoy its privileges). Figures...
(my post isn't really directed at anyone here.)
Oct 04, 2010 11:09 am I want to develop a "like" button just for the above post.
HuePinnipedal Czar (: 3= Member
Since: Apr 11, 2004
Oct 04, 2010 11:52 am My heart goes out to you, and his family. There's no justification/rationalization that can come close to anything that may fill the gap made by the loss of a loved one. The honors bestowed on him for his war-time endeavors do not wholly define him, and nobody knows that more than the people who knew/loved him. While his death may be the result of him being a soldier, doing the work of our country,(whatever that may entail at the time) his life, I'm sure, was much more than any medals, letters, uniforms, etc... could possibly depict with any thoroughness. They are not a trade-off for a life, they are an acknowledgement of some of his deeds, and nothing more. The fact that they have a more resounding affect now is to be expected under the circumstances. Soldiers, and others that lend themselves to a 'higher cause', are not defined by the cause, nor the honors they achieve while serving that cause, but the fact they have the strength to quite-litterally 'give their all', surely says a lot about how much they value their life, as well as those whom they love.
I'm glad you can vent here, and call us family... take care of yourself, and don't over-do the drinking bud.
~Hue
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Oct 05, 2010 08:06 pm Wyd, I'm truly sorry to hear about your cousin. That is really awful. A life gone too young.
I will not give my full views on the situation because I'm sure I will offend countless people. However, I do want to say that America has done a lot of good in the world, and it has done a lot of bad in the world. To ignore either reality and only focus on the other is very short sighted.
Oct 06, 2010 08:05 am Well stated coolo, I agree, I have come to the realization that all I can do is do what I do, live a good life, be charitable, raise good members of society, and live by my own conscience...in the end, that is all I truly have control over and all I can be held responsible for.
I am truly glad WYD feels he can vent here, and we can discuss openly and honestly without offense.
Open up coolo :-) I'll likely disagree, but I'll disagree with respect.
GeoffSM7b the Chuck Noris of Mic'sContributor
Since: Jun 20, 2002
Oct 06, 2010 10:30 am WYD, sorry for you loss man. I am , I've lost a few friends and people i consider family . Hue , well said . Coolo nicely put . I as well feel this a home to vent, rant, express joy and everything else . As far as the medals and badges go , i don't want to be this guy but; National Defense Service Medal (during war time one receives this after basic training); Iraq Campaign Medal(you get this after 90 days in Iraq ); Global War on Terrorism Service Medal( soldiers serving more than 30 days on active duty after 911 and after basic training); Combat Action Badge(awarded to soldiers after 911 serving in a combat zone with hostile fire ; actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy )and Air Assault Badge (awarded after completing air assauult school.) Many souldiers are awarded medals afterwards (they have to clear many channels) like comendation army cross ect. This was in no way to put down or bash just to inform.
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Oct 06, 2010 12:08 pm Db, I love a good discussion and don't mind offending people, but I feel that this particular thread is not the time or place considering WYD just lost a family member.... and that realization is more important than my silly views
Oct 06, 2010 12:09 pm Very admirable, I have held back for the very same reason, respect for the grieving process.
Be well.
ValidTreyMember
Since: Aug 11, 2007
Oct 07, 2010 02:15 pm [America has done a lot of good in the world, and it has done a lot of bad in the world. To ignore either reality and only focus on the other is very short sighted.]
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Honestly, read history. EVERY country that has ever existed with enough power to do so, has done "bad" things. To pretend that america is any different/more "evil" in that respect is imo, what is truly short sighted.
It's the nature of the world and Man. Man is imperfect. If that is true, how in the name of God can you expect an entire country be perfect over the course of it's existence? The truth still stands. The world is a BETTER place because of this country.
If you think America is so bad, please, compare us to the USSR. How about Nazi Germany? WE brought the world to safety when we ended these countries. And when Germany fell. WE AIDED THEM IN REBUILDING. -> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan
To quote a great man:
"If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth. And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except to sovereign people, is still the newest and most unique idea in all the long history of man's relation to man."
The United States of America was founded on the most beautiful ideas that man has ever crafted. And today, for the most part, we still exist and live based on those ideas.
Don't tread on me. And don't bash my country. I love this land.
WYD, your cousin gave his life for this country. Regardless of how, or why the government sent the medals, you know that he DESERVED them. Be proud of that fact. I salute him; I salute your family; I salute you.
Oct 07, 2010 04:37 pm thanks all, yeah emotions were/are running hot and yeah i just needed a place to vent (negatively) and felt facebook or the family gathering would be insensitive....today is the viewing (open casket surprizingly since he died in an explosion a week ago) , and tomorrow is the funeral...his older brother (air-force/army ranger) escorted the body home. the commander of NORAD along with 3 two star and one 4 star general along with a plethora of high ranking officials were there to greet them commin' home. it was nice, and what seemed like the entire base (along with news crews) lined both sides of the road shoulder to shoulder and saluted from the tarmac to the base entrance on our way to the funeral home....all this military official type stuff just amplifies everything so much. i really hope what i heard is true about them not sending the last male of the family overseas and therefore keeping my other cousin home (and effectively ruining his career aspirations....he cant wait to be re-deployed to get revenge, but i feel this will cloud his ability to perform 100%.
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Oct 07, 2010 09:27 pm I would wanna do the same thing.
Good luck to him.
My cousin also died a few years back WYD.
