Support the Troops

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I received the following link from Walt and Paula (locomut & Cherokee Women)recently. It is a good link to check out.

Many of you know that I whole-heartedly support the troop. Each service serves an important role in helping to keep our country, and other countries, safe.

Our British and Canadians friends, many times, serve right along with our own troops. I am very thankful for their support in helping keep the world a better place to live. It takes everyone working together to keep the world a safe place.

Let us not forget their sacrifices. Remember our troops, and the nations who support our troops. Remember the British and Canadians serving their country and working with our nation for freedom.

GOD BLESS THE TROOPS

GOD BLESS THE TROOPS PROTECTING FREEDOM AROUND THE WORLD.

My sound is out, so I don’t know if there is audio to the presentation or not. Please watch the presentation and remember the troops. It may take a few minutes to download, but it is worth it.

http://www.pressaprint.com/som/WeSupportU2.htm

2

Jim, I don’t know how old you are but , by god, I wish you were in congress. I have no idea why such a great country such as ours gets saddled with the kind of clowns we do. Why is it that people who have never heard a shot fired in anger get to be President and get to put others in harms way. I wish we could pass a law that ‘If you would lead, Then first you must serve’. Then maybe we would not get into a stupid war like Iraq because somebody tried to kill the President’s father.

3

You can’t support the troops unless you support the mission.

4

Wow Jim, AWESOME link.

I’m always impressed by the patriotism and pride Americans show for their Country. In Canada we are more subdued. We are no less proud of our Country, but not always as vocal or expressive.

The link is doubly meaningful because along with the American casualties in Iraq this week, Canada lost another soldier in Afganistan.

Thanks for always having a positive attitude Jim.

Jeff

5

I am always saddened to hear of the loss of a soldier fighting for freedom. God keep his soul. God comfort his family and friends as only He can.

6

Thank you, Jim, very much for posting this one. I just found out in today’s paper that
I had lost a person (that I didn’t know), but I know his family quite well, who died in
Afghanistan.

I only wi***hat I were younger and able to be there.

locomutt

7

My friends dad is in the mideast.

USA Rules!!!

8

I have to say I don’t entirely agree with that. You don’t have to believe in or agree with the mission or war, but you can still support the troops. The troops are our sons and daughters, they don’t get to pick the fight or the events leading up to it.

A prime example of this would be George McGovern. I whole heartedly suggest you read Stephen Ambrose’s “Wild Blue” , writer of “Band of Brothers” among other great books. George McGovern was known primarily for his run against Nixon and trying to get the troops out of Vietnam. He was regarded as a dove and Anti-American by alot of people. In reality he was a B24 pilot in WWII…he saw the great pain and destruction that war brought about and didn’t want to have our boys dying for a cause that didn’t physically threaten the shores of the US. He supported the troops, not the mission.

Another example of this would be the thousands of spouses and children that watch their loved ones head out to go fight the Taliban or Saddam. Most of them could give a rats behind about the mission…they just want them home in one piece.

I don’t want you to think this is negative. I,as one of the troops, just personally don’t agree with that statement. I don’t want everyone to agree that the emperors new clothes are beautiful…sometimes supporting the troops means going against the grain.

I do support the troops, ours and our allies.

9

Of course I pray daily for the health and safety of USA and allied troops. I feel fortunate to have had the HONOR to serve in the US Army and to have had the LUCK to serve between Korea and Viet Nam under a great President EISENHOWER who managed to keep the country safe and at peace at the same time. True he started the ball rolling on the Interstate Highway System, but possibly today he would know that a strong America demands a strong railroad system and would do something CONSTRUCTIVE about it . Dave Klepper

10

I am not FOR war, but I support our president and our troops, the Allied troups, everyone who is over there trying their hardest to win freedom and democracy for ALL individuals in the world.

My brother served in the Viet Nam war at the end of it. He was in the Air Force, and was in Thailand. He will not talk about it at all. No one but him (and the ones over there with him) knows what they saw and had to live with over there.

I pray daily (sometimes all day long) for everyone over there: our guys and the coalition
troops. I pray that God will end the mess soon and send them all home to their loved ones!

11

My dad was a Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy for 33 years.
He saw duty in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

One of the things he stressed to us kids was the fact that the US Armed Services report to, and are commanded by a elected civilan President.

In fact, our constitution expressly forbids active military personal from holding the office, and for good reason.

The armed services are there to defend the population, and to follow and enforce the decisions of the civilans who lead our country.

They serve us, the John and Jane Does of America.

The framers of the constitution understood that having a serving military officer as president could lead to a military dictatorship, and they knew then, as we know now, what that can lead to.

Remember, its a goverment “of the people, for the people, by the people”

The constitution is full of safeguards, the president cant declare war, he, or she, must ask congress to do so.

That said, I stated in a post quite a while back that I doubted we would find any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

I stated that, in my opinion, the American people had been sold a false bill of goods, and we were going to war for the wrong reason.

Iraq didnt directly attack the Unites States, and going to war with them because they might be a future threat, or migh have aided some radical group was wrong.

I still feel that way today.

If we, as a nation, can justify waging war because of supposistions, mights and maybes, if we are willing to attack and kill because we deem them to be a future threat, because they might, later on, become a danger to us, then we, as a nation and a people, have become as base and low as those we proclaim our enemies.

Whats the difference between the Nazi blitzkrieg in Poland, and the colalition forces deployment in Iraq?

We blitzed a country that hadent directly attacked us, and did so with t

12

Dad uncles cousins and brothers all served in the military.support our troops always.
stay safe
Joe

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At first main reason we came to Iraq was to get Saddam. Finding the weapons was a secondary thing we did that turn into the primary reason.

Just wanted to remined people that we dfidn’t go to Iraq just to find the weapons.

USA rules!!!

14

Hear, Hear, Ed. You have stated my sentiments exactly.

And what’s more, we haven’t touched terrorism. If anything, we live in more fear than when we got started in this whole mess.

The politics of war is a complex thing. There are those who believe, though, that virtually every war we’ve been involved with in this century has been our own doing. William Randolph Hearst famously took credit for starting the Spanish-American War. It is thought by some that people on this side of the pond had sufficient knowledge to prevent, or at least minimize, the events that got us into WWI & II. Someone’s ideological hatred of “communism” (all of the folks we hated then were actually socialists) got us into Korea and Viet Nam. In 'Nam we were fighting a guy who was a staunch ally during WWII! We got out of 'Nam and thirty years later it’s a vacation destination. We still hate Castro, but I heard a contest announcement on a Canadian radio station for a honeymoon in Cuba.

We may never convince those in the Arab world that we are not the great devils - any more than you will convince any missionary today that anyone not a Christian is not a heathen. But trying to beat them into submission will only prove their belief and make them mad. Far better to let them do their thing and look for ways to win their trust. Right now we have a long ways to go to reach that goal.

As long as Party A believes they are entitled to what Party B has, there will be a problem. Note that that is different from Party A wanting what Party B has…

My opinion. Standard disclaimers apply.

15

Ok, so remind me why we went there?
Because if it wasnt to find and destroy the wepons of mass destruction, then it must have been because…?
Other than the WMDs, what did Saddam have that presented a threat to us?
Ok, I agree, that mustach was pretty ugly, but going to war over facial hair?

If we are now willing to wage war because we dont agree with a poitical system, or because some one might, at a future date, present a threat, then we might as well blow up France, Columbia, and Korea.

Our military should not be a political or economic tool, it should be a defensive force, to protect us from clear and present danger, not from murky, maybe threats made by despots, or possible future threats.

Was Saddam a evil man, who needed to be removed?
Sure, but so are many world leaders.
Is it now Americas job to decide who is, and isnt allowed to rule other countries?

We acted like a policeman who lies to get a search warrant, then kicks in the door, knowing full well what the warrant states is false, and then beats the stuffing out of the person behind the door, because the cop dosnt like them or their views.

If we are the worlds policemen, then we just screwed the pooch real bad.

So really, if we wernt looking for WMDs, then why did we do this?

And if having weapons of mass destruction qualifies you as a target for invaision by the worlds policemen, then France, England, Germany, Korea, China, and India better watch their backs.

We should just go ahead and nuke whats left of the Soviet Union, they have misplaced so much of this stuff they still dont know who has what.

Seriously, I am looking for the criteria that justifies being attacked by the United States of America.

Because the only real threat I ever saw from the Iraq goverment was about .03 cents at the pump.

Although, war is good for the economy, it does increase the GNP, and quite a lot of

16

Ed- If you won’t run for president can we at least get you your own radio or TV show? I mean it, you say what I and so many others feel and with great eloquence. More people need to hear the words you say. You tell it how it is, truthfully, and our society has worried so much about being politically correct that many of us have forgotten to be honest and forthcoming. I will vote again in November and hopefully so will most of the people my age.

Jim-A excellent find. Truly a great presentation that reminds us that bad drivers and cell phones are petty things compared to what those brave members of the Armed Forces are dealing with. Thank you so much.

Mike

17

None on this forum can say they are more supportive of the troops than me, I just happen to be the father of a few of these troops. Alright Saddam is a despot but was he a threat to us? Absolutely not. We had him contained by the no fly zones. Would he have allowed Bin Laden bases in Iraq? Again, absolutely not. Bin Laden’s mob are shiites, these were the people Saddam was keeping under his thumb. There is no way he would have allowed armed shiites in his country. This is a bad war that is getting good kids killed because Bush wanted revenge for the attempt on his father’s life.
I understand that our form of government puts our armed forces under a civilian President as Commander-inChief, but would it be so bad to demand that anyone running for that position should have in his resume, a tour with a full time part of our military so that they could know what a soldier, sailor or airman’s life is really like and think twice before commiting them in harms way. Remember, these boys and girls are volunteers, they weren’t dragged in with a draft. That is why so many National Guard units are being activated today to fill the manpower shortage. Not like the Vietnam war that was fought mainly by draftees and joining the National Guard was just another way of draft dodging.

18

Pop,
Couldnt agree with you more, an tour of duty is a great way to season a leader.
I note that most of the really good leaders have had military service under their belt.

More surprised that some how, GW hasnt gotten the NSA, or the CIA to produce a bunch of “throw down” WMDs.

And what scares me most is we, the people, seem to be quite content to let this go on, wether out of fear that 9/11 will happen again, (it will, more surprised it took so long the first time) or plain apathy.

Now, I am pretty much a conservative person, but from my perspective, before we go off being the worlds policeman, we ought to try being the worlds peacemakers first.

And, just to throw a monkey wrench into the mix, how much of the 87 billion dollars we are projected to pump into their economy is going to be spent taking care of the widow/widowers and children of the KIA American servicemen and women?

If we can scrape up 87 billion to rebuild Iraq, one would think we could pay our troops just a little better.

Stay Frosty,
Ed

19

Ok well Ed covered everyhting I wanted to say, And i won’t say a word more, because i’ll end up starting an argument.

Whoever said that You cant support the troops unless you support the mission… BULL!! I suport the troops 378%, But i do not support the mission, I havn’t from day one, And i’m sorry, but thats the way it is, No one ever sold me on Saddams WMD’s, If Hans Blix couldn’t have proved any weapons, BUSH or BLAIR sure could not have.

I REALLY appreciate Jim above reconizing the Canadian troops and the efforts they do, We might only be a small country (25.3 million) And for the history books, The last time the popultaion of the USA was 25 million was just before the Civil war broke out. I firmly believe that we are doing what we can.

God bless the troops.

20

Ed, you have put down on the previous posts just what the American people should be thinking about in this election year. If Afghanistan had been the main objective, I would have been wholeheartedly behind this President. After September 11, we needed to go after the bastards who initiated the attack and Afghanistan were where they were. This was right and proper but Iraq, this was personal for G.W. and not for the rest of us.
I would go after anyone who attacks this country but I resent losing any of my children in any action that is not in defense of our homeland.
Having said that, I also resent this damned Patriot Act that singles out good Americans of Arab descent for discrimination. The trouble is, I don’t know how we can go about it any differently.
What happened to the Jews under Hitler was an abomination, but why are the Palestinians the ones who are paying for it?
I wi***o God we had never got involved with the Middle East in the first place. Maybe I would still have my oldest boy.