Happy Veterans Day

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rwedgee

Ice climber
CA
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 11, 2016 - 02:16pm PT

Thank you for your sacrifice
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Nov 11, 2016 - 02:30pm PT
With my retired Army Ranger friend Rich.








EdwardT

Trad climber
Retired
Nov 11, 2018 - 08:32am PT
I am fortunate to have lived in the best time in history. Lucky enough to have grown up when there wasn't mandatory military service.

Thank you to all who served. Especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. I am in your debt.

Happy Veterans Day - 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I

[Click to View YouTube Video]
Chaz

Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
Nov 11, 2018 - 08:47am PT
Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
Nov 11, 2018 - 08:47am PT
I miss my grandfather so much. He served in the 10th mountain division. Silver Star and Purple Heart. He was and still is an inspiration to me. Tony Hyde was the man! He took me sailing in the carribean, skiing in the alps, dropped me off at a halfpipe to skateboard, paid me to take time off from high school to travel solo, and was as much of a dad as my actual dad, who is amazing as well. I love him so much.
Jim Clipper

climber
Nov 11, 2018 - 09:09am PT
I was young, I was telling a veteran I'm a pacifist. He replied you're only a pacifist until someone does something to you. There has always been war. When is there less. We will go to war again, even after these one ends. How will we carry ourselves, each other, to get back, to end conflict. At least, welcome home.

Grandfather fireman on battleship in WWII, Uncle infantry Korea, Uncle A6 Vietnam.

Uncle who enlisted during Bay of Pigs...
His dad (WWII), said looks like were going to war, better to enlist than be drafted. Uncle enlisted, then went AWOL in Hawaii, got arrested in Texas. Said he did some things for a priest, altar boy training paid off. Priest got him back in without too much of a problem.

Back to his post, he took care of the plumbing on a hospital ship. Said his commander was gung ho. Made an effort to get involved, and put ordinance on shore. Uncle said people came of the ship wearing commensurate ribbons. He said he never did, never did anything.

Distant uncle infantry WWII, distinguished service cross. Seem to have lost on both sides in that one.

I never heard the stories, until maybe I needed to be told. Remembering service, welcome home.
WBraun

climber
Nov 11, 2018 - 09:13am PT
I'm a pacifist

If you're a meat eater especially cow you're a hypocrite ......
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
Nov 11, 2018 - 09:22am PT
To all who served and gave

Thank You.

A parents hopes and dreams
The Service Star I was told it means:
One of Ours is in Active Duty service
God grant you full cover







interestingly, I was hoping this was a bridge building moment?
as far from his positions, on most everything, -as I usually am -
In this one instance (as well in musical taste)
I am with the Edward T on this score;
I don't play the lottery considering that, having just missed the draft,
I already won



"PS": It is all our great loss that
(Speaking of) a long banned but still lurking low life psychopath.
Who's "back-channel" vile-worded, threats... have so soured the Super Topo experience for many
including both "Survival", & "Nature"; to the point to which, they no longer post . . . (Happpiegirls bane too.)

To be more Clear, The "PS" is Not directed at Edward T.
Sir, Please Lets Not continue to dig the divide any deeper than it already is.

WyoRockMan

climber
Grizzlyville, WY
Nov 11, 2018 - 09:26am PT
My friend and Navy vet wrote this a few years ago, good nugget of history and some wisdom thrown in.


We celebrate Veterans Day today. I should go out to the golf course, because they would let me golf for free, but I'd rather tell you about why today is the day that we salute people who have served in the armed forces.

Formerly known as, "Armistice Day", it was originally a day to celebrate the soldiers who fought in what was sold to the public as, "The war to end all wars.", unfortunately however it was followed by WWII, The Korean War, Vietnam, and so on, and so on and so on.

In the end "The Armistice" ended up being at best a Faustian bargain, and we desperately needed something else to be inclusive. So today we celebrate, "Veterans Day"

Most of us know that "The Armistice" was signed on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month", but few of us know why, and as you go to the parades, and randomly thank veterans for their service today keep this in mind, it was all for pomp and circumstance. The generals, and secretaries of states, and prime ministers, and presidents, and secretaries of war, who hammered out the deal got it done nearly 12 hours before the famous moment of signature (some accounts have it happening in the early morning hours). On the 23rd hour of the tenth day, of the eleventh month of the eighteenth year of our lord, but that didn't have as nice a ring to it, as the whole eleventh hour thing. So the war raged on needlessly for nearly half another day. Officially over 10,000 men were killed, wounded or went missing on 11/11/18. Our own American troops took the worst of it, with over 3,000 casualties. Mostly due to General Pershing's order to send troops to cross the River Meuse, because he believed that we needed to, as he himself put it, "Teach the German's a lesson."

General Pershing knew the Armistice had been agreed to, but still sent thousands of American's needlessly to their deaths.

The last soldier to die in WWI, was American Private Henry Gunter, whose death occurred at 10:59 am, after being ordered to take a German machine gun nest. The Germans reportedly tried to stop the attack because everyone knew they were literally minutes away from peace, they pleaded with him in broken english, but when these attempts failed, the Germans opened fire, killing Private Gunter, whose divisional record describes his death this way: “Almost as he fell, the gunfire died away and an appalling silence prevailed.”

Don't get me wrong. I am not suggesting we boycott parades, and barbecues, but if you really want to "thank" a veteran, take actual action. Take some time today, to learn about our foreign policy, and when the next war is on the horizon, make sure you know whats actually going on, instead of just blindly following patriotic sentiment. If you actually give a damn about those that have served, write your senator, and congress person, write them a hand written letter because they read those, and tell them to support the VA, and other veterans programs. Make a promise to be a better informed citizen because death lingers too, in the fog of pomp and circumstance, and a parade of uninformed citizens kills soldiers too just like bombs and howitzers.

The powers that be will use the good intentions, and all the honor of our troops for fodder, and it is your patriotic duty, to not let them get away with that. So today enjoy the parades, and if it's warm enough where you are, grill a hot dog or two, but be sure to tip back a drink, for private Gunter, because he died for today, as much as anyone did.
-J Pheley
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Nov 11, 2018 - 09:55am PT
Gnome, EdwardT’s first post was entirely appropriate. Yours was not.
Why don’t you man up and delete it?
Robb

Social climber
Cat Box
Nov 11, 2018 - 09:56am PT
We are all very blessed today to have had them then.
Edit: No, not the Yorkies, they didn't serve :)
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Nov 11, 2018 - 10:00am PT
The rubber meets the pavement when someone serves their country in the armed forces....congrats to all who made the commitment!
Jim Clipper

climber
Nov 11, 2018 - 10:12am PT
f you're a meat eater especially cow you're a hypocrite ......

I we ever meet, I hope to give you a piece of ahimsa!!!... But really, I'm human, probably could use some practice being one.

FWIW, in a way I believe in karma. I believe the ancients may have had an understanding of thermodynamics. The true cost of meat to myself, the environment, or others. Learning to live together? (Western diets tend to blow us up?!). I'd like to see you and Ed talk about it. Let me pour tea if invited.

Turning the other cheek?... Again I'm not practiced. I don't live on one grain of rice. We could all be a Lama, all be Tibet? Still, when I ever thought that way, my uncle, seemed to quickly root me in reality. I'll take hypocrite, seriously. If nothing else because I know it comes from a view of a different path.


Destruction for ahimsa? Rice makes me smile. I can boil water! Need some blue... Ha!

edit: it may be foolish, but at my best, I hope I would slog the valleys for your principles. Probably more so that those close to me might keep the higher ground.
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Nov 11, 2018 - 11:52am PT
A hundred years since the armistice.

We've learned little.

How long will we be in Afghanistan?
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Nov 11, 2018 - 03:20pm PT
WyoRockMan, TFPU your buddy's thoughts.

I had a short service record, nothing to write home about...I visited home most every weekend I had a chance in Service Schools at Treasure Island.

I served on the good ship Neversail and am happy I enlisted.

What I like about this day is the getting together of the elders and the very young. There is a true sense of community here in this small burg that I appreciate.

This afternoon's parade was extremely enjoyable. I got to meet and thank many-many who served and hear some stories about their experiences.

neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Nov 11, 2018 - 03:26pm PT
hey there say, all... thank you all for sharing...

and for sharing your family photos, too...
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Nov 11, 2018 - 05:01pm PT
The Rat BITD
Younger, thinner, more hair on my head
Jim Clipper

climber
Nov 11, 2018 - 05:29pm PT
SLR? Flanagan? Small world, but probably not that small. I worked in the same clinic as a dentist who served on the deck of the Hamilton and the Oriskny. He said they were there for the Phantoms though.
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Nov 11, 2018 - 05:38pm PT
SLR? Flanagan?
Nope

I worked in the same clinic as a dentist who served on the deck of the Hamilton and the Oriskny. He said they were there for the Phantoms though.
I wanted to fly Phantoms (BAD!!!), but they were phased out just as I started flight school. We had a Phantom outside of our barracks that gave me a raging hard-on every day. I ended up flying the EA-6B Prowler.
Jim Clipper

climber
Nov 11, 2018 - 05:52pm PT
My uncle was a co-pilot on A6's. A swimmer,a graduate of Colgate. He came home, lived on an island, raised 2 kids while trying to only use things from his immediate surroundings. Kept a garden, fruit trees, and some bees too.

He likes to fish. My brother recently bought a boat is picking it up. I worked on a ship, nothing serious, but some cold water. I went out with my brother for the first time, and we argued. I came home and bought him a radio. My uncle said it was good to see that he had something to put in his hands.

My brother said my uncle only goes out about a mile anymore. I thought, I bet that is about how far he figures he could swim.


edit: Bring back the draft. The draft, or public service for everyone. Choose one, make exceptions unreasonably difficult. As much as I disagreed with McCain, I respected him. About as much as I was disappointed by the success of the swift boat campaign (especially considering who it supported.)
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