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True heroes by josephfromabove at 8/23/2012 9:27:12 PM My Father was WWII vet, he hit the beach at Normandy, and went all the way to the battle of Ardennes Forrest also known as the battle of the bulge. He was a private when he hit the beach, but by the time he got to Ardennes Forrest he was a staff sarge at 19 years old field commissioned. He was captured there, and started the action that lead to an escape, and won a silver star for it. I will not mention the gruesome things the SS officer did to 30 of his men while they were naked in the snow to agitate my father into action. Now here is the point, he never talked about his service, or bragged about the medal. I had to pry it out of him about what happened. We went to see the movie Patton together, and he said to me solemnly. that is not the way it was. He saw Patton ride by in his open command car, he was there he knew. I have been around Ft. Bragg most of my life, and heard many a soldier talk, and the true heroes do not brag, the cowards brag as if they had did what someone else had done, and usually the ones who are dishonorably discharged puff up the most. My Father also grenaded a Tiger tank caught in a Alley way in France, when the commander opened the hatch because they couldn't swing the turrent. I was proud of him, but he sat down one night, and told me what he did to the SS officer, and how he kept his jewels as souvenirs, I have his pearl handled luger and map case to prove it. He sat there, and cried as he took a gasoline torch, an old plumber's torch and melted the silver star, and said I got a medal for going crazy. By doing what he did to the SS officer he was not any better than what he did. Of course I didn't see it that way. But true heroes even the ones I've met from Viet Nam, DO NOT BRAG at all. So when you ladies fall all over these guys that say there were in the service, and how well they did, consider this, he is probably dishonorably discharged, and a liar. They just put one in the Federal prison for getting paid to give speeches, that was supposed to be a retired colonel decorated in Viet Nam, and the liar was never IN.

Comments
swifteagle	8/23/2012 9:41:15 PM There is no glory in war. Those who crave to hear the stories are sick minded folk and those who tell them even sicker. End of story.
insidemyheart	8/23/2012 9:45:44 PM All men who have served, God bless you and thank you.
usoolioness	8/24/2012 3:54:21 AM My ex served in all the wars. Viet nam Gulf Coast,and the last one. Retired at 66 yrs old. Captain of Special Forces. Shot twice and saved over 300 men. When given the metal he refused it! Cause was- for the men who died for are counrty I give it to all of them... Never talks about it! Lex
rockinmarine	8/24/2012 6:20:24 AM Every body is different Joseph and thankfully they are. I get a certain amount into my account from VA as I am 50% disabled. But I enlisted so I'm wondering why you never served Joseph if your father was in. Sad he never shared that story as my uncle who was a marine fighter ace and I have pictures of in his plane-corsair. Maybe you could think of more positive things to do Joseph like running firewood to other disabled vets like I do. Or fixing chairs free - positive things Joseph seeing you never served - peace to you
lkavour92	8/24/2012 7:47:13 AM How interesting that you would post on this subject. In one of our old boxes that we bought I found a huge tome "yankee Nomad, a Photgraphic Journey, by David Douglas Duncan, a photgrapher and someone I have never heard of. A fabulous book of pictures from every event war, regime, and mllst lands in the 20th century. This man seems to have been everywhere, known everyone, and photographed most of the history going on in his lifetime. He was a marine, and faced some horrendous situations but the book is overwhelming in its scope. along with the photos are letters, cable, personal memntos and prose decribing his journey. Ihave not even begun to read thru but I will, I am sure I will come away with a great education of 20th century history...
sallybelle494	8/24/2012 8:17:18 AM My father in law served and we knew that but he never discussed. When he died at 88 taps was played and it so touched our hearts,a foot marker was a gift from the army and a small fee for buriel. So many gave so much and expected so little. I was proud to be his daughter-in-law because he was a good man not defined by his time in service to our country although I am thankful for those who serve and know we are blessed to live in a country that has such a legacy of great men.
josephfromabove	8/24/2012 8:24:41 AM Harry I served through my Father's torment he was a drill instructor after he got back, and raised me in that fashion.He smoked and drank himself to death at 47, I was 17, that is why I never joined. I may have never served, and was never dishonorably discharged neither, can you say the same? Swifteagle As a child I was curious about it because of the glory shows on TV like Combat, and comedies like McHales Navy. Once I learned the truth, the curiousity went away, kind of like old soldiers never die they just fade away. There are always those who want to profit from war by selling their wares, souvenirs, and photos, that is inevitable as the greed that perpetuates it. I salute everyone who has served I am proud to be born in the USA, and sad that Reagan signed away our sovereignty in the 80's which all those men had died for because it allows America to be America, and not cut up, divided and sold to foreign countries as it is today. I always fly the flag on Memorial day, D-day and 4th of July. I also beleive that Americans will protest and vote back in our sovereignity before it is too late, but how can they when the press does not publicize the truth, and the USA becomes history as the police force of the world, and not an industrial giant it was. My flag was made in the USA is yours? All of my equipment and vehicles are made in the USA.
josephfromabove	8/24/2012 8:40:49 AM Wonderful of you to comment sallybelle, this country was blessed till Reagan, and the Bushes sold it to the foreign countries to fill there own desires, and allow industrial magnates to vacate the USA and get labor elsewhere.But the popular concept is all is one world, so why not let the world own the USA
sallybelle494	8/24/2012 8:58:35 AM I agree Joseph but we did nothing while our country was given away and sold. We slept while the piper led her away and we have to claim part of the blame. I fear she has played the harlot and God has forsaken her but just as God loves us no matter what we have been,I love our America and will defend her with my lips until I die.
josephfromabove	8/24/2012 2:42:12 PM I will defend her, but I will not lie to do it, or hide what has actually been going on like the news agencies. But fact is fact Reagan signed the bill that stopped our sovereignty and allowed foreigners to buy into the USA without becoming citizens and paying taxes here. So much for his trickle down economics, He trickled down everything, jobs, tax base to pay entitlements all of it. Now the Patriot Act has the hands of the common voter tied if you complain too much you are labeled subversive, because you do not follow the way things are, instead of should be.
cozytimes	9/3/2012 5:51:06 PM Reagan signed the bill that stopped our sovereignty and allowed foreigners to buy into the USA I did not know Reagan did that. I was attending college in 06. When I learned that China owned a lot of our mineral rights and land. Did you know that some of our great national parks are for sale?