my thoughts on the draft and the war concept

[Silverluna]

I have relatives, friends, loves, ect who will be called...they are about 19-18 years old. It is my belief that if/when they will be called it will be a dark day for many of them...

But I still enforce Bush's actions on the Iraq conflict...

discuss and share insight if any....

 

[Guest]

etc.

 

[Guest]

 

[modest mouse]

Ahh, there will not be a draft. Relax.

 

[Silverluna]

How do you know? Is there a magic 8 ball with the answers?

 

[modest mouse]

use soem common sense. There are significant numbers of national guardsmen and reservists who have yet to be called up. Bush has power from Congress to call up to ONE MILLION troops from reserves anytime before Fall of this year.

Trust me, there will be no draft.

 

[Gil_Favor]

How do you know? Is there a magic 8 ball with the answers?

There is no draft ot the moment, Congress would have to authorize reinstatement of a draft. All males have to register with Selective Service on their 18th birthday.

 

[ronde]

One of the darkest days of my life was August 5, 1970. I called my wife from Chicago and told her I had passed my draft physical, and was on my way to Ft. Dix, New Jersey. The Vietnam war was raging, and both of us were scared to death.

By the time I completed all my training, Vietnam was beginning to down, and I spent my overseas duty in Korea. Others who were drafted into military service in those days were not so fortunate. Some came home with visible wounds, and some came home with wounds that could not be seen, but were more difficult to heal. Some did not make it back home.

If you talk to any one of us draftees, you will hear that we did not enjoy having our lives interrupted, did not enjoy some of the things we were called upon to do, and wish the need for our service had not been present. You will also hear that we are proud of the ideals we represented, proud of our brothers in arms wherever they served, and proud that we did our best.

There will always be controversy over the decisions of our government and the motivations for those decisions. We should be happy that we have the right to question these decisions. Most of the countries where our military is present do not favor their citizens such rights.

The price for that right is dear and is paid in the currency of life. Some pay the price with their sweat, blood, hearts, and lives. Some pay the price by actively working to change the decisions. Some pay the price in anxious waiting and some pay with the tears of mourning.

However the price is paid, it must be paid. I salute all those who have paid over the decades of our contry's existence. I mourn and hold reverent those who paid with all they had. Those who run away, or sit on the side and do nothing but complain are not deserving of the rights won and maintained by those who went before them.

 

[Silverluna]

One of the darkest days of my life was August 5, 1970. I called my wife from Chicago and told her I had passed my draft physical, and was on my way to Ft. Dix, New Jersey. The Vietnam war was raging, and both of us were scared to death.

By the time I completed all my training, Vietnam was beginning to down, and I spent my overseas duty in Korea. Others who were drafted into military service in those days were not so fortunate. Some came home with visible wounds, and some came home with wounds that could not be seen, but were more difficult to heal. Some did not make it back home.

If you talk to any one of us draftees, you will hear that we did not enjoy having our lives interrupted, did not enjoy some of the things we were called upon to do, and wish the need for our service had not been present. You will also hear that we are proud of the ideals we represented, proud of our brothers in arms wherever they served, and proud that we did our best.

There will always be controversy over the decisions of our government and the motivations for those decisions. We should be happy that we have the right to question these decisions. Most of the countries where our military is present do not favor their citizens such rights.

The price for that right is dear and is paid in the currency of life. Some pay the price with their sweat, blood, hearts, and lives. Some pay the price by actively working to change the decisions. Some pay the price in anxious waiting and some pay with the tears of mourning.

However the price is paid, it must be paid. I salute all those who have paid over the decades of our contry's existence. I mourn and hold reverent those who paid with all they had. Those who run away, or sit on the side and do nothing but complain are not deserving of the rights won and maintained by those who went before them.

Thank you for protecting us...(us=All americans then and now)

 

[Problem Child]

ronde, that was a great post. Thanks.


Goodnight Saigon


We met as soul mates
On Parris Island
We left as inmates
From an asylum
And we were sharp
As sharp as knives
And we were so gung ho
To lay down our lives

We came in spastic
Like tameless horses
We left in plastic
As numbered corpses
And we learned fast
To travel light
Our arms were heavy
But our bellies were tight

We had no home front
We had no soft soap
They sent us Playboy
They gave us Bob Hope
We dug in deep
And shot on sight
And prayed to Jesus Christ
With all of our might

We had no cameras
To shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe
And played our Doors tapes
And it was dark
So dark at night
And we held on to each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers we'd write
And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

Remember Charlie
Remember Baker
They left their childhood
On every acre
And who was wrong?
And who was right?
It didn't matter in the thick of the fight

We held the day
In the palm
Of our hand
They ruled the night
And the night
Seemed to last as long as six weeks
On Parris Island

We held the coastline
They held the highlands
And they were sharp
As sharp as knives
They heard the hum of our motors
They counted the rotors
And waited for us to arrive
And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together