Sybil Ludington Rides Again

Politics, Freedom and Farm Life

Tag: Veterans

War Horses

My one week late tardy column. Believe me when I say I’m sorry it’s late, but the cause was a very worthy one, and I so much wanted to be able to tell you how my event went. Probably the toughest course I’ve done (not that I’ve done all that many) but it was pert near chilly and quite windy. Yet I turned in my very best time. This race was the closest one to my heart I’ve ever done. I really wanted to give it my very best, not for me, not for time. For THEM, for those that suited up, showed up and served. For them this time I walked.

Read the rest at TZP, and when you get to the final little graphic, click on it, you need to make it bigger to work 😉

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For Those Who Served

I never served in the armed forces. My Dad did, he was in the Navy, as was Uncle Jerry.  I considered joining the Navy once when I got a recruiting letter from them. Life wasn’t going great at the time. I was living on my own, doing ok financially, had a great dog, but beyond that not so much.  I talked to my Dad about joining the Navy, it would have been in a medical capcity since that’s what my training was. Dad was really, really, really against it. “Dad, it’s only for four years, it could be a really good thing for me, look at this letter!”  Dad: “Um, what are you going to do with Smokey?” Me: “Well, can’t you keep her for four years? ” Dad: “No, she’d probably die before that. You wanted to get her, you got her. You took on that responsibility.” Looking back I can’t believe I ever even considered abandoning my “fur child”. Which gives you a clue how bad things were.  In retrospect, maybe Dad just knew how really lousy I am at taking senseless orders. Stuff that makes sense? Or things I can clarify if I don’t understand? Ok, I can work with that.  Senseless BS, not so much. One of my friends said one time I had the lowest BS tolerance of anyone she had ever met. I said “thank you”. I thought she meant it as a compliment. I mean, how else could you take it?

As I think about the men and women who have served our country in uniform, I am in awe and gratitude. They put their personal lives on hold, and in danger to serve for a period of time. Some make careers of it, I respect and admire them. I am such a “rut” or “routine” person. I can’t imagine being told “you’re moving to_____________”. Or many of the other sacrifices they make. And this is before you consider the obama VA scandal. It IS a scandal that these men and women that suited up and showed up when our country asked them are handed over to waiting lists to be on waiting lists and those that did this suffer no consequences because the titular “Commander in Chief” doesn’t like the military and does pretty much everything he can to destroy their morale and the military itself. It’s almost as shameful to the “welcome” the warriors came home to from the Viet Nam war. As I understand it, we never “lost” the war on the battlefield, we lost it because of politicians. People like the vile liar John Kerry should be spat upon, not made Secretary of State.  I was a young girl when Viet Nam ended. I was one of those that wore one of the POW bracelets. Mine was Captain James Elzinga I believe, though the bracelet is long gone now.  I kept it for many years, praying for him each night. How those warriors were treated when they came home, I think was the result of media manipulation. How the heck did people buy into it? To treat soliders that way?

When there was a draft? People were jerked out of their lives and thrust into the hell known as war. I don’t care if the war was “justified” or not. I really don’t. The people in our military have showed up, suited up and fought. They didn’t ask, well is this ok? Will it increase the carbon footprint? What about the forest? Will Hollyweird make a movie? No, they did what they were sent to do, more effectively before barry changed the rules of engagment to favor the enemy though.

I don’t like wars, I don’t want wars. But some things ARE worth fighting for.

Nothing is free. Freedom isn’t free, and the cost to the lives of those serving in the armed forces wasn’t free either.  I was told by a wise man, soldiers don’t fight because of what’s in front of them, they fight for what’s behind them. Meaning hearth & home, families and a way of life.

I know that there is much I do not understand about the military, I know that I don’t have great insight into what it was to be in the military, nor what it is to be the spouse of someone serving in the military. I can only speculate, talk to people and read to try to understand. I do those things when I get the chance.  I’m sure there will be wars until Jesus returns, but I would really like to see the preventable ones, like the current brewing un-civil war in Ferguson, prevented. I think this can be doing by partly being informed, and just have some morals! Don’t vote for someone who obviously hates the country he wants to “rule” cause he’s going to give you a free phone and free “stuff”.

So, today is the 8th of November. I have some things for you.

This link was posted by one of my team mates, the incredible Nicki Kenyon on the cost of war in the lives of some of the Marines after they came home. They paid a fiercesome price for US.

http://m.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2014/1107/Fallujah-anniversary-Tracking-down-the-US-Marine-Death-Dealers

Know your enemy, know how situations arise. A post from The Zelman Partisans.

http://zelmanpartisans.com/?p=303

And last, a very moving, powerful video from Big & Rich called “The 8th of November”.

 

Do NOT let the sacrifices made by brave men and women to buy our freedom go in vain. Protect and guard it, fiercely, the same way they fought for it.

 

תן חופש צלצול
Tnoo la chofesh le tzaltzel
Let Freedom Ring!

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