Welcome Stop for Warriors
# Locals in Bangor, Maine, are on a mission to greet every military plane, at any time, in any weather. Their tally so far: 200,000 troops.

LA Times

April 20, 2005
Times Headlines

By Tony Perry, Times Staff Writer

BANGOR, Maine — Tired and bleary-eyed, Marines of the 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment, based at Twentynine Palms, Calif., were finally back on U.S. soil after seven months on the front lines in Iraq.

But they were still many miles and hours from their families and the homecoming they longed for. Their officers told them they would be on the ground for 60 to 90 minutes while their chartered plane was refueled.

So they disembarked and began walking through the airport terminal corridor to a small waiting room.

That's when they heard the applause.

Lining the hall and clapping were dozens of Bangor residents who have set a daunting task for themselves: They want every Marine, soldier, sailor and airman returning through the tiny international airport here to get a hero's welcome.

Even if the planes arrive in the middle of the night or a blizzard, they are there.

Composed mostly from the generation that served in World War II and Korea, they call themselves the Maine Troop Greeters. They have met every flight bringing troops home from Iraq for nearly two years — more than 1,000 flights and nearly 200,000 troops.

"Here they come. Everybody get ready," said Joyce Goodwin, 71, her voice full of excitement, undiminished by the hundreds of times she has shown up to embrace the returning troops.

As dozens more Marines came down the corridor, the applause grew louder and was accompanied by handshakes, hugs, and a stream of well wishes: "Welcome home." "Thank you for your service." "God bless you." "Thank you for everything."

Faces brightened. Grouchiness disappeared. Greeters and Marines alike began taking photographs. The Marines were directed down a corridor decorated with American flags and red, white and blue posters to cellphones for free calls to family members.

They found a table with cookies and candies. Plates of homemade fudge circulated.

"Welcome home, gunny," said Al Dall, 74, who served in the Marines during the Korean War, as he thrust his hand at a startled Gunnery Sgt. Edward Parsons, 31, of Shelby, N.C.

"This is incredible," Parsons said. "Now I know I'm really back in the world."

The greeters line the corridor both as the troops arrive and then, minutes later, as they return to their planes to continue their journeys to Fort Hood, Camp Pendleton and other Army and Marine Corps bases.

The airport gift store opens early. T-shirts saying "I Love Maine" are popular. So are adult magazines. The store takes military scrip from troops low on cash, even though there is no way for the store to get reimbursed.

The airport bar does a brisk business, selling Budweiser at $3 a bottle. Some officers have rules against their troops consuming alcohol before a flight; the commanding officer of this battalion had no such restriction, and the bar was full of Marines laughing, singing, and joking.

"We appreciate everything you've done for us," said Bud Tower, an Air Force veteran, who, at 58, considers himself "a kid" among the other greeters.

Kay Lebowitz, 89, has such severe arthritis that she cannot shake hands. So she hugs every Marine and soldier she can. Some of the larger, more exuberant troops lift her off the ground.

"Many of them tell me they can't wait to see their grandmother," she said. "That's what I am: a substitute grandmother."

The greeters also turn out for flights headed to Iraq, but those are somber occasions. The Marines on this flight were returning from a lawless stretch of desert along the Syrian border, where they dodged roadside bombs and sniper fire on a daily basis.

"When the flights are going over, it's heart-breaking," Lebowitz said. "But when they're coming home, it's heart-warming."

The core of the Maine Troop Greeters is a dedicated group of about 30 residents who have a highly developed "telephone tree" to get the word out about impending arrivals. Their numbers swell on weekends when particular brigades are due back, such as local National Guard units. Families with young children join in.

Most of the greeters support the U.S. mission in Iraq, but their goal is historic, not political. Discussion of politics is banned. The greeters don't want America to repeat what they consider a shameful episode in history: the indifference, even hostility, that the public displayed to troops returning from Vietnam.

"I think there's a lot of collective guilt about the '60s," said greeter Dusty Fisher, 63, a retired high school history teacher now serving in the state Legislature.

The airport in this city of 31,000 has a long runway and is a refueling stop for many overseas troop flights. The terminal is a tidy, homey, two-story structure with skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows that let in copious light.

Above the waiting room, a banner reads, "Maine. The Way Life Should Be."

Once the troops find seats, the greeters fan out.

Phillip Eckert, 70, a bantam-sized ex-Marine with an outsized personality, likes to talk about the "old Corps" and tell stories of tough-as-nails sergeants and crazy-brave officers he knew from Korea. He wears a red sweatshirt that says, "Not As Lean, Not as Mean, But Still A Marine."

Eckert leads Marines in raspy versions of the Marine hymn. He does his drill-instructor imitation: "move it, Move It, MOVE IT," he said in a mock-urgent voice.

"I whoop and holler at the troops, and they seem to like it, I guess," he said.

Jerry Mundy, 69, also a former Marine, likes to dispense mildly salty jokes.

"My lady friend just bought us one of those king-size beds," he said. "Trouble is that at my age, after I finally find her, I forget what for."

Others try a quieter approach. Dall makes himself available if the troops want to talk about the traumas of combat.

"I've been there, so I know what they've gone through," he said. "I say, 'Forget me, this is your time.' I'm here if you need me." Like the Marines, the greeters have had casualties. Four have died since the group started meeting the planes in May 2003.

Marjorie Dean suffered a fatal heart seizure while she and her husband, Bill, were on their way to meet a late-night flight a year ago. She was 79.

Goodwin missed three days of flights when she was in the hospital for heart surgery.

"I felt like I was in withdrawal," she said. "It was awful not being able to be here for the boys."

Bill Knight, 83, one of the group's organizers, came to the airport just hours after his doctor told him that he has advanced prostate cancer. "It never occurred to me not to come," said Knight, who served in the Army and Navy for three decades.

Francis Zelz, 81, who served in the Navy during World War II, said it is a point of pride to respond even with only a few minutes notice. Many of the greeters were part of a similar welcome-home effort during the Persian Gulf War.

"You get a call at 3 a.m. about a flight in 30 minutes, and you think about staying in bed," Zelz said. "Then you realize, no, I can't do that. That wouldn't be right."

On one window of the greeters' office at the end of the corridor are hundreds of photographs of Marines and soldiers killed in Iraq taken from newspaper stories.

Inevitably, troops drift toward the window and search for their buddies. Sometimes they scribble small notes of remembrance next to the photos.

The 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment suffered 15 dead and 86 wounded. The Marines were left alone to search for their buddies' photos.

"There's Wilt," said a Marine pointing to one of Lance Cpl. Nicholas Wilt, 23, of Tampa, Fla.

"There's Rowe," said another, a reference to Capt. Alan Rowe, 35, of Hagerman, Idaho.

After several long and silent minutes, Staff Sgt. Larry Long, 31, of Clovis, N.M., finally found the photo he was searching for: Pfc. Ryan Cox, 19, of Derby, Kan.

"He was a good Marine, a hard-charger," Long said with a catch in his voice. "He would have been a good squad leader."

Navy chaplain Lt. Cmdr. Robert White, returning home with the Marine unit to which he was assigned, said the Bangor welcome may prove therapeutic.

"They need to feel good about themselves and what they've been through," White said.

Marine Lt. David Tumanjan, 24, of Boise, Idaho, said the Bangor greeting is both humbling and gratifying. "It shows us that what we did wasn't in vain," he said.

The greeters say their payoff is seeing the surprise and smiles on the faces of the troops. "Every flight coming home makes it like Christmas Eve," Tower said.

Don Guptill, 71, who served in the Army in Korea, listened as an enlisted Marine, his eyes fixed on the carpet, talked quietly about being wounded three times.

As the call came over the loudspeaker to return to the plane, the young Marine reluctantly pulled something from his back pocket. It was his Purple Heart.

"He said he was embarrassed to wear it," Guptill said. "I told him: 'You wear it. You earned it. You wear it for all the guys who didn't make it home.' "

The Marines were barely gone when the Maine Troop Greeters began preparing for the next flight. "It's going to be a busy day for us," said Bill Dean, 70, an Army veteran. "That feels good."

That is an absolutely amazing story. Thank you for posting it, Redbird.

-Pegatha :yes:

They've been doing it for many years for troops returning from many areas. Even though they get occasional notice I don't think that's the reason they do it.

As you enter 2nd Marine Diivision Headquarters at Camp LeJeune, NC you'll find pictures of these "Troop Greeters" doing what they do from many years back. Sometimes it's just a plane load of troops coming back from a special mission, they were there for troops returning from the first Gulf War, the Balkans and other missions.

Marines consider the people that greet planes in Bangor to be very special, and they truly are. From what I understand not a small number of them are adamantly against the war in Iraq, some were even against the Afghanistan action, but they are truly for the troops!

Wow ! Thank you for this post. It brought real tears to my eyes.

What wonderful people, these greeters. What a difference they make in the lives of these
soldiers coming home. I am in awe of their dedication and their true spirit as giving individuals.

Wow.

Thank you, REDBIRD... joe e

Thanks for posting this cardinal! Methinks these folks really are special!

That would have been a fine greeting back in "68"....alas....

Vietnam Vets finally welcomed home



As if you were there Mr. Maine!! A little late for that BS, think most Nam Vets (I know and meet) feel the same way. They can kiss our azz!

That there is another form of "SHRUB" propaganda your chugging down. The Swiftboat Veterans for Truth - Burkett- and the rest of the neocon swill team are behind this horse sheet Mr. Marine.

Time to wake up, and smell the coffee and not cosider that "sauce" to highly!

I still can't figure out why doing something nice for the troops is considered "propaganda."

You ought to buy the guys book, Brandywine's War, and read it Tom. I read it about 30 years ago, I think you'd like it if you tried it. Might change your perspective on a few things.

Sandra you may not figure it out, a lot of people swallow the "SHRUB'S" BS!

This whole Welcome Home BS is sponsored by the neocons, the Swiftboat Vets that smeared Kerry, Burkett, Sampley, Rolling Tunder - Motorcycle Group that backed Bush, part of the plan Sandra - like it or not.

You want to buy it, do it. This Nam Vet is not fooled by that trash! Hang Tough ~ Support The Troops Sandra - got one for you - From me tom you - http://d21c.com/Bammo/W_W_You.html - That there is what it is, how it is, and what it will always be like! Hang Tough ~

Read half of that trash, threw it where it belongs - in the garbage.

You want to read 2 books, About Face - Flower of The Dragon - those tell it like it was!

Remind me what it was about Tom, that is if you read it.

OK, then, Tom....fair enough. Can you give us some information about welcoming home ceremonies that are organized by progressive groups? I'll celebrate them just as happily.

As for your message to me, you have no idea how concerned I am about the dead in this war. I fail to see what one has to do with the other. I'm totally with you in mourning the ones who don't come home....but let's celebrate the ones who do, right?

Gosh Tom, here is a list of the folks sponsoring the shindig. I don't see any of the folks you spoke of in your post, sure it's the same deal?


Branson, Missouri is best known as a popular vacation destination, but as thousands of veterans already know, it’s much more. The annual Veterans Homecoming honoring all American military veterans has become one of the largest Veterans Day celebrations in the nation, firmly establishing this Ozark Mountain town as a year-round home for veterans’ activities.

Centrally located in America’s heartland with unparalleled lodging, restaurant and recreational resources, Branson offers the ideal venue for a national event honoring Vietnam Veterans and their families. With open arms, this “small town with the heart of a city” is proud of being pro-veteran 365 days a year.

Supporting Links

AIRPORTS

Springfield-Branson Regional Airport

ATTRACTIONS

Dixie Stampede
Shepherd of the Hills
Showboat Branson Belle
Silver Dollar City
Veterans Memorial Museum

BUSINESS SERVICES

BIG SPORTS Magazine
Branson Embroidery
Wannenmacher Advertising

COMMUNITIES

Branson, Missouri
Harrison, Arkansas
Pulaski County (Ft. Leonard Wood)
Springfield, Missouri

ORGANIZATIONS

America Supports You

HOTELS/MOTELS

Grand Country Inn

REAL ESTATE

Saddlebrooke
StoneBridge

THEATERS

Acrobats of China
Baldknobbers
Branson Variety Theater
Brett Family Singers
Jim Stafford
Legends In Concert
Pierce Arrow Theater
Swing, Swing, Swing
Yakov Smirnoff

You ought to get on your scooter and come on down Tom, the Ozarks are one of the prettiest places in the country, I almost picked a place called Eureka Springs to retire to, just south of Branson

Breaking News and Important Announcements
Search Announcements

“GOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM!” TO ECHO AT WELCOME HOME... AMERICA’S TRIBUTE TO VIETNAM VETERANS
BRANSON, MISSOURI- Former U.S. Air Force DJ Adrian Cronauer, who originated the now familiar phrase “Good morning, Vietnam!” as his daily greeting to troops during the Vietnam War, will again deliver his signature line during the Grand Finale
GENERAL ROBBIE RISNER TO SPEAK
BRANSON, MISSOURI- One of America’s greatest modern-day war heroes, Brigadier General James Robinson “Robbie” Risner, USAF retired, will be the keynote speaker at a Memorial Service for the more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country during the Vietnam War.
ADVISORY COUNCIL NAMED FOR WELCOME HOME...AMERICA’S TRIBUTE TO VIETNAM VETERANS

BRANSON, MISSOURI- Operation Homecoming USA has named an Advisory Council for the planning and execution of Welcome Home...America’s Tribute To Vietnam Veterans. The weeklong event to be held this June has the specific mission of providing Vietnam Veterans the national homecoming they never received.
HEADLINE ENTERTAINERS JOIN FORCES FOR HOMECOMING HONORING VIETNAM VETERANS
Operation Homecoming USA has confirmed the Beach Boys, the Fifth Dimension and Creedance Clearwater Revisited as three more national acts committed to perform during the Grand Finale Celebration for Welcome Home…America's Tribute to Vietnam Veterans. The Saturday, June 18 tribute will climax next summer's national homecoming event in Branson. Other confirmed performers include Ann-Margret, the Doobie Brothers, the Supremes with Mary Wilson, the Oak Ridge Boys, Tony Orlando, and Les Brown's Band of Renown with Les Brown, Jr.. The Grand Finale Celebration will be held on a on a scenic 100-acre mountaintop at Saddlebrooke, 10 miles north of Branson on Highway 65.
A HOLE IN AMERICA’S HEART THAT NEEDS TO BE HEALED
BRANSON, MISSOURI- The Kick-Off Celebration for Welcome Home…America’s Tribute to Vietnam Veterans took place Wednesday, July 21 at the Grand Palace Theatre in Branson, Missouri. Keynote speaker Jim Amos, Chairman Emeritus of United Parcel Service Stores, spoke of the June 2005 national homecoming event as a long-overdue time of healing for Vietnam Veterans and the nation.

The following is an itinerary of planned events. Visit often for updates and added information and scheduling.
Monday, June 13:

Preregistered attendees can pick up their registration packets at their reserved lodging site

Branson Shows & Entertainment Available

Military Demonstrations & Displays (location and time TBA)

Tuesday, June 14:

Opening Ceremony for Attendees (location and time TBA)

Dignity Memorial ® Vietnam Wall Experience (Grand Palace, 24 hours)

UH-1 Helicopter Rides Begin (Adjacent to Grand Palace, 9 AM - 5PM)

Vendor Village Opens (Grand Palace, 10 AM - 9 PM)

Blood Drive (TBA, 12 PM - 4 PM)

Military Demonstrations & Displays (location and time TBA)

Branson Shows & Entertainment

Wednesday, June 15

1-Day Golf Tournament (Area Golf Courses, 7 AM - 1 PM click for more information)

Dignity Memorial ® Vietnam Wall Experience (Grand Palace, 24 hours)

UH-1 Helicopter Rides (Adjacent to Grand Palace, 9 AM - 5PM)

Vendor Village (Grand Palace, 10 AM - 9 PM)

Blood Drive (TBA, 12 PM - 4 PM)

Unit Activities (TBA by Unit)

Air Show/Sky Soldiers (College of the Ozarks, 2 - 3 PM)

Military Demonstrations & Displays (location and time TBA)

Branson Shows & Entertainment

Thursday, June 16

1-Day Fishing Tournament (Table Rock Lake, 6AM – 5PM click for more information)

Dignity Memorial ® Vietnam Wall Experience (Grand Palace, 24 hours)

UH-1 Helicopter Rides (Adjacent to Grand Palace, 9 AM - 5PM)

Vendor Village (Grand Palace, 10 AM - 9 PM)

Air Show/Sky Soldiers (College of the Ozarks, 2 - 3 PM)

Unit Activities

Branson Shows & Entertainment

Military Demonstrations & Displays (location and time TBA)

Friday, June 17

Welcome Home Parade for all participants (Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, Stage at 7 AM, Parade begins at 10 AM)

Dignity Memorial ® Vietnam Wall Experience (Grand Palace, 24 hours)

UH-1 Helicopter Rides (Adjacent to Grand Palace, 9 AM - 5PM)

Vendor Village (Grand Palace, 10 AM - 9 PM)

Air Show/Sky Soldiers (College of the Ozarks, 2 - 3 PM)

Branson Shows & Entertainment

Unit Association Banquets

Saturday, June 18

Morning Memorial Service (TBA, 9 AM - 10 AM)

Grand Finale Tribute, an outdoor afternoon and evening event at Saddlebrooke’s scenic mountain top location (for Registered Attendees Only, Saddlebrooke, 12 PM - 12 AM)

Dignity Memorial ® Vietnam Wall Experience

Vendor Village at the Grand Palace 11 AM – 9 PM

Sunday, June 19

Dignity Memorial ® Vietnam Wall Experience (Grand Palace, closes at noon)

Farewells & Departures

Go there and have a party. Who cares? The body bags are still pileing up. The 15,000 wounded still scream in pain. Next year will bring more of the same. Can anyone tell me why it happened and why it needs to continue? There is no rational explanation I have seen for either question. So party on dudes!! If it makes you feel better wave some flag down there too.

Well thank you David, don't mind if I do. And while I'm there I'll tell the Vietnam Vets I never did disrespect them and think this party is about 30 years past due.

You can stay home wringing you hands and crying in your cognac but I really don't think that will do you much good.

Has anyone here said they don't mourn the dead of the war? I have not seen that, David.

That said, if my son were over there and were returning home, you bet I would throw a party.

:no:

I'm still flying my flag and I say the pledge five days a week with the little people I taught to say it.

To throw a party while our troops are dieing for nothing seems so cold to me. Its not the party thats seems out of place. Parties happen all of the time. Its the nature of the party. Its vets seeming to say all is well when the armed forces are being absused by this government by dieing for nothing. I will have none of it. Its just more happy talk and good news stories to provide distraction from what is really happening.

That's about 2 1/2 hours southwest of me. I've got four buddies here that will tag along.

To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal ...
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Teacher.. When the government becomes sane again I will feel good about the flag. Now I am just ashamed at what is being done by my country.

Mr. Marine lets amuze your childish azz - which is not hard to do, at all!


Beginning 70's - Brandywines War, bunch of BS about some fictional character that made the Nam a joke with their wierd azz string of antics. Mr. Marine it was a BS satire. like Mash per say - BS people who turned the Nam War into a circus. Mr. Marine you would of fit in that BS book well with your BS and azz kissin. Your a wierd character. LOL

Pass your little Lifer Test Mr. Marine? If I did--I want a star on the post! If I didn't tough sheet Tex! LOL

Sandra a Roger McQuinn and the Byrds tune, listened to that SOB a lot in Nam, when we could!

Smoked a few numbers and dug on the radio I see!

"A Time for War a Time for Peace" - Sandra explain that - you back this "SHRUB WAR"? No dancin' - straight azz answer if you may!! LOL

What is a just war Sandra? I'll let you off the hook , one that does not involve your family --could be wrong. Would not be the first time and won't be the last.

This is more my style Sandra

The Weight Lyrics

I pulled into Nazareth, I was feelin' about half past dead;
I just need some place where I can lay my head.
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand, and "No!", was all he said.

(Chorus:)
Take a load off Fannie, take a load for free;
Take a load off Fannie, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.

I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide;
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side.
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, let's go downtown."
She said, "I gotta go, but m'friend can stick around."



Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day.
"Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee
company?"


Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog.
He said, "I will fix your rags, if you'll take Jack, my dog."
I said, "Wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man."
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can."



Catch a Cannonball, now, t'take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time.
To get back to Miss Annie, you know she's the only one.
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone.


The Band

Sanist Post I've seen in this Thread!!

Bravo Bro'---for sure!

Yeah Bro', a big ol' Party -- to keep this "SHRUB" fiasco going-- pacify the sheople of this country. LOL

Easily done from what I see Bro' -- very easily. Got to hand it to the neocons--they get over on the sheople and lifers big time! Not hard to do, start a fad and they follow, like the rats in Pied Piper--no questions or reference work done!

LOL --Have Fun--hope the families of the dead-- 58,229 (NAM) and this fiasco(15500 +) will go up as the time draws near-- so will the WIA's - Hope they are invited to this Shin-dig! And don't forget about the wounded! Da_n wouldn't want to do that! LOL (make sure they are charged double--they got hit) LOL

Would not take part in that GOP backed BS if you paid me! Bank on that- you'll collect interest!

Keep the "SHRUB'S" war fires burning while your American people are die'in'! Way to go people and da_n don't forget your Yellow Magnetic Made in China (SUPPORT The Troops) Ribbon --Instant patriot synmbol -LOL - you'll fit right in! LOL

Like I said as long as it is does not effect me ---is the attitude of this free-kin country of "SHRUB" sheople! LOL (majority--for sure) ---Remeber your payin' the freight for this "SHRUB" fiasco-- accessory to the crime! Enjoy the party! LOL

KT they pledge, do they know what it means? Or just put the Ol' hand over the heart like robots and spew out the words?

Do they know there is a war going on? What grade do they learn that?

Whats in our high school history books about the Nam and Korea?

I'll help you out KT-- not much! This is Called "The Brainwashing of Our Children "


http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeoeksu/id3.html KT be well and hang tough ~

Actualy no Tom. You must be a pretty shallow reader if you missed the message in the book. Sort of like calling a book like Proud Towers to be about architecture.

Like a lot of other Americans who didn't have a flag on the front of the house for special holidays, right after 9-11 I got one and flew it. Then after a while people started taking them down and I followed suit. Then a young woman with two small children moved into the house directly across from mine. She's a petite pretty blond with long hair and got out every week with the lawnmover to cut her own grass. She put up a flag and yellow ribbons on the door and gate. I went over to meet and talk to her and the kids and asked her if her husband was deployed to Iraq. She was horrified that I knew and wondered how I found out. She told me that she didn't want people to know that she was alone there without a man, (for security reasons). I told her that the flag and yellow ribbons were easy to figure out. After that I put my flag back up too.
While you might be ashamed, I feel for the families left behind.




Why are you being so mean to me "The Bammo"?

Let's get this thread back on topic, OK? If you want to welcome the troops home, feel free to post. There are other threads where you can discuss the other unfortunate issues of this war; but this thread is reserved to celebrate the ones who come home.

In fact, I am going to split off some of these off-topic posts into another subject.
http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/for...showtopic=27550

Thank you.

Um....Tom? It's a Bible verse, too.

Which methinks some little known singer and songwriter from northern Minnesota plagarized for lyrics to one of his tunes, eh?

There's a time to fight and defend one's own country and there's a time when we are simply killing for 'select' neocon's profits.

I think this one marine's mom says it best.



http://marinecorpsmoms.com/archives/2005/0...chusetts_t.html
Marine Corps Moms

February 24, 2005

Massachusetts tax dollars at work

Read this, then e-mail or call the Daily Collegian to express your view of the asshats who rip off yellow ribbon magnets. Especially this one, whose first amendment rights are protected by the troops he refuses to support. Bah.
By Thomas Naughton, Collegian columnist

February 23, 2005

Guilt can only weigh on a person's mind for so long before they crave the act of purgation; to get the weighty feelings of shame and responsibility out of the mind - or at least the guilty parties attempt to find some kind of peace if they cannot rid themselves of a screaming conscience that implicates and indicts its possessor.

That said, perhaps some readers will understand why my friends and I rip yellow ribbon "support the troops" magnets off of cars or wherever people have affixed them. By ripping off these ribbons, we find a way to deal with our guilt, as though with each ribbon swiped we take back a life that was taken by this senseless war started by our senseless president and those who support him.

I will never say, "support the troops." I don't believe in the validity of that statement. People say, "I don't support the war, I support the troops" as though you can actually separate the two. You cannot; the troops are a part of the war, they have become the war and there is no valid dissection of the two. Other people shout with glaring eyes that we should give up our politics, give up our political affiliations in favor of "just supporting the troops." I wish everything were that easy.

What they really mean is that we should just give up our will, give up our identities, give up our voices to those in power. Perhaps that's just the way people aligned with the right wing choose to get rid of their guilt: blindness and ignorance.

I listen to talk radio very often. It's important to know who your enemies are. The pundits on the radio are the pinnacles of guiltless, shameless wonders, and I am jealous. It must feel good to believe without question, to benefit from the blind belief of young men and women who chose to join the armed forces, to sit in a radio studio in New York and admonish the public to give in like the troops, to just follow orders, to live as just a number that will soon be etched into a gravestone that no one will ever see.

I look into the cars of people with "support the troops" ribbons as I speed past, trying to find some trace of recognition on their face, recognition of their guilt and the fact that they have given up. I usually see nothing; just a mouth moving robotically, singing the pop hits of today or the contemporary country wine of fake cowboys who share a lot with George Bush: no shame.

We say, "support the troops" so that we won't feel guilty about saying "no" to war. We reason that if we say that we support the troops, somehow we aren't monsters for not saying a word when the death tolls of U.S. soldiers climbed above 1,000. Those ribbons are yellow for a reason, they are not the mark of armed forces support, they are the mark of cowards.

Pundits on the radio advise their cowardly listeners to approach men and women in army uniforms and say "thank you." I cannot do that. Every time I pass a person in uniform I look long and hard at them and all I can think inside to say is "I'm so sorry." I want to apologize to them, to their families and to their friends. I feel sorry that we, the people, couldn't control our own government at the outset of this conflict when most of us knew deep inside that it was a mistake.

Where are we now? Are we in a better place? Is the world safer for democracy? No, it is not safer and we are not in a better place. In this war that we are fighting to somehow avenge the deaths of the Sept. 11 tragedy, we have amassed a field of body bags, the number of which almost matches the number killed in the terrorist attacks four years ago. Now, we stare at yet another request for barrels of money for this war by President Bush, while people in our own country search fruitlessly for jobs to feed their starving families, while every public school gets left behind, while our elderly are ensured an uncertain future of unpaid medical bills.

I guess we shouldn't think about those things though, right? We should just buy a yellow magnet and slap it on the butt of our car so we can sleep at night and just let our government do whatever they want. That's supporting the troops, right?

Two years ago my friend Eric called me out of the blue after almost five years of silence between us. We were in a band together when we were teenagers and he had joined the army around the time I was graduating from high school. He had to join the army; he had a son to provide for in the grand tradition of many young members of the armed forces. He called me to tell me that he was going back to Iraq, against his will. He was so sad and angry and scared. He didn't say it, but I know he was calling to tell me that he might die. I didn't say it to him then, but I felt such overwhelming guilt that I couldn't do anything to keep him from going back.

We all know Duct Tape has many uses, this is one way you can show your true stance for the "SHRUB" fiasco with that good ol' Duct Tape ! P.S. Get the Brand made in the good ol' U.S.A. - not only quality but your helping Americans in many ways!

Duct Tape Ribbons: Give Peace a Chance
In addition to all of its other uses, duct tape now has a symbolic purpose as well --- expressing our hope that peace can be made to prevail. Amist our vigilance against terrorism and encroachments of liberty, we must remember that war should only be used as a last resort. Preparations for war against Iraq should be a means to strive for a peaceful solution, not a path towards an inevitable outcome. Let us bring about an end to global threats, terrorism, fear, and hatred through respect, understanding, and cooperation rather than through nationalism, imperialism, and the elimination of personal freedoms.

For more on the Duct Tape For Peace campaign, see http://www.ducttapeforpeace.org/

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Mr. Marine, I do not want to compare intelligence with you.

I know your intelligence level surpasses not only mine, but many others in this forum. Hang Tough ~

A famous quote comes to mind. "Nobody can be as agreeable as an uninvited guest."



'Support' would not be as confusing if we were under a reliably honest and sane leadership. That's my own hip shot at it.

It is men and woman like Mr. Marine that makes it possible for people like us to express our oppinion in a forum such as this, from un-selfish sacrifice on their part.

Mr. Marine, thank you for your service to this country we call home.

Without men and woman like you Mr. Marine, we would not have the freedoms that we take for granted.

Again - Thank You Very Much for Your Service to the U.S.A. Mr. Marine.

A very noble and couragious carrer you put your life into, to protect our freedom!

Pie I found you! You're supporting the troops!

KT

The Bush administration today released the photos of deceased soldiers returning in flag draped coffins.

What is the big deal now versus in 2003?

Could it be now that Bush is re-elected he doesn't have to worry about negative press, and he thinks some will give him credit for being sensitive to the military families thus improving his falling polls?

Where? What were the circumstances please?

Methinks I'm as against this now as I've ever been. IMHO the right to honor, dignity and privacy for both the deceased and their families in these cases is the primary concern.

If and when the family of the deceased ever give their approval 'twould change things, but not 'til that happens. No one's sense of morbid curiousity or journalists' claimed rights trump this, eh?

Its hide the bodies as to not remind people that war has a cost. If more people understood the cost they would ask why. There is no answer to the question of why.

Okay, found some references to this on the BBC. A couple stories 'bout this can be found here and here, eh?Duh! According to the first story I provided a link for "The pictures were released as a result of legal action taken under the Freedom of Information Act", eh? Methinks you forgot to mention that and 'twould seem your question was really rhetorical.More rhetoric? Could it be now that Bush is re-elected that folks will again try to misuse these images to further their own agenda, without consideration of the rights of the deceased or their families? I'd hoped we'd gotten past this, eh? Methinks we've covered this territory thoroughly in threads like this one, unless of course if it were to be you've got something new to inject.

It's on the front page of the Washington Post.
Keep your shirt on!

Hundreds of Photos Of Caskets Released
Pentagon Action Is in Response to Lawsuit

By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 29, 2005; Page A10

From a row of silhouetted hearses on a rain-drenched tarmac to a convoy of olive-green trucks each bearing a casket, hundreds of images of flag-draped coffins of American service members killed at war were released by the Pentagon this week in response to a lawsuit.

The more than 700 photographs, taken by military photographers from 2001 to 2004, show coffins from Iraq and Afghanistan lining the mechanical silver interiors of Air Force C-17 jets. Many depict solemn honor guard ceremonies for the fallen troops at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and other U.S. military facilities.

"This is an important victory for the American people, for the families of troops killed in the line of duty during wartime and for the honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country," said University of Delaware professor Ralph Begleiter, whose October 2004 lawsuit spurred the release. He sought the release under the Freedom of Information Act.

"This significant decision by the Pentagon should make it difficult, if not impossible, for any U.S. government in the future to hide the human cost of war from the American people," Begleiter said in a written statement.

The Pentagon, however, said the release of the photographs, which it termed "historical documentation," does not signify any lifting of the ban on media coverage of returning casualties. That ban, first imposed in January 1991 during the Gulf War and continued by President Bush with the start of the Afghanistan war in October 2001, is intended to "ensure privacy and respect is given to the families who have lost their loved ones," said Col. Gary Keck, a Defense Department spokesman. Both Republican and Democratic administrations, however, have made several exceptions to the ban in the past decade. "The historical documentation done by military photographers is designed for a completely different reason than a photograph taken by the media very soon after the announcement of the death of an individual," said a Pentagon official, adding that such "historical" photographs are still being taken and will be released "when appropriate." Many of the photographs released were censored, with black rectangles blocking out faces, uniform insignia, name tags and other images that could reveal the identities of military personnel involved in the honor ceremonies.

"Individual judgments were made to black out some faces and identifying information to protect privacy information," said James Turner, a Pentagon spokesman.

Thomas Blanton, director of the National Security Archive, which assisted in the lawsuit, said it was "an outrage and an insult that they blacked out those faces of the honor guard, when today on . . . [the Pentagon Web site] you can see photos of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. I can only imagine they put those black boxes there to make the photos unusable."

Not all images were of victims of today's conflicts. Some show coffins containing remains of U.S. service members from Korea and Vietnam.

Earlier publications of both private and military photographs of flag-draped coffins have spurred intense debate in the U.S. military, with some arguing that the images honor military sacrifice and others contending that they were used to make an antiwar

Link -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5042802078.html

flydangler - I was being sarcastic and rhetorical in my previous comments.

From Washington Post article: "The Pentagon, however, said the release of the photographs, which it termed "historical documentation," does not signify any lifting of the ban on media coverage of returning casualties."

When I posted my message yesterday, the news did not say why the photos were released. Today we find out why. Bush has not changed his policy.

But one has to wonder why the photos were released the same day Bush held his press conference.

Photos are at

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5042801520.html

Methinks 'twas probably either part of a great neocon conspiracy (see. I can be sarcastic too) or else a case of how the the left hand hasn't a clue what the right hand is doing in this huge poorly organized and uncoordinated bureacracy that is our federal government, eh?

'Twould seem strange that, as I see it, the BBC did what I think is a much better job from across the pond reporting on the story than the Washington Post did, even though 'twas in their own back yard.

Hey, chill out brad.

Have a beer, I brought your favorite brand.

YO - MARINE,

Seems to Army Dad that you are the flag waving, Yellow ribbon sticker wearing, right-wing "screwball" who just appointed himself a expert on PTSD and what shape most Vietnam Veterans were in when they returned to the good old U.S. of A.

How many friggin years of medical school and psychiatric specialization did you have to determine how many of those 99% if your fellow Marine were NORMAL. Are your sure they were and are normal?

Or did you get all those facts and figures from "Stolen Valor."

I bet you my next retirement check that you are one of those ultra right-wing GOP, John Kerry purple heart wearing, Swiftboat loving and swear every word they said about Kerry was true, American Legion or VFW "nationalistic," AMERICANIZATION (what ever the fudge that means) Service to God and Country wannabes.

And that's in my calm tone of voice.

Yep, that garbage you are spouting about Bammo above is WAY over the top.

It is right out of the B.G. Burkett "revisionist," OK right-wing Vietnam Veterans LET'S ALL FEEL GOOD ABOUT OURSELVES AND BLAIME THE LEFT WING PEACENICS AND WAR PROTESTORS FOR SNATCHING OUR VICTORY FROM US, "STOLEN VALOR." BULL CRAP.

http://www.stolenvalor.com/

Slowly, the war has come back to haunt us. Legions of homeless Vietnam veterans are in the street, hundreds of thousands of them are suffering from Agent Orange or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and more of them have died from suicide than died in the war....or so the social advocates and the media tell us.

B.G. Burkett, in over ten years of research in the National Archives, filing hundreds of requests for military documents under the Freedom of Information Act., uncovered a massive distortion of history, a distortion that has cost the U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars. Mr. Burkett's work has toppled national political leaders and put criminals in jail.

The authors show killers who have fooled the most astute prosecutors and gotten away with murder, phony heroes who have become the object of award-winning documentaries on national network television, and liars and fabricators who have flooded major publishing houses with false tales of heroism which have become best-selling biographies.

Not only do Burkett and Whitley show the price of the myth has been enormous for society, but they spotlight how it has severely denigrated the service, patriotism, and gallantry of the best warriors America ever produced.

All that propaganda above sound familiar Marine. It should because WE both read the same book. It you didn't the concepts are the same. Most right-wing Veterans that are now being led by a nose ring or "exploited," or collaborating with the NEO-CONS follow "Stolen Valor," as if it were the bible of what happen during and especially AFTER Vietnam.

Problem is that both IT, Burkett, and anyone who believes that piece of toilet paper ARE A CROCK.

First problem with IT: B.G. Burkett, a military researcher, was co-chairman of the Texas Vietnam Memorial with President George Bush as Honorary Chairman.

IF THAT DOESN'T STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN MARINE, THIS ARMY DAD DOESN' KNOW WHAT DOES. THAT IS A SIN TO EVERY NAME ON THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL "NORMAL," OR OTHERWISE. GEORGE BUSH HONORARY CHAIRMAN OF A VIETNAM MEMORIAL. WHAT A SACRELIGEOUS JOKE! I'M GONNA UP CHUCK.

And you flag wavers want ME to respect this as our Commander-In-Chief. That will be a cold day in hell. Commander-In-Incompetent he will always be.