The Face of My Enemy

[SuperScout]

Agreed, resentments are a real problem. Personally, I thought the President looked terrific in that flight suit, and if you'll check the facts, he didn't declare Mission Accomplished. That was the banner that the aircraft carrier folks hung up to declare that THEIR mission had been accomplished. They had been assigned a mission of launching aristrikes against our enemies in Iraq, and they did exactly that. In the course of normal deployments and redeployments, the ship was ordered back to its home port, and could justifiably claim MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Get over it.

Wish I could claim credit for having said it first, but since I can't, I'll cite a very cogent quotation: "Medals don't make a man, morals do."

[exlrrp]

Originally posted by SuperScout Bro. James ( and I spelled it right this time!)

After reading your last, I get the distinct impression that you're trying to send the entire nation on a guilt trip, and just was wondering what travel agency you worked for! By your logic, we should all embark on a surrendipitous 12 Step program for all our actions during and after WW II as well as Korea, Vietnam, Panama, etc. etc. etc.

It is part of the person in recovery to accept things that one can't change, to change that which one can, and smarts enough to know the difference. And I for one have just enough wisdom to know that America doesn't need to and will not embark upon an inventory of all real and imagined harms done to any other people during any war, anymore than any other nation will pick up their collective Big Book and do the same. Such rosy lens paradigms is simply off the chart in the total Serenity Prayer scheme of things.

I never had the impression, thought or indication that my life was cheap, nor did I convey this attitude to any other person I met since my first cognitive brain wave. Growing up with spiritually blessed parents, I was imbued with a sense of values that precluded viewing another human being any different than myself. During my time in country, for the most part I was blessed by having good commanders who also practiced moral leadership. Those that didn't were either relieved of command by their superiors, or were marginalized by the normal course of events.

My passion, and as it was spelled out sometimes in rounds going downrange, was directed at the evils of communism, and how those evils were manifested in threats to my men or to the civilian population we were securing. And in closing, if you would like to read some really mind-boggling propaganda and genuine babble, go read the Unit History I posted in one of the other Vietnam threads! It is almost hilarious in how wondrous the NVA conducted themselves during Tet, and how much "accomplished" against those nasty American imperialists.

Now see Brice??
I'm not going to argue with you at all, you are completely right.
You were just a whole lot more wonderful to the Vietnamese than I was, hands down, no doubtt about it. But did it ever occur to you, farfetched as it may seem, that maybe there was more peoile like me than like you?? I mean youre openminded and compassionate and all--other people may not have been as heroic as you, made mistakes?? And that in a moment of weakness, some of these people just MIGHT have done harm to the Vietnamese. They gave us rifles and grenades and all, I thought it was fairly clear what they wanted us to do with them.
And, now that you explained it so clearly I can see very clearly why you would see no reason at all to look at your own stuff concerning this.
But you and I just don't connect the dots in the same universe, Brice
I don't see any reasonable way a man can say he is openminded and tolerant and say he admires Anne Coulter and sends her quotes around on the email. Those dots don't connect in any known universe I know about--what she sells is anger, resntment, hatred and panders to the lowest instincts. Sort of in the same universe that you tell me you volunteered your free time to teach the Vietnamese. You had free time to donate??!! My time was required walking point on lrrp patrols and I thought that was enough sacrifice on my part for the Vietnamese..--We come from different places you see.

Re Anne Coulter: You asked me to find a lie in what she says and the first words out of her mounth in all her writings and interviews are:
"Liberals are Liars Cowards and Traitors!!!" She says this in exactly those words, you don't have to read between the lines to see this.
So then you say you admire Anne Coulter and send her quotes aroiund and don't see any lies in what she says. Now do you see a trainwreck coming here???
I am a wellknown liberal and it is very very clear that she is talking about me and paople like me.
Are you saying that I am a Liar a Coward and a traitor Brice?? Only a Yes or No answer will do but I will forgive you either way. All I want is the truth.
And only an apology that includes the knowledge that you knew she was lying all along will do. If you think thats worth an apology.

James

[Gimptster]

well said my friend.

But...............don't hold your breath waiting on one!

[SuperScout]

Having never claimed nor required anybody else to conduct themselves in the way I did or do, I therefore can't expect their behavior to replicate mine. As we were all give free will, and the relative ability to make our own decisions, everyone then obviously has to answer for their own actions or lack thereof. If you didn't treat the Vietnamese as I did, that's history, and last time I checked, I wasn't in charge of either editing history. Either yours or mine.

Yes, I had spare time to voluntarily teach Vietnamese. This was on my second tour, after I had been wounded (again), and had a nice cushy job of being the Psyops/Political Warfare Advisor in Binh Duong Province. During the day, I would go scrounging bridge building materials and other needed items, and get them delivered in some remote hamlets. I would coordinate the assistance given by the ARVN Engineer School to these hamlets in getting bridges and buildings rebuilt, structures that the wonderful liberators from the North destroyed during Tet '68. Some of my other functions included purloining a rice mill from an USAID warehouse in Saigon to be used in our province. And when I wans't doing anything else, I arranged MEDCAPS in other remote hamlets. Then in the evenings, I'd drive back into to town from my nice, safe Advisor compound to teach school. I'm not denigrating your service of walking point for LRRPS - we each did what we were called to do.

Sending quotes by another person does not in and of itself constitute 100% agreement and approval of what that other person said or did. Hell's Bells, I don't even agree with what I've said or did, so how can I hold anybody else to that unobtainable standard? If you think I've sunk so low as to call you a liar and a coward, you're sadly mistaken. If you've got a problem with Anne Coulter, I suggest you take it up with her; she's full capable of speaking for herself.

[Gimptster]

What'd I tell ya????

[Arrow]

Sort of in the same universe that you tell me you volunteered your free time to teach the Vietnamese. You had free time to donate??!! My time was required walking point on lrrp patrols and I thought that was enough sacrifice on my part for the Vietnamese..--We come from different places you see.

James,

Now that the subject of free time has been brought up.There is aquestion I have been wanting to asksince I started to readyou on theoldveterans forum. Given your job description. How is that you had so much free time to chase whores andget high?

Arrow>>>>>>>

[exlrrp]

[i]Originally

Sending quotes by another person does not in and of itself constitute 100% agreement and approval of what that other person said or did. Hell's Bells, I don't even agree with what I've said or did, so how can I hold anybody else to that unobtainable standard? If you think I've sunk so low as to call you a liar and a coward, you're sadly mistaken. If you've got a problem with Anne Coulter, I suggest you take it up with her; she's full capable of speaking for herself.

No Brice, this is between you and me and I did not get the right answer from you. Your political woman has specifically called me a liar, coward and traitor and not just me but all my family, friends, role models and the values I hold dear. There is no possible way a reasonable person could conclude that this was not the very fiber of her being, her unmistakable message. you have said that you admire her, email quotes from her to other people and asked me to show a lie from her. What possible dot connects her to the AA program??She herself would excoriate every principle of AA with a smile on her face That sounds to me like you are an enthusiastic endorser of her views and only an apology that I will beieve will satisfy my honor.
. There is only 2 answers I will accept:
A: Yes--She's telling the truth--you are a Liar Coward and traitor. Anne Coulter would have the balls to say this.
B:No James, she's lying, no one could ever rationally suspect you of treason or cowardice. (I have lied in my life, one of the few who will admit it.
There's only Box A or B to check, I count even a "remotely possible" as a yes. So would you.
I only ask for your rigorous honesty and I am ready for either answer. But this will certainly have a big effect on our relationship
I will pray that you get everything good that I want in my life whatever your answer is

James

[Andy]

Just caught up on this thread (reading the last 3 pages). You asked a question about military decorations that I don't think was answered. My guess would be you have more than G.W. less than Kerry. Course you have less than Bush the first and Bob Dole but more than Clinton. It's probably best not to pick a president based on what he or she did when they were 20.

Sis: Regardless of a job discription and actual duty, at 19-20 year of age we always found a way to chase women. One of the main reasons for trying to staying alive was pure biology. Below the belt line biology. One of the things that always kept me going was the thought, the last time I had sex can't be The Last Time I'll Ever Have Sex!

Stay healthy,
Andy

[DMZ-LT]

Can't remember the last time I had that thought Andy. I think I remember I was standing in a long line of guys holding the number 42 ! Y'all play well with the others today.

[Arrow]

Andy,

Would it followthen that some of that same timechasing women, if a man chose to, could have been spent as Brice and others in Vietnam spent some of their time volunteering to bring something good to the people of Vietnam?

Arrow>>>>>>