The Face of My Enemy

[BLUEHAWK]

Okay, lemme try again...

James, would you deny anything Arty said?

S--t, weapons free again people, I got a portable bunker

[Arrow]

Originally posted by ArtySgt Little Sparrow, young lady, if I may be so bold to call you that ? Thank you for stand up for what you believe. For what I believe and tens of thousands of others believe. We did the best we could and with good intentions, we were honest and cared for those around us as best we could, with our very lives at stake all the time. It's true we burned out Villages and moved people around, the reason for this was these people were actively trying to KILL us.
Damn it, I was there and to say 30 years later we were the bad guys, the only bad guy makes me numb with anger. Hurt ? Yes we hurt them and they replied in kind. My unit donated money to a leper colony every month, we knew there were NVA and VC there but we left them alone and the NVA/VC left the colony in peace.
It's times like this that I wish I were better educated so that I could express myself better but I'm just a dumb old cop who likes to think that I made a difference in Vietnam.

Arty,

God Bless you sir and salute. I admire your courage to speak out. And thanks for the back up. "Welcome Home". We are not alone as you said there are tens of thousands with us. If you haven't read the John Kerry thread in the political forum it might do your heart good today. There is a letter from a green beret there, also a letter from the daughter of a Marine killed in Vietnam, an editorial by another Marine. Thank you again for the reinforcement.

Arrow>>>>>

[BLUEHAWK]

And, thank you for your reinforcement too Arrow, Arty and everyone who cares enough to send the very best...

I think maybe it mighta been Recon or someone such as he who said long ago on another thread, "Nobody has a lock on the truth." I believe we were discussing the media and how they go about what they do...

Sometimes we say things the wrong way here when we mean something else, I feel in my heart that James is a man of conscience who loves our America just as much as anyone else here does, and is tryin' his level best to sort out the lies from the truths.

I ain't takin' his side, and I ain't takin' anybody's side, and I am still tryin' to figure out the side I am takin' faithful and true... true to our people, true to this America for which we all stand and have stood in so many ways for so very very long.

I'd come to a camp out with any of ya on the invitation... and certain of ye, I'd shed tears to embrace.

[Bill Farnie]

ArtySgt
There was absolutely nothing dumb about any part of your post. What you wrote couldn't have been said better by anyone.

Arrow,
Keep holdin' the line. Your not alone!!

[Seascamp]

Nothing wrong with that post at all, it rings like a brass bell and does so in very few words. During these turbulent political times one thing I keep in mind is the vested political interest swirling around us as VN Vets. I reckoned we got through all that long ago but I guess not. Apparently the ?in Vogue? and supposedly needful political thing to do now is for us to wear sack cloth and ashes, perform some act of contrition and beg forgiveness. I for one didn?t do that long ago and have no intention of doing it now.

In my opinion, memories are forever and political activists espousing the needs and wants of one particular candidate or another is not cause for me to mask or artificially alter or misrepresent my memories, as if I could do that anyway. Like anyone else with a mind of their own, I can reevaluate my priorities and beliefs and revisit my memories as a form of sanity check, but that is about as far as it goes for me.

Scamp

[exlrrp]

Originally posted by MORTARDUDE m 2c worth.



James: It is evident in the very few "less than favorable" things that you have had to say about your trip to Vietnam that you seem to identify with Communism. I contrast that with the information that Tom posted that confirmed that it is far from any sort of "freedom loving paradise."

We couldn't "win or lose" something that couldn't be "won or lost".

All IMHO.

Larry

LArry:
I will be honest--I don't have many "less than favorable" things to say because I didn't see hardly anything I thought was less than favorable. I got to actually really LIKE admire and respect the VIetnamese people where I used to hate and fear and kill them. Thats only got to be good. Look at the picture of the young lrrp above--than with the one with his arms around the kids. What a long strange trip its been
They looked SOOOO much better than when we were there maybe it just looked rosier.I'm sure there was much didn't see. I can only go on brief impressions, but from what I saw I'd definitely rahther live in Vietnam than Mexico or the Phiillippines which I saw right after Vietnam. Those are some scary places where everybody but you totes a gun
If theyre mean to their people, they're doing it with unarmed cops is all I can say. OF COURSE I didn't see evrything--as a matter of fact, hardly anything. thats why i'm going back again--to see more for myself

james

[exlrrp]

removed with apology

James Worth

[SEATJERKER]

...I've been following this thread, learning, wondering, seeing the different points of view, attempting to respect, and every one, and the "poster", but James, I think your attempting to "slice this way too thin"...

...I'm a simple man, heartfelt, and true, and have never heard a "quote" from Anne whoever, and don't give a shi+ post one, and I'll look at it, but your attacks of Brice seems to have gone a bit too far,...

...From one who is supposed to be so "compasionate", you sure do a job of whacking on the man, a man who might have a different party affiliation then you, but shared the same mud you did,...

...going from a thread about "the face of my enemy" to who adhears better to the "AA" program, and slinging barbs,...

...I have enjoyed reading "ALL" the posts from everyone here, and have personally spoken to Brice on the Phone, I do not find him to be the monster you portray, your political differences do not entitle you to uncut the man the way you have, He has contributed just as much as anyone here, both THEN, and now,...

...I might be 10 years younger then the rest of you, and not as "Up" on all the political bullshi+ that flies out there, but you know that he did his stint, and is well regarded, All of you are,...

...get mad at me if you want, fine, I still respect you, and Brice as equals as I never made it to the "Varsity" level,...

...AS I said, I never saw any of her quotes, but show me 10/20 of them, and I'll judge her!!!, not someone who "might" have used a portion of one,...

...???Is she that bad??? who is she??? she don't mean squat to me, you people do, and I don't like desention amongest the troops,...

...We are a family here, and everyone counts whole heartily, differences yes, there will always be differences, but not to the point of school yard gang ups,...

...

...

[Seascamp]

I have read Ann Coulter?s book ?Treason? and Hillary Clinton?s book as well. Sure, Ann gets over the top in certain areas and sure Hillary gets real self-serving in certain areas, but both are interesting reading and expressing a point of view. But the idea is that if ya don?t like the people then don?t read their book, seems easy enough to me.

The New York Times critical review of Ann?s book said, ?A great deal of research supports Ms. Coulter?s wisecracks.? And that coming from the ultra Liberal Gray Lady is nothing short of the Red Sea parting for Moses. So maybe there is something to Ann?s book or Hillary?s book, maybe not. But neither book is something I?d want to waste some perfectly good Maalox on.

I have spoken to Brice as well and I have to say he has a real super healthy sense of humor and a heart of gold and is not at all some bushy browed iconoclastic sitting around thinking up ways to screw with James. Simple enough, James got pissed at Brice and served up an ultimatum, Brice declined so James smacks Brice. So what?s new around these digs anyway? Seems like a repeat of the repeat of the repeat, just the name changes from time-to-time but the James remains the same, fair enough, I can live with that.

Scamp

[BLUEHAWK]

Scout's workin his program, jus' like the rest of us... doin' fine some days and not so fine on others... but for sure, one had best tend away from purposefully poking a man where it is well known he is apt to rise up, Friend of Bill or no.