P A T R I O T I S M

[tommie gorman]

[an email that was cute to me.]

This is really cute!  Its' the voice of the just-turned-three-year-old granddaughter of my parent's next-door-neighbors.  They didn't know she knew the Pledge of Allegiance until they overheard her saying it in her room the other day.  Her dad is a local radio personality, so her mom called the station and Madilynn got 'air time'.   

[pixiepistlz]

That was real cute.

[tommie gorman]

This judge is much like John Wayne in my book.  

REMEMBER THE SHOE BOMBER???

Remember the guy who got on a plane with a bomb built into his shoe and tried to light it?

  Did you know his trial is over?

  Did you know he was sentenced?

  Did you see/hear any of the judge's comments on TV or Radio?

  Didn't think so.!!!

Everyone should hear what the judge had to say.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Ruling by Judge William Young, US District Court.

Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant if he had anything to say.  His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for the record, Reid also admitted his 'allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah,' defiantly stating, 'I think I will not apologize for my actions,' and told the court 'I am at war with your country.'

Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:

January 30, 2003, United States vs. Reid. 

Judge Young:  'Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.

On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General.  On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutively.  (That's 80 years.)

On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years again, to be served consecutively to the 80 years just imposed.  The Court imposes upon you for each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 that's an aggregate fine of $2 million.  The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines.

The Court imposes upon you an $800 special assessment. The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes.  It is a fair and just sentence.  It is a righteous sentence.

Now, let me explain this to you.  We are not afraid of you or any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr.. Reid.  We are Americans.  We have been through the fire before.  There is too much war talk here and I say that to everyone with the utmost respect.  Here in this court, we deal with individuals as individuals and care for individuals as individuals.  As human beings, we reach out for justice.

You are not an enemy combatant.  You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war  You are a terrorist.  To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether the officers of government do it or your attorney does it, or if you think you are a soldier, you are not----- you are a terrorist.  And we do not negotiate with terrorists.  We do not meet with terrorists.  We do not sign documents with terrorists.  We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.

So war talk is way out of line in this court.  You are a big fellow. But you are not that big.  You're no warrior.  I've known warriors. You are a terrorist.  A species of criminal that is guilty of multiple attempted murders.  In a very real sense, State Trooper Santiago had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and the TV crews were, and he said: 'You're no big deal.'

You are no big deal.

What your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific.  What was it that led you here to this courtroom today?

I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing?  And, I have an answer for you.  It may not satisfy you, but as I search this entire record, it comes as close to understanding as I know.

It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our freedom.  Our individual freedom.  Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose.  Here, in this society, the very wind carries freedom.  It carries it everywhere from sea to shining sea.  It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom, so that everyone can see, truly see, that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely.  It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf, have filed appeals, will go on in their representation of you before other judges..

We Americans are all about freedom.  Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties.  Make no mistake though  It is yet true that we will bear any burden; pay any price, to preserve our freedoms.  Look around this courtroom.  Mark it well.  The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here.  The day after tomorrow, it will be forgotten, but this, however, will long endure.

Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America , the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done.  The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice.

See that flag, Mr. Reid?  That's the flag of the United States of America .  That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom.  And it always will.

Mr. Custody Officer.  Stand him down.

So, how much of this Judge's comments did we hear on our TV sets?  We need more judges like Judge Young.  Pass this around.  Everyone should and needs to hear what this fine judge had to say. Powerful words that strike home.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/shoebomb.asp

[tdawnaz]

awesome let freedom ring

[tdawnaz]

well i wasn't sure where to put this so i'm stickin it here...if anyone knows better where to put it...go ahead and split/move it...i love this guy...

think back 40 years ago...we were in the midst of a protested war...government that was questionable in it's motives...human rights issues...1969...wasn't a very good year...mirror to today ...thru the looking glass...history does repeat itself...woodstock broke it all loose...believe it or not it was a breaking point...literally rocked this world and how we viewed what we'd accept... it was a "tea party" of sorts...the beginning of a revolution...it can happen again...and know what?? i read that if they can get it together...woodstock revival is gonna happen...another mind blowing awakening?? maybe not...but something needs to happen...

oh hahaha...i'm on the edge of a rant...but i won't ...i'm just wondering when the moon is gonna be in the 7th house and when is jupiter gonna align with mars so that peace can guide the planets and love can rule the stars?...huh?? i think it passed and we didn't grasp it:)

i don't know if lee iococca said all this...but these are true words none the less...i'm gonna see if this book exists...and i'm gonna get it

Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes?  He's now 82 years old and has a new book, 'Where Have All The Leaders Gone?'.

Lee Iacocca Says:

'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder! We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course..'

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned, 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore..

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs.. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of leadership, with crisis being the first.)

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a  strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess, so here's where we stand.

We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.

We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.

We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.

Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble.

Our borders are like sieves.

The middle class is being squeezed every which way.

These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the  point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?

We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on NBC news or CNN news will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here.  I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America . In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of  America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World War  II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,' the 'Vietnam War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.

If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a "Call to Action" for people who, like me, believe in America'. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'

Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It's our country, folks, and it's our future. Our future is at stake!!

[generallee76]

LOVE THIS GREAT COUNTRY OR GET THE HELL OUT.  YOU DON'T SEE PEOPLE FLOCKING TO OTHER COUNTRIES, NO JUST OUR'S.  I PUT MYSELF INTO HARMS WAY AND SOOO DID MANY OTHERS TO PRESERVE YOUR FREEDOMS.  LOVE IT OR GET OUT.  PLEASE DISPLAY THIS NATIONS COLORS TODAY AND FOREVER..

[tommie gorman]

And here you go momma. 

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/iacocca.asp

And the book to be purchased. 

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?TTL=&ATH=Lee+Iacocca&WRD=&PRC=&FMT=&AGE=&CID=&PBL=

[tdawnaz]

LOVE THIS GREAT COUNTRY OR GET THE HELL OUT.  YOU DON'T SEE PEOPLE FLOCKING TO OTHER COUNTRIES, NO JUST OUR'S.  I PUT MYSELF INTO HARMS WAY AND SOOO DID MANY OTHERS TO PRESERVE YOUR FREEDOMS.  LOVE IT OR GET OUT.  PLEASE DISPLAY THIS NATIONS COLORS TODAY AND FOREVER..

welcome...to tmn...ur my kinda guy...along with so many others in this forum...

and...that's what i'm saying...if u come here fine...do it legally and put ur loyalty to the country that u chose...and keep the fricken money here...or bring ur family here...LEGALLY...but our citizens don't need to support the economy of other countries...bad enough that our gov't does it for us...how about feed the homeless here first...

love it or leave it...

i don't know anything about what your level of service that you gave...but thank you to you and every serviceman that ever was and every service man that ever will be...i will be at my father's vfw post on the fouth of july...i wanna spend it with them...those that really know what that holiday really stands for to this country...it's not just about beer and fireworks...

And here you go momma. 

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/iacocca.asp

And the book to be purchased. 

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?TTL=&ATH=Lee+Iacocca&WRD=&PRC=&FMT=&AGE=&CID=&PBL=

thank you tommie...that speech was so good i was sure that it had to be made up...

i'm getting the book...thx again

[tommie gorman]

But the drinks and fireworks are good too.   

[tdawnaz]

and lots of good food

[tommie gorman]

The 4th of July --Interesting Facts

And now some history.  A good read.

            Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men

who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,

and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;

another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or

hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,

and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.

Eleven were merchants,

nine were farmers and large plantation owners;

men of means, well educated,

but they signed the Declaration of Independence

knowing full well that the penalty would be death if

they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and

trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the

British Navy. He sold his home and properties to

pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British

that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.

He served in the Congress without pay, and his family

was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him,

and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,

Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that

the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson

home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General

George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,

and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.

The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying.

Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill

were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests

and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his

children vanished..

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and

silently thank these patriots.

It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many

people as you can, please. It's time we get the word out that patriotism

is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer,

picnics, and baseball games.

[pixiepistlz]

[Roco]

The 4th of July --Interesting Facts

And now some history.  A good read.

          Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men

who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,

and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;

another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or

hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,

and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.

Eleven were merchants,

nine were farmers and large plantation owners;

men of means, well educated,

but they signed the Declaration of Independence

knowing full well that the penalty would be death if

they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and

trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the

British Navy. He sold his home and properties to

pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British

that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.

He served in the Congress without pay, and his family

was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him,

and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,

Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that

the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson

home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General

George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,

and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.

The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying.

Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill

were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests

and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his

children vanished..

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and

silently thank these patriots.

It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many

people as you can, please. It's time we get the word out that patriotism

is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer,

picnics, and baseball games.

Thanks for the info Tommie , well my  history at school got stopped short over here in the UK on American history ,( that still puzzels me after all these years )  so I can't defend the English view ,

but  the new world was English , we invested heavy at the time  as we did across the world ,.

sure we was good at torture and TAX , it never failed us in the past , BTW, we don't do torture anymore ,

we find TAX painfull enough , , ........ ,

[wknight40]

This is not entirely true according to Snopes. 

http://www.snopes.com/history/american/pricepaid.asp

Must read the whole thing to find the many inaccuracies.  Such as the following:

# John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year, he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

John Hart's New Jersey farm was looted in the course of the Revolutionary War, and he did have to remain in hiding for a while afterwards. However, the claim that he was "driven from his [dying] wife's bedside" as his "13 children fled for his lives" is dramatic fiction. The British overran the area of New Jersey where he resided in late November of 1776, but his wife had already died on 8 October, and most of their children were adults by then. He also did not die "from exhaustion and a broken heart" a mere "few weeks" after emerging from hiding

[tdawnaz]

still the basics are very accurate...and i'll find the book i read...that list some of this stuff......it's like "the revolutionary" er something like that...and on this...i have to question snopes accuracy...this is history...and has been taught for decades...who's to say what is the reality of it now...we only have the written word to go by...and we are at the mercy of the authors.

point is...the lives of the men that signed that document and their families were not all that pretty... they paid a price...

[wknight40]

Snopes does have links to a lot of the inaccuracies on their page.  You are correct in that we only have the written word on a lot of this stuff now.  But when the original author, not Tommie, can't get some of the names and date right?  This is what skews all history.  Snopes is has a very good team of researchers to check the acccuracy of their articles.

I'm also in agreement that what the signers of the Declaration of Independance broke many laws that would getthem death for what they did.  No disagreement there. 

I also feel that we need more article similar to this to wake people up.  As another example during WWI and WWII we had a lot of actors from Hollywood joining the military to go to war for our country.  Were are they now?  They speak against our military for being in this war when most of them don't want to be there either.  But they do it because they volunteered to defend this country from terrorist's both foreign and domestic.  Alot of them are also adopting foreign born children.  What not enough orphans here to adopt?  Or they build schools in foreign countries.  Lord knows we can use more schools here.  Or what about some these exotic getaways the rich are able to take vacation/weekends to.  They want me to help rebuild places that I will never get a chance to see.  I understand there are people in the world that need help but when are we as a nation or individual's going to start taking care of #1 first.  We as a nation need to get back on our feet before worrying about other countries that will never payback or help us in our natural disasters.

I'm a Patriot, I stand for the USA.  Yes our government seems to only take care of their own.(Rich)  I have put my life on the line for this country and would do it again if need be.

I apologize for getting off on a tangent there.  I'll step down and back. 

One other quick note, as mentioned articles like this and many others I have seen here and on other sites are great eye openers.  Some do need better research to get the facts right and many others are so far off base that it is not funny.  This last one was not that far off in all reality.

I'm done and again I apologize for going slightly askew.

[tdawnaz]

know what??...no need to apologize...those are powerful words...and for your service we thank you...and no need to step down back up or sideways...this is the patriotism topic...it's what it's about...

and our servicemen are what make us all proud and keep this topic and this country going...

I have a print copy of the original unedited version of the declaration of independence hanging...complete with typos (er scriptos ) and misspellings...it was my father's and he was proud of it...so am i...it's awesome...i can just imagine those men writing that line by line in secrecy by lamplight...

funny how history turns...those that we were fleeing from then are one of our greatest allies now...and we can toss the funnies in the air and nobody gets offended...but we both know it was a sorrowful time in the years surrounding the signing of that document...before and after...we need to never forget the sacrifices...i want my kids and grandkids to know so that maybe we can keep moving forward

[tommie gorman]

And without the truth what good is history.  I just hope most of what is around for my kids is truthful. But with the way they keep chopping at it who knows in years to come. Like religion... like it or not it was one of the big reason for coming over here for in the first place.

"FREEDOM OF RELIGION"

[tdawnaz]

history has always been shaded...only the parts they want us to know...but more the truth here in america than anywhere else in the world...even if it's shaded it's something...who knows...maybe the wives actually wrote it...and the husbands had to take credit for it because "that's the way it should be" and maybe the british found out and that's what made them so mad...and punished the signers because they didn't give due credit where credit was due...huh?? did ya think of that...huh?? i didn't think so...

[wknight40]

Possible, very possible.  Yes our history, and other countries, is full of censorship that we are not aware of.  They only way to really know is to have been there yourself.  Not saying people lie about things but they may exagerate  or mistakenly omit facts here and there.

[tdawnaz]

just one example...a biggie that's happened in my lifetime (and i was there without actually being there thru the magic of tv) and i still don't know the truth...jfk...we all know, that what we know to be the truth there, is far from it...we all know there were underlying forces at work there...oswald was just player in a gov't skit...and lbj was the product of a force beyond anyones control...the teaches pet...jfk was the sacrificial lamb...but that will never be what is printed in our history books for our children to read...

i remember the class i was in that day...i went numb...other kids around me cried...one girl fainted...i was just numb...and believed every word i heard in the days that followed.

[mudmanc4]

just one example...a biggie that's happened in my lifetime (and i was there without actually being there thru the magic of tv) and i still don't know the truth...jfk...we all know, that what we know to be the truth there, is far from it...we all know there were underlying forces at work there...oswald was just player in a gov't skit...and lbj was the product of a force beyond anyones control...the teaches pet...jfk was the sacrificial lamb...but that will never be what is printed in our history books for our children to read...

i remember the class i was in that day...i went numb...other kids around me cried...one girl fainted...i was just numb...and believed every word i heard in the days that followed.

This brings an interesting point we were discussing earlier.  Looking at this post , and most all the rest, listening to the "news" and the side talk about the news, as well as people's opinions, and feelings about it, would you say that what we absorb throughout out lifetimes makes us who we are ? Think about that for a minute, at a young age we begin to form our opinion of the world by who we surround ourselves with, and we do this due to what we were taught, and or what we see and hear is what we want. They say, that by the age of 15-21 , we are who were going to be, and our opinions of the world in general are pretty much set in stone. So lies and programming from birth define us ? !

[wknight40]

True quit true for the most part.  I will not say that it is 100%.  I do agree.  As a big point to go along with what you mentioned.  Racism.  I do not believe that we are born racist.  Watch very young kids as an example.  They do not care, for the most, what gender or nationality you are.  They just want to play.  A they get older, depending on their upbringing, they may shy away from different nationalities.  It's a lot to do with the teachings of the parents.  These days the parent is relying on the school system to teach what should be taught at home such as manners and respect of others.

[tommie gorman]

You Would Never Have Guessed (and yes it was very interesting to me)

Captain Kangaroo passed away on January 23, 2004

at age 76 , which is odd, because he always looked like he was 76. (DOB:

6/27/27 ) His death reminded me of the following  story.

Some people have been a bit offended that the actor, Lee Marvin, is buried in a

grave alongside 3- and 4-star generals at Arlington National Cemetery ... His

marker gives his name, rank (PVT) and service (USMC). Nothing else. Here's a

guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time, why the heck does he

rate burial with these guys? Well, following is the amazing answer:

I always liked Lee Marvin, but didn't know the extent of his Corps experiences.

In a time when many Hollywood stars served their

country in the armed forces often in rear echelon posts where they were

carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war

bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine hero.  He won the Navy Cross at

Iwo Jima . There is only one higher Naval award...  The Medal Of Honor!

If that is a surprising comment on the true

character of the man, he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of

bravery..

Dialog from 'The  Tonight Show with Johnny Carson': His guest was Lee

Marvin, Johnny said, 'Lee,

I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial

landing at Iwo Jima and that during the course of that action you earned the

Navy Cross and were severely wounded.

'Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the bottom and they

gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing

about getting shot up on a mountain is guys getting' shot hauling you down.

But, Johnny, at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew... We both got

the Cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in

comparison. That dumb guy actually stood up on Red beach and directed his

troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach.  Bullets flying by,

with mortar rounds landing everywhere and he stood there as the main target of

gunfire so that he could get his men to safety. He did this on more than one

occasion because his men's safety was more important than his own life.

That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me, lying on my belly on the litter and said, 'Where'd they get you Lee?'  'Well, Bob... If you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse!' Johnny, I'm not lying, Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew.

The Sergeant's name is Bob Keeshan. You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo.'     

On another note, there was this wimpy little man (who just passed away) on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat-proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name.  He wore a long-sleeved sweater on TV, to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps.  He was a master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat.

After the war Mr.. Rogers became an ordained Presbyterian minister and therefore a pacifist. Vowing to never harm another human and also dedicating the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the right path in life. He hid away the tattoos and his past life and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm.

America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did; they quietly go about their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best.

They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy.

Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst. Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened.

Take the time to thank anyone that has fought for our freedom.. With encouragement they could be the next Captain

Kangaroo or Mr.Rogers.   

Again, yes I was thoroughly amazed. You never know who you are rubbing sholders with sometimes.

:icon_salut: :icon_salut:

[pixiepistlz]

OH WOW!!.. thanks for sharing that.....

I loved watching Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood and I wanted to be a "Do bee" watching Romper Room. It seems like yesterday, but compared to today, I feel stoneaged. But I am so glad that I was born when I was and I am thankful to have been raised at that point in time.