Incoming Troops, Outgoing Vets: Soldiers From Other Wars Help Those From Iraq at BWI

As the automatic doors leading out of customs at BWI Airport swung open, a loud, sustained cheer rang out. The troops just off the plane from Iraq -- looking gritty in their desert camouflage uniforms -- stopped short.

"Welcome back. Good to have you home," said Bill Self, a Vietnam War veteran, extending his hand to each soldier arriving for two weeks of home leave. Beyond him, a second line of veterans was waiting with telephone cards allowing the soldiers to make free calls across the country.

At the end of the gantlet stood Ray Shipley, 75, a Korean War veteran from Bowie who served in both the Army and Air Force. He knew that every second of leave is precious and wanted to make sure the soldiers didn't waste it sitting in an airport. Like the old buck sergeant he is, Shipley hurried them off to the appropriate ticket agent.

If y'all see anyone at Hobby or HIA hasseling our troops coming home, please bust
them in the mouth! I'll pay your fine!

Actually, there's a non-violent alternative.
If there are anti-soldier protestors, just show up in suit and tie, a la Men In Black,
wearing sunglasses, and start videotaping them.
Make sure they know they are being taped.
And refuse to answer if they demand to know why you're taping them.

Of course, be prepared for these pacifists to turn violent, to destroy your videocam,
as soon as they start presuming John Ashcroft has sent you get them on file
for Patriot Act violations.

No, sorry. If I'm there, I'll bust 'em!

Heck TexasCowboy, my exposition was incomplete!
I didn't mean that there was only one methodology...just suggesting an
an alternative for folks (like myself) who just don't know if they'd be able to
throw a good punch!

While...for myself, I might have gone with the "freak 'em out with a
videocam" method, I can't guarantee that if I had a confrontation with these anti-patriots,
I might get that emotion that Clark (of Lewis and Clark) expressed when some
nice Native-American was about to steal from him:
"I felt the blood rise within me."

I wouldn't be suprised at myself if some of these pukes egged me into a bit of pugilism!

I hope y'all find some way of greeting our Best-And-Brightest at the airports in
the Houston area.
And if any sort of altercation ensues with some unprincipled interlopers,
please post if you need any sort of help with legal fees.
(I'm NOT being facetious...just asking you to let us know IF any problems break out)

LOL!
Yeah, we'll have some cameras in the crowd.
Whatever happens we'll post it.

I suspect you'd be the same way.
If you saw someone taunting our guys, your blood would boil, and it wouldn't make any difference if you got your butt stomped into the pavement, you'd get in one good punch.

I just wish I had been there for the guys coming back from VietNam. I'll never forgive myself for that.
I lost some good friends there, but I wasn't even there to welcome the survivors back home.
I was too busy in my own little world.

That won't happen again, so help me God!

BillF, I apologize in advance to you and Jim Robinson for stealing this thread momentarily...

Dear Fellow Freepers...I'm hi-jacking this thread for a short side-bar in hopes to inform you to motivate y'all just a bit.....
the deadline (November 13th) for mailing military care-packages via the APO/FPO route to
our best and brightest has passed.

BUT...you can still mail military care packages!
I know, I DID IT YESTERDAY! (Saturday 11-15-03)

It's still TIME to:
SHOP
BOX
and
MAIL

for shipping advice, see threads at these URLs:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1003802/posts
(please not that the USPS website URL are missing a ".com"),
and remember to mark the "Redirect" box and write in "Commander/Chaplain"
on the Customs form...that way your box will definitely be used
AND
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/997310/posts

Further info. on VOA's mailing of two packages on 11-15-03, Saturday

I'll admit that it's costly. I loaded up one of the free "Priority Mail" cardboard boxes from the
local United States Post Office.
I loaded up each of two boxes with all sorts of "comfort food" and "personal hygiene" items that
should be useful, no matter if the recipient gets them or they are redirected by a "commander/chaplain".

I loaded each boxes with food items like...
flavored coffeed (e.g, hazelnut flavored that had sugar in the blend),
artificially-sweetened Tropical-Punch-flavored Kool-Aid (so sugar isn't required),
Spam-brand "Oven-roasted Turkey" (no pork products; metal-sealed for long-term preservation)...something
that a hungry Iraqi might really appreciate as a gift),
Lipton soup-packets in the flavors of "chicken noodle", "ranch", and "beef onion" (humble, but a change of pace!)
Oreo Cookies ("America's Favorite Cookie"...so I bet US soliders like 'em),
M&Ms -- holiday-colors...bet those will be well received around the tent!,
disposable razors (and a bar of "Burma-Shave" brand shaving soap!),
new toothbrushes (heck, might just be useful in cleaning an M-16!) and toothpaste,
solid-form under-arm deoderant....

I'm sure that folks who've actually served in a long-term deployment far from home, especially when separated
from beloved family and friends DURING THE HOLIDAYS can come up with even much more meaningful
and significant items to send to those who are abroad...protecting us, their fellow band of brothers and sisters,
and, at a long reach.....you and me.

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