Posted on 12/09/2005 6:04:22 AM PST by wallcrawlr
DULUTH - A large sign went up Monday in the storefront next to the U.S. Army recruiting station in downtown Duluth.
What it says and how its message was received by the "Be-All-You-Can-Be" folks next door may well make it a sign of the times.
"Iraq," it says. "Remember the Fallen Heroes." Below, in black numbers changed daily, is a tally of the dead and wounded U.S. soldiers and the number of days the conflict has gone on.
It took only one day for Staff Sgt. Gary Capan from the recruiting office to walk over and politely ask Scott Cameron to take the sign down.
Cameron is a volunteer on the Steve-Kelley-for-governor campaign, which opened its northern Minnesota office next to the recruiting station last week.
Although the sign was Cameron's idea, Kelley, a DFL state senator from Hopkins, approved of displaying it in the window.
< snip >
Cameron decided to keep the tally going in the window. In explaining why, he talked about Vietnam, which he said was another mistake. There a bullet tore through his spine and shredded his left lung. Forty-six surgeries later, he spends much of his time advocating for better benefits for veterans.
Way too many Americans are insulated from the horror of war, and even the numbers, he said, adding that his sign will help them remember.
He said he was carrying a plate of cookies when he walked into the recruiting office Wednesday to give Capan his decision.
"He was cordial but said that 'until you take your sign down, I can't accept them,' " Cameron said. "I'm not going to do that."
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Don't mind me. I'm slow on the uptake for a lot today. I got so many hard hugs last night from troops heading over that I'm sore and not thinking well.
Don't mind you?? Lady, I'd hug you too!! You are AWESOME!!
Those recruiters should be eating their pizzas by now. I hope they're enjoying them!!! :o) MAN I love doing stuff like that!! WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!
Yep, I like to hear that.
Bless you for doing it. You have made their day!
After what they do for me, a couple of pizzas are nothing.
Anytime you see a thread about troop support, put "troopsupport" in as a keyword. I have a link on my profile page to all threads with that keyword!!
Will do
If this was an honest exchange by someone who is really in the military, then I did call BS on the wrong target.
Something in the initial exchange alerted my senses to think otherwise.
Sorry to all concerned if my suspicions were not warranted. We have enough hostiles out there without turning on each other.
Old Sarge is in the ARNG, serving since last January in OIF, deployed to Iraq since June. You did. Next time, check profile pages before going off, ok?? Thanks!!
And the veracity of profile pages is assured by...?
As an observer of military.com forums and a victim of too many imposters on other forums, I have smelled many a phony profile page. That is why I generally don't bother.
But thanks for the advice.
Get a grip. I would think "Military Freeper of the Year 2004" might have been a clue. Sorry - I just can't give you a pass on this.
I just got off the phone with one of the nice guys at the Duluth recruiter's office. He called to tell me thanks!! Imagine that!?!! I am in a VERY bubbly mood right at the moment! He he he!!
But, there's more... This site has a poll -- whether or not you think that bonehead should take his sign down. If ya have a minute, it deserves a little bump in the right direction. Thanks!!
I can't recall ever seeing any veteran mistreat a Guardsman around here. Oh, I'm sure it exists here and there, although I bet a lot of it is the good-natured interservice rivalries and the like. But you're not accurately portraying this forum, not in my view anyway.
Freeped.
1651 votes
64% REMOVE SIGN
36% are donkeys
I live in a medium sized state that has lost 900 people to car accidents this year. We need an exit stategery here. Talk about dying in vain.
I've seen it. BUT I know plenty of vets who stick together. I prefer to think that most do, but occasionally you get one who's a little overboard. As a sillyvillian though, I respect them ALL!! They have all done so much for me.
Or how about a sign of how many American citizens have been protected for one more day against terrorism?
Freeped from here. Democrates have the distinction of being the party of poor taste, poor patriotism, and white flags.
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