[CSM]

I don't normally post this type of thing, and I have not even verified the authenticity. That said, I won't even offer an apology for posting this one!

[Two-Bits]

Excellent Post. I have to laugh because I had a recent run in with a volunteer at the Blood Bank. I had just given blood and was enjoying my cranberry juice when the volunteer started mouthing off regarding Iraq. Needless to say, I stood up, inform him of his ignorance and then as I walked out, inform the manager that their volunteers should keep their politics to themselves. I did not give blood just so I could sit and listen to such tripe.

We need to be vocal and not stay silent anymore. This is how they got away with it in the sixties by us staying silent (Silent Majority). We need to call them on it every time they open their mouths.......

[Krodg]

I have read this several times, but I'm not complaining. It brings tears of pride each time I see it.

[SheLion]

I don't normally post this type of thing, and I have not even verified the authenticity. That said, I won't even offer an apology for posting this one!

Wow! This one has me all choked up..............................

[Bean Counter]

This may or may not be authentic; but I can sure as hell hear that kind of conversation taking place in any restaurant in the greater Portland Metro area on any given evening. Same goes for Seattle, San Francisco, et al.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

http://www.lulu.com/lorikimble

http://www.loriannshouse.com/

[MissAmericanPie]

I'm afraid I would have asked the women if they would like a date with Ben Laden, if I could arrange it for them.

[Hildy]

About a year and a half ago I was staying at spa resort by myself for a few days. I was having dinner alone at a very nice restaurant, and a young couple came in. Turns out they were celebrating his return from Iraq. Before I left, I picked up their entire bill (which was not cheap, they were celebrating not only his return, but their engagement). It was the best feeling I'd had in a long, long, time.

[Alberta's Child]

Very interesting story, but I do have a bone to pick with the logic this woman used in her confrontation. With all due respect to the men and women in the armed forces, there's simply no rational way to make the case that the U.S. involvement in what is essentially a civil war in Iraq has anything to do with protecting the God-given rights of U.S. citizens.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

We must not let our soldiers' homecomings turn into another Vietnam. We need our returning veterans' help in liberating our own homeland from the corps of our own domestic Taliban who so eagerly await to stab them and us in the back.

God bless our brave soldiers.

God bless all domestic patriots.

God bless the USA.

[jwpjr]

My wife and I live in Tampa, FL, home of MacDill AFB, HQ for command that handles the war against terrorism in the Mideast. We were recently eating dinner at a popular seafood chain restaurant not far from the base and noticed a table of eight young men and women, who not in uniform were obviously military seated a few tables away. They seemed to be in good spirits and the wife and I commented how proud their appearance and demeanor made us of our fighting forces. I left out table to go to the rest room and when I passed the waiter's area I noticed there server was preparing their check. On an impulse I handed the waiter my debit card, telling him I wanted to pick up their tab. I also asked him not to tell them who had paid the check. Shortly after I returned to our table one of the military group walked over and thanked us! He told us they were a group of F-16 pilots on their way, along with their magnificent aircraft, to a South American country to do some demonstration shows. They are members of a demo team that is stationed in Utah. He gave me a patch from their unit. I was embarrassed by his attention to us, but felt very happy that we had an opportunity to make their stop over in Tampa a bit out of the ordinary. I can assure you this is a true story!

[4integrity]

Thank you for sharing this email. And, may God bless Mrs. Kimble and her husband. More Americans need to STAND UP and be vocal in appreciating our military and their families.

[EveningStar]

Thank you for posting this. :)

[leda]

beautiful! thanks for sharing it!

[leenie312]

Beautiful post...made me cry

[roaddog727]

Bumperoo!

[CheneyChick]

God bless military spouses. Definitely not a job for wimps.

[lowbridge]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/speakup.asp

Origins: The piece quoted above was written by Lori Kimble, a 31-year-old California native who is now a teacher in Alabama and the wife of a serviceman. She contributes occasional pieces to The Washington Dispatch, and this item was her contribution for 14 April 2003, published under the title "The Price of Freedom."

As we explained in a previous version of this page, we could verify only that Lori Kimble is a real person, that she is the author of this piece, and that she asserts it is based upon a real incident. The article contains no details by which it can be independently verified, and our attempts to elicit more information from the author about when and where the events described took place received no response. We note now that the publishers have removed the article from the Washington Dispatch's web site because they, too, have been unable to verify its truthfulness and have been unable to obtain more information from its author:

This article as been removed from the archives as questions have arisen regarding its validity. The author has been contacted on numerous occasions but has refused to provide any material that could resolve the issue Last updated: 22 January 2004