Posted on 11/07/2010 4:56:07 PM PST by US Navy Vet
I never expected to write this letter, but my Mom e-mailed me to get information about my career for a writeup on Veterans Day, and as this is the first such holiday in 22 years when I will not be on active duty, I felt compelled to let you know why I decided to quit.
Quit is a strong word, I know. Everyone I’ve talked to has repeated that I’ve had a marvelous career and that I’ve retired with honor. Maybe that’s true on paper; I guess that it’s reflected by the record. But that’s not how I feel. I feel like I’ve quit. And because I’m not a quitter, I feel I have to explain why — not that anyone is asking, but because perhaps they don’t know to ask.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailyinterlake.com ...
Perhaps most of Congress and all Libs. I know quite a few great Americans who love this country.
That was depressing. Good read, but depressing in that it’s all correct.
I dunno. There have always been, and always will, be high Government officals who don’t measure up to military members. Honestly, if this guy only stayed in the military because he expects the majority to always agree with him, then he’s in for the wrong reason. It seems like served honorably, but he made a choice to both go in and get out. He shouldn’t expect a parade for it.
You missed the whole point of this man’s letter and his service!
“He’s in for the wrong reason..”
???? HUh?
Your post has to be one of the most ignorant and disgusting posts re our military I have read on this site.
What can be said except WOW?
The Major expresses much of the same reasons I chose to end my Army career at 8 years and ETS’d instead of reenlisting again, once Jimmy Carter came in in 1977.
Not only has not much changed, it seems to have gotten worse overall.
When the top heavy, bankrupt and rotten Soviet Union was tottering and about to fall, but might still have been propped up, the majority of their military and law enforcement stood with their hands in their pockets and watched it collapse.
They did the right thing.
Now, Russia prospers.
I had chosen, freely, to place my life between those that would do harm to the U.S. and those whom I would protect: her citizens. I had always believed in the best of America and the people of her lands; that despite occasional missteps there was a general “rightness” to our way
Well and good. But then he goes on to enumerate the various ways that the American people and leaders haven't lived up to his ideals. He even uses the phrase: "Atlas Shrugged". I'm sorry, but if that's the test you've set up, you're in for the wrong reason. You're always going to find both the good and the bad in the people you serve. If your standard is you want them to be just like you, then they will [likely] always fail to meet that standard. If you can't live with that, then its best to get out. And, BTW, I am a 20 year AF veteran.
When you watch your Army buds get wasted and maimed, you tend to have a higher expectation from those whom you have sworn to protect and defend. It is natural and fuels real patriotism.
RVN 69-70
Screw YOU!
His standard, per his article, was that his own people not betray him and the men he was serving with.
People simply not like himself or lacking courage don't seem to be mentioned. It is sad you could serve 20 years and still desire to insert words into another man's mouth and then deride him for your words, which were different than his words.
Semper Fidelis
I don’t like a lot of what goes on in this country either. But, if you’re serving your Country, you can’t let the likes of John Kerry and Barney Frank get under your skin. If you do, then you probably should leave. For every one of them, there are probably 10 men/women of virtue. And, for the record, read the article (3X now) and didn’t put any words in the Major’s mouth.
You suggested he expected those he served to meet the same high standards that he meets. In actuality, the standards he desired them to meet were several orders of magnitude lower, and easily attainable by any rational society.
He didn’t directly mention the takeover of the US military by UN ideology, but expresses what a lot of us feel but keep inside—only to be told “if you don’t like it you can just get out.”
A powerful letter. I understand why this Major decided to resign his commission. It was time. I don’t think I could serve the current Commander-in-Chief. I couldn’t have served under Clinton either. When it’s that bad, and one’s conscience is that tortured, it’s time to call it “quits.”
That reveals the greater problem — how in the WORLD can Americans keep electing these same people to offices they aren’t qualified for, only to take an oath they obviously have no intention of keeping?! And why don’t we have a means of removing them in an expedited fashion, since it’s crystal clear they won’t take out one of their own in Washington DC? Something to think about...
thanks for your response.
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