Reflections on a Soldier

TraditionsFamilyandProperty ^ | December 12, 2003 | John Horvat

[Terabitten]

As we were getting up, the man next to the soldier slipped him a five dollar bill telling him to get himself a drink. When he tried to refuse, the man insisted and would not take no for an answer.

I came home from Bosnia three weeks after 9/11. Our plane had a layover in Shannon, Ireland, for a couple hours. I was in the duty free shop, admiring towels, when a man came up to me. He had tears in his eyes as he handed me a twenty-pound note. When I refused, he looked down at the ground, then at the US flag patch on my shoulder, and said, "I am from Switzerland. My country would never send our young men to do the things that you do. Thank you." He forced the money back into my hand, quickly turned and walked away. I realized as he walked away that his were not tears of pride in his country, or even pride in mine -- they were tears of shame. Hot, bitter shame.

We bash the Euroweenies a lot on this forum, and rightfully so. Never forget, though, that deep down, they know the truth. They know, and are ashamed.

[gatorbait]

There were also passengers who did not like the soldier. To them, he represented a terrible reality that they would like to forget. While they dared not manifest themselves in the plane, they kept an uneasy glance over our way.

With luck, these scum suckers will enjoy the trip to some exotic place and enjoy further the company of those this young man is defending against. Perhaps ,luckier still, this young warrior and his buddies will arrive seconds too late...

[Coop]

Nice story.