Today, 7 Dec 1999, is a day to remember those who gave their lives defending this country from the forces of tyranny who sought to destroy the American Way of Life and impose 'their' way onto the rest of the world.

The instigators (both foreign and domestic) failed that day because they underestimated the strength, courage, valor, and determination of the American People. May the example they set provide us with the same qualities as we face what may very well come upon us in the not so distant future.

I humbly propose that each take a moment in silent rememberance for those valiant men and women who died in the service of their country; their family, friends, and neighbors; and their way of life.

With honor and respect from a combat veteran....

-- hiding in plain (sight@edge. of no-where), December 07, 1999

Answers

As a professor at a military college, I am reminded daily of the suffering and sacrifice of our veterans who put themselves in harm's way to protect our liberties. Whenever I see an old codger with a baseball cap embroidered with a patch reading, "WWII Vet," or "Korea Vet," or "Vietnam Vet," I make it a point to shake his hand and thank him, or her, for what he did for us. Thank you, Hiding in Plain, and thank you to all the vets who frequent this board.

-- Kurt Ayau (Ayau@iwinet.com), December 07, 1999.

Thank you veterans, and those military lost in the struggle to build this nation! And thanks to the active duty and reservists today who continue to sacrifice in the name of honor in their oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America!!!! .....the oath they all willingly take upon duty!

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 07, 1999.

Yes, thanks to all the US combat vets. My parents and relatives were civilians (or guerillas) in the Philippines during those years.

No, Pearl Harbor is not OT. To VMI Professor Ayau: According Robert Stinnett in Day of Deceit (1999),he used recently obtained FOIA documents to show that FDR and the highest Navy brass knew Pearl Harbor was coming down and that the "Japanese Radio Silence" was a myth. This goes much further than the US Senate hearings of 1995 exonerating the Pearl Harbor commanders who took the blame in 1944-5.

Someone on this b-board actually cited Gulf of Tonkin as the precipitating factor for US involvement in Vietnam, an incident which never happened! The parallel to the current .gov spin on Y2K is obvious.

-- Nelson Isada (isada@alaska.net), December 07, 1999.

Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you! to all vets out there! You guys and gals are the ones who gave me the freedom I love and cherish! Oh yeah, did I say Thank-you?

-- Rich (rubeliever@webtv.net), December 07, 1999.

I posted this earlier today on the FRL thread. (My home away from home.) :-) It's a haiku. (3 lined stanza, 5/7/5 syllables) I thought I'd post it here. Thanks to all who served!

It's Pearl Harbor day,
A sad anniversary.
God, please, no more war!

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), December 07, 1999.