Today we flew out of the Bay Area and watched a vignette that I want to share. We were having a beer in the airpot cafe and noticed a young man (25ish) and his parents at a near table. The young man had a distinctive "high and tight" haircut which means Marine. His look was not that of a new recruit, but the sturdy hard look of someone who has been in a while. He had a Marine style bag with a digital camo design under the table, and he and his parents took turns taking pictures with a cell phone. They finished their meal and walked to the adjacent gate where Dad and Mom both hugged him, very hard. I commented to BP that the parents did not have travel bags (they must have had a gate pass, and good for the airline for giving it to them!) There were lots of other young men with short haircuts and serious looks at that gate, where the flight was going to San Diego, home of Camp Pendleton.
So we sent a new year's wish for that young Marine and his mom and dad and all those who travel in uniform in harm's way. May they stay safe and come home soon.
11 comments:
Way too much war going on --- prayers for all in harm's way.
The past 3 years I've been flying for the holidays, I've seen them.
They're almost always impossibly young-looking (like, why are these high-school teens, boys & girls, playing at being soldiers?).
I offer them my prayers, now as then. But I esp. pray that their new C-in-C will get them the f@ck out of harm's way!
Amen, and Amen. The only reason there is war in the world is because the young people fight it. It is never the old men who are in harm's way. I'm such a peacenick,but I've always been a strong supporter of the troops--not the military administration, but the troops. Back in the 1960s, one of my brother's best friends, Robert Fryer, died in Viet Nam. I've hated war ever since.
God bless the grunts in the military.
why are these high-school teens, boys & girls, playing at being soldiers?
My dear, it is always the young who nations have sent to die for the ideals of the elders. But never the elders young, always other folks young. The elders always manage to get their own young a deferment.
Our nation's most precious resource is our men and women in uniform. As a former Marine, combat veteran, nothing is more rare than a single person's life.
The tremendous responsibility of our nation, or any nation, is that we expend those precious resources only when absolutely necessary. Our military personnel are incredibly professional and they do not, like other countries, wade in on the political. They trust and expect nothing but the best from those of us that make the decisions that put them in harms way. We owe them a great debt of gratitude, yesterday, today and tomorrow.
This is lovely IT. Prayers for all and prayers for peace.
.......{I lurk in the restrooms waiting for them}
....lol...
In my Dreams!!
Young, oh hell yes. But not "playing" at it - not a bit. There are very many of these young men and women who are every bit the committed professional. And God bless them for it.
And a pox on the old men who never served & who send these young folks into harm's way for no good reason. Yes, Dick "received five draft deferments" Cheney, I'm looking at you.
Where's LiL'Bush when you like A&E?!?
Deleted Dr. Primrose's off-topic comment, as we now have a main page posting on same :)
Post a Comment