Re: We Were Soldiers

On Fri, 2002-03-22 at 20:43, Alan and Carmel Brain wrote:
> From: "Flak Magnet" <flakmagnet72@yahoo.com>
> 
> > He also earned three silver stars while serving over there.
> 
> In Australia or the UK, they tend not to be so free as the US with
> medals. In Vietnam, the Bronze Star in particular was awarded with
> very little excuse - a unit would be allocated X of em every month,
> even if in garrison duty.

While I was in the army (six years, 1992-1998, with stops in Somalia,
Panama and Haiti (just missed going to Bosnia, barely) I was
dissappointed to see how much of a "gimme" medals had become.  I was
also bummed to see how they went to shitbags who managed to shine just
long enough for someone to notice instead of the troops that busted
their asses every day.
 
> But *THREE* Silver Stars? In WW2? And for an artilleryman?
> 
> I have a lot of respect for anyone who fought to make the world we
live
> in in WW2. But 3 silver stars... that's very impressive.
 
I wish he'd lived closer, (Him: Florida, me: Ohio).  I bet he had a lot
of stories, besides being a really neat uncle.	(Not that I knew that
when I was still snot-nosed...)

> >  He was
> > buried this past fall with military honors, I made sure to tell the
> > funeral detail about his service, hoping it gave their task that day
in
> > the cold, windy rain a bit more meaning.
> 
> Good on you. And thanks for telling me about him. 

-- 

--Flak Magnet
Hive Fleet Jaegernaught
http://www.geocities.com/flakmagnet72

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