Us Vets. Record Alert.

[Wagon]

In another thread awhile ago I had warned some folks about the taxonomy of war. How the "Operation" mindset is changing our language and taking away from what it is we are doing or have done out there. It is war. We made war, we served in war. Plain and simple WAR.

I was talking to another Navy vet a few weeks back (and I was so pissed off, I can only just post this now) He was in Lebanon in the early 80's I had been there in the late 80's. All of this is kind of secret but hell, It is no secret we've been messing around in Lebanon with the Israelis for more than 30 years. So this guy tells me. "Oh we're not exactly official veterans anymore" Huh? "Lebanon has been removed from the foriegn actions list, all expeditionary medals removed and the VFW kicked me out"

So I think. "No way" Then I go check Wikepedia. Well sure enough. Medals for Lebanon removed. Not that I have them or give a shit. Threw those out long ago........but.

The point here is undeclared war. At one point in history if you are far enough away from the event, you can just do a paper fix and that event never really happened. I think this is a stern warning for the future. The civilian public has a very short memory, congress is corrupt and the US is broke. They'll find ways to cut the veterans programs one way or another. This one is shameless and under handed.

Peace
Wagon

 

[BaMuoiBa]

Wagon,

So this guy tells me. "Oh we're not exactly official veterans anymore" Huh? "Lebanon has been removed from the foreign actions list, all expeditionary medals removed and the VFW kicked me out"

Link Removed

As of 9/2012 it was still on the eligibility list and it is the same list on the current web site.

It would not surprise me though, tried to join the VFW in 1971 and was told that VN was not a foreign war f*ck OFF!

To this day I still resent that. Though they had a change of heart it still rubs me wrong.

Ba

 

[vikingr12]

I was with my wife at a Chinese restaurant, a favorite of the locals (we are not local there) and in steps these two Vietnamese women (don't ask. I can tell) and two young men. (I still consider myself young.) As you know Chinese places, they stuff you in like sardines to make the most money so I could hear everything they were talking about. Apparently the two guys just met the women somewhere and were asking them questions about "their country."

Now, I know when a man is sparking a woman. These guys were not sparking these women. And they were not the usual hootch women I was accustomed to seeing. For one, they were both fat. I have never seen a fat Vietnamese woman. You may have. I have not.

But they were giggling and grinning at each other. Then the youngest :man asked the women where their country was exactly. I squirmed a little in the chair but leaned over a little to hear better.

"It's north of Malaysia," was one woman's response. The other guy said, "It's near Thailand, on the China peninsula." Well, not quite but close.

"Is it an island?" asked the young SOBitchin' kid. He was serious. No, silly, one girl said, it's right on the coast of the ocean there, the...

"South China Sea," I said. I tried to force a smile but I am afraid I didn't do too well.

"Oh."

I guess the Vietnamese girls had run across guys like us, but I always have tried to act friendly because SOME of the ARVN were pretty good guys. I still kept my distance to them.

We left soon because I have been potty trained. And I thought, that answer about the South China sea was almost exactly what the VFW said when I first, and last, walked into the place. "That's not a foreign war" still echoes in my tinnitus filled ears.

They can have their run down, tin topped bar. I've seen better places in a tampon commercial.

 

[Wagon]

Thanks Ba Moi. I looked at it and now see what they have done. They clipped the dates to shorter periods. Not gone. But working on it. That is a document to watch closely. Clip clip clip. Pretty soon they'll have everyones war whittled down to 6 months.