Map of Vietnam
Did You Know...
This speech was given by Rear Admiral Stark, USN,
President of the Naval War College.
He called the speech "Why I Like Marines."
The first reason I like Marines: They set high
standards for
themselves and those around them, and will accept
nothing less.
I like the way Marines march.
I like the way Marines do their basic training whether it's Quantico, Parris Island, or San Diego.
I like the idea that Marines cultivate an ethos conductive of producing hard people in a soft age.
I like the fact that Marines stay in shape.
I like the fact that the Marines only have one boss -- the Commandant.
And I like the directness of the Commandant.
I like the fact that Marines are stubborn.
I like the way Marines obey orders.
I like the way Marines make the most of the press.
I like the wholehearted professionalism of the Marines.
It occurred to me that the services could be characterized
by different breeds of dogs: The Air Force
reminded me of a French Poodle. The poodle always
looks perfect... sometimes a bit pampered and always
travels first class. But don't ever forget that
the poodle was bred as a hunting dog and in a fight it's very
dangerous.
The Army is kind of like a St. Bernard. It's big
and heavy and sometimes seems a bit clumsy. But it's very
powerful and has lots of stamina. So you want
it for the long haul.
The Navy, God bless us, is a Golden Retriever.
They're good natured and great around the house. The kids
love 'em. Sometimes their hair is a bit long...
they go wandering off for long periods of time, and they love
water.
Marines I see as two breeds, Rottweilers or Dobermans,
because Marines come in two varieties, big and
mean or skinny and mean. They're aggressive on
the attack and tenacious on defense. They've got really
short hair and they always go for the throat.
That sounds like a Marine to me!
So what I really like about Marines is that first
to fight isn't just a motto, it's a way of life. From the day they
were formed at Tun Tavern 226 years ago, Marines
have distinguished themselves on battlefields around the
world. From the fighting tops of the Bonhomme
Richard, to the
sands of Barbary coast, from the swamps of New
Orleans to the halls of Montezuma, from Belleau Wood, to
the Argonne Forest, to Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima,
and Okinawa and Inchon, and Chosin Reservoir and Hue
City and Quang Tri and Dong Ha, and Beirut, and
Grenada, and Panama, and Somalia and Bosnia and a
thousand unnamed battlefields in godforsaken
corners of the globe --Marines have distinguished
themselves by their bravery, and stubbornness
and aggressive spirit, and sacrifice, and love of country, and
loyalty to one another.
They've done it for you and me, and this country
we all love so dearly. They asked for nothing more than the
honor of being a United States Marine.
That's why I like Marines.
US AIR FORCE OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, (State your name), swear to sign away 4 years
of my life to the UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
because I know I couldn't hack it in the Army,
because the Marines frighten me, and because I am afraid
of water over waist-deep. I swear to sit behind
a desk. I also swear not to do any form of real exercise
but promise to defend our bike-riding test as
a valid form of exercise. I promise to walk around calling
everyone by their first name because I find it
amusing to annoy the other services. I will have a better
quality of life than those around me and will,
at all times, be sure to make them aware of that fact. After
completion of "Basic Training", I will be a lean,
mean, donut-eating, Lazy-Boy sitting,
civilian-wearing-blue-clothes, Chair-borne Ranger.
I will believe I am superior to all others and
will make an effort to clean the knife before stabbing the next
person in the back. I will annoy those around
me, and will
go home early every day. So Help Me God!"
____________________
Signature
____________________
Date
US ARMY OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, Rambo, swear to sign away 4 years of my mediocre
life to the UNITED STATES ARMY because I
couldn't score high enough on the ASVAB to get
into the Air Force, I'm not tough enough for the
Marines, and the Navy won't take me because I
can't swim. I will wear camouflage every day and tuck
my trousers into my boots because I can't figure
out how to use blousing straps. I promise to wear my
uniform 24 hours a day even when I have a date.
I will continue to tell myself that I am a fierce killing
machine because my Drill Sergeant told me I am,
despite the fact that the only action I will see is a
Court-Martial for sexual harassment. I acknowledge
the fact that I will make E-8 in my first year of
service, and vow to maintain that it is because
I scored perfect on my PT test. After completion of my
Sexual.....er.....I mean "Basic Training," I
will attend a different Army school every other month and
return knowing
less than I did when I left. On my first trip
home after Boot Camp, I will walk around like I am cool and
propose to my 9th grade sweet-heart. I will make
my wife stay home because if I let her out she might
leave me for a better-looking Air Force guy.
Should she leave me twelve times, I will continue to take her
back. While at work, I
will maintain a look of knowledge while getting
absolutely nothing accomplished.
I will arrive to work every day at 1000 hrs because
of morning PT and leave everyday at 1300 to report
back to "COMPANY." I understand that I will undergo
no training whatsoever that will help me get a job
upon separation, and will end up working construction
with my friends from high school. I will brag to
everyone about the Army giving me $30,000 for
college, but will be unable to use it because I can't pass
a placement exam. So Help Me God!"
____________________
Signature
_____________________
Date
US NAVY OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, Top Gun, in lieu of going to prison, swear
to sign away 4 years of my life to the UNITED STATES
NAVY, because I want to hang out with Marines
without actually having to BE one of them, because I
thought the Air Force was too "corporate," because
I didn't want to actually live in dirt like the Army, and
because I thought,
"Hey, I like to swim...why not?" I promise to
wear clothes that went out of style in 1976 and to have my
name stenciled on the butt of every pair of pants
I own. I
understand that I will be mistaken for the Good
Humor Man during summer, and for Nazi Waffen SS
during the winter. I will strive to use a different
language than the rest of the English-speaking world,
using words like "deck, bulkhead, cover, gee
dunk, scuttlebutt, scuttle and head," when I really mean
"floor, wall, hat, candy, water fountain, hole
in wall and toilet." I will take great pride in the fact that all
Navy acronyms, rank, and insignia, and everything
else for that matter, are completely different from the
other services and make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I will muster, whatever that is, at 0700 every
morning unless I am buddy-buddy with the Chief,
in which case I will show up around 0930. I vow to hone
my coffee cup-handling skills to the point that
I can stand up in a kayak being tossed around in a
typhoon, and still not spill a drop. I consent
to being promoted and subsequently busted at least twice
per fiscal year. I realize that, once selected
for Chief, I am required to submit myself to
the sick, and quite possibly illegal, whims of my newfound
"colleagues." So Help Me Neptune!"
_____________
Signature
________________
Date
US MARINE CORPS OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, (make up a name the police won't recognize),
swear..uhhhh
high-and-tight....grunt...cammies....kill....fix]bayonets....charge....slash....dig....burn....blowup....ugh...Air
Force women....beer.....sailors' wives..... air
strikes....yes SIR!....whiskey....liberty
call....salute....Ooorah Gunny....grenades...women....OORAH!
So Help Me Chesty PULLER!"
X____________________ Thumb Print
XX _________________________________ Teeth Marks
Ever wonder about those people who say they are
giving more than 100%?
We have all been to those meetings where someone
wants over 100%.
How about achieving 103%?
Here's a little math that might prove helpful.
What makes life 100%?
If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26.
Then,
H A R D W O R K
8 1 18 4 23 15 18 11 = 98%
K N O W L E D G E
11 14 15 23 12 5 4 7 5 = 96%
But,
A T T I T U D E
1 20 20 9 20 21 4 5 = 100%
And,
B U L L S H I T
2 21 12 12 19 8 9 20 = 103%
So, it stands to reason that hard work and
knowledge will get you close, attitude will get
you there, but bullshit will put you over the top.
And look how far
A S S K I S S I N G
1 19 19 11 9 19 19 9 14 7 = 127%
will take you.
1. The first German serviceman killed in the war was killed by the Japanese (China, 1937), the first American serviceman killed was killed by the Russians (Finland 1940), the highest ranking American killed was Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair, killed by the US Army Air Corps. So much for allies.
2. The youngest US serviceman was 12 year old Calvin Graham, USN. He was wounded and given a Dishonorable Discharge for lying about his age. (His benefits were later restored by act of Congress)
3. At the time of Pearl Harbor the top US Navy command was Called CINCUS (pronounced "sink us"), the shoulder patch of the US Army's 45th. Infantry division was the Swastika, and Hitler's private train was named "Amerika". All three were soon changed for PR purposes.
4. More US servicemen died in the Air Corps than the Marine Corps. While completing the required 30 missions your chance of being killed was 71%.
5. Generally speaking there was no such thing as an average fighter pilot. You were either an ace or a target. For instance Japanese ace Hiroyoshi Nishizawa shot down over 80 planes. He died while a passenger on a cargo plane.
6. It was a common practice on fighter planes to load every 5th round with a tracer round to aid in aiming. This was a mistake. Tracers had different ballistics so (at long range) if your tracers were hitting the target 80% of your rounds were missing. Worse yet tracers instantly told your enemy he was under fire and from which direction. Worst of all was the practice of loading a string of tracers at the end of the belt to tell you that you were out of ammo. This was definitely not something you wanted to tell the enemy. Units that stopped using tracers saw their success rate nearly double and their loss rate go down.
YOU'VE GOT TO LOVE THIS ONE...
7. When allied armies reached the Rhine the first thing men did was pee in it. This was pretty universal from the lowest private to Winston Churchill (who made a big show of it) and Gen. Patton (who had himself photographed in the act).
8. German Me-264 bombers were capable of bombing New York City but it wasn't worth the effort.
9. German submarine U-120 was sunk by a malfunctioning toilet.
10. Among the first "Germans" captured at Normandy were several Koreans. They had been forced to fight for the Japanese Army until they were captured by the Russians and forced to fight for the Russian Army until they were captured by the Germans and forced to fight for the German Army until they were captured by the US Army.
AND I SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST...
11. Following a massive naval bombardment 35, 000 US and Canadian troops stormed ashore at Kiska. 21 troops were killed in the firefight. It would have been worse if there had been any Japanese on the island.
Pat "Animal" Dugan
We dance around in a ring and
suppose,
But the answer sits in the middle
and knows.
Robert Frost
They carried P-38 can openers and heat tabs, watches and dog tags, insect repellent, gum, cigarettes, Zippo lighters, salt tablets, compress bandages, ponchos, Kool-Aid, two or three canteens of water, iodine tablets, sterno, LRRP- rations, and C-rations stuffed in socks.
They carried standard fatigues, jungle fatigues, jungle boots, bush hats, flak jackets and steel pots.
They carried the M-16 trip flares and Claymore mines, M-60 machine guns, the M-79 grenade launcher, M-14's, CAR-15's, Stoners, Swedish K's, 66mm LAWS, shotguns, .45 caliber pistols, silencers, the sound of bullets, rockets, and choppers, and sometimes the sound of silence.
They carried C-4 plastic explosives, an assortment of hand grenades, PRC-25 radios with 25 foot whip antennas and their heavy batteries, knives and machetes.
Some carried napalm, CBU's and large bombs.
Some risked their lives to rescue others.
Some escaped the fear, but dealt with the death and damage.
Some made very hard decisions, and some just tried to survive.
They carried malaria, dysentery, ringworms and leaches.
They carried the land itself as it hardened on their boots.
They carried stationery, pencils, and pictures of their loved ones - real and imagined.
They carried love for people in the real world and love for one another. And sometimes they disguised that love: "Don't mean nothin'!"
They carried memories for the most part.
They carried themselves with poise and a kind of dignity.
Now and then, there were times when panic set in, and people squealed or wanted to, but couldn't; when they twitched and made moaning sounds and covered their heads and said "Dear God" and hugged the earth and fired their weapons blindly and cringed and begged for the noise to stop and went wild and made stupid promises to themselves and God and their parents, hoping not to die.
They carried the traditions of
the United States military, and memories and images of
those who served before them.
They carried grief, terror, longing and their reputations.
They carried the soldier's greatest fear: the embarrassment of dishonor.
They crawled into tunnels, walked
point, and advanced under fire, so as not to die of
embarrassment.
They were afraid of dying, but too afraid to show it.
They carried the emotional baggage of men and women who might die at any moment.
They carried the weight of the world, and each other.
Tim O'Brien--From his book by that title
In a crowd you're bound to spot
him,
He's standing so very tall
Not too much impresses him;
He's seen and done it all.
His hair is short, his eyes are
sharp,
But his smile's a little blue.
It's the only indication
Of the hell that he's gone through.
He belongs to a sacred brotherhood,
Always Faithful "till the end
He has walked right into
battle
And walked back out again.
Man people think him foolish
For having no regrets
About having lived through many
times
Others would forget.
He's the firstto go and last to
know,
But never questions why,
On whether it is right or wrong,
But only do or die.
He walks a path most won't take
And has lost much along the way,
But he thinks a lot of freedom,
It's a small price to pay.
Yes, he has chosen to live a life
Off the beaten track,
Knowing well each time he's called,
He might not make it back.
So, next time you see a Devil Dog
Standing proud and true,
Be grateful for all he's given;
He's given it for you.
Don't go up and ask him
What's it's like to be in war;
Just thank God that it's your country
He's always fighting for.
And thank him too for all the hell
He's seen in cammie green,
Thank him for having the guts
To be a United States Marine.
They carried P-38 can openers and
heat tabs, watches and dog
tags, insect repellent, gum, cigarettes,
Zippo lighters, salt tablets,
compress bandages, ponchos, Kool-
Aid, two or three canteens
of water, iodine tablets, sterno,
LRRP- rations, and C-rations
stuffed in socks.
They carried standard fatigues,
jungle fatigues, jungle boots,
bush hats, flak jackets and steel
pots. They carried the M-16 trip
flares and Claymore mines, M- 60
machine guns, the M-79
grenade launcher, M-14's, CAR-
15's, Stoners, Swedish K's,
66mm LAWS, shotguns, .45
caliber pistols, silencers, the
sound of bullets,
rockets, and choppers, and sometimes
the sound of silence.
They carried C-4 plastic explosives,
an assortment of
hand grenades, PRC-25 radios with
25 foot whip antennas
and their heavy batteries, knives
and machetes. Some
carried napalm, CBU's and large
bombs; some risked their
lives to rescue others. Some escaped
the fear, but dealt
with the death and damage. Some
made very hard
decisions, and some just tried
to survive.
They carried malaria, dysentery, ringworms and leaches.
They carried the land itself as
it hardened on their
boots.
They carried stationery, pencils,
and pictures of their
loved ones - real and imagined.
They carried love for people in
the real world and love
for one another. And sometimes
they disguised that
love: "Don't mean nothin'!"
They carried memories for the most
part, they carried
themselves with poise and a kind
of dignity. Now and
then, there were times when panic
set in, and people
squealed or wanted to, but couldn't;
when they twitched
and made moaning sounds and covered
their heads and
said "Dear God" and hugged the
earth and fired their
weapons blindly and cringed and
begged for the noise to
stop and went wild and made stupid
promises to
themselves and God and their parents,
hoping not to die.
They carried the traditions of the
United States
military, and memories and images
of those who served
before them.
They carried grief, terror, longing
and their
reputations.
They carried the soldier's greatest
fear: the
embarrassment of dishonor. They
crawled into tunnels,
walked point, and advanced under
fire, so as not to die
of embarrassment.
They were afraid of dying, but too afraid to show it.
They carried the emotional baggage
of men and women who
might die at any moment.
They carried the weight of the world.
And they carried each other.
The government announced today that
it is changing
the national emblem
to a condom because it more
clearly reflects
the government's political stance.
A condom stands
up to inflation, halts production,
destroys the next
generation, protects a bunch of
pricks, and gives
you a sense of security while you
are being screwed.
War is War, war is killing, from
30,000 feet or from 2 inches.
How one feels about it depends
on his own little world when it happens.
Killing is personal, about as personal
as anything can be.
You are in control, you kill or
you die.
So, maybe it's not personal.
If you are trained well in the aspects
of killing,
your job is to kill, then your
killing will come easy.
For one to kill, you can't have
any feelings about it.
At 30,000 feet, killing is not personal,
at 200 yards killing is not personal,
at 50 yards killing is not personal,
at 10 feet killing is not personal,
at 1 foot, it becomes personal.
Up close and personal is when feelings
get involved,
the adrenaline flows and the job
at hand is important.
You get the chance to look the
enemy in the eye
and he knows he is going to die.
Afterwards, feelings set in quick,
feelings of joy that you are alive,
feelings of sadness when in the
morning
the whole mess is looked at from
a different perspective,
and the bodies of your friends
are lined up for identification.
Thats when you wish you could have
killed more.
Feelings of hate set in when you
go around kicking
the dead enemy who tried to kill
you.
War is the the legal killing of
our Nations enemy,
and in Vietnam, we killed our share,
though not enough.
We only killed when we were allowed
to,
or when the politicians said we
could.
We did our jobs well, we did what
we were trained to do,
by the best trained fighting force
on this earth.
The Unitied States Marine Corps.
Semper fidelis
1. To take charge of this post and all government property in view.
2. To walk my post in a military
manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything
that takes place within sight or
hearing.
3. To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
4. To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guardhouse than my own.
5. To quit my post only when properly relieved.
6. To receive, obey, and pass on
the sentry who relieves me all orders from the commanding
officer, officer of the day, and
officers and noncommissioned officers of the guard only.
7. To talk to no one except in the line of duty.
8. To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.
9. To call the corporal of the guard in any case not covered by instructions.
10. To salute all officers, and all colors and standards not cased.
11. To be especially watchful at
night and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all
persons on or near my post, and
to allow no one to pass without proper authority.
"Since it is impossible to escape the result of our deeds, let us practice good works. Let us guard our thoughts that we do no evil, for as we sow so shall we reap. There are ways from light into darkness and from darkness into light. There are ways, also, from the gloom into deeper darkness, and from the dawn into brighter light. The wise man will use the light he has to receive more light. He will constantly advance in the knowledge of truth. Exhibit true superiority by virtuous conduct and the exercise of reason; meditate deeply onthe vanity of earthly things, and understand the fickleness of life. Elevate the mind, and seek sincere faith with firm purpose; transgress not the rules of kingly conduct, and let your happiness depend, not upon external things, but upon your own mind."
The Israelis at long gave up
their attempts to resist the pressures of the world. They elected a new
government headed by Prime Minister Yossi Beilin, the original promoter
of the Oslo Peace
Process, in coalition with the
Jewish and Arab parties of the Left.
They announced that Israel was willing to accept the unanimous proposal for peace supported by every single country in the world, and would return to its pre-1967 borders, remove all Jewish settlements from the territories of the new state of Palestine, recognize Palestine and grant Palestine all of East Jerusalem, that is, all of the city located east of a line running north-south through Zion Square, renamed Jihad Square.
The world had not seen celebration like that which greeted the Israeli decision since the fall of the Berlin Wall or the transferal of power in South Africa to the black majority. All-night celebrations were held in every city on the planet, but none so enthusiastic as the party held in Tel Aviv in Rabin Square. Speaker after speaker appeared under a banner "Liberation at Last" and praised the decision to agree to the terms of the accord as the ultimate completion of the work and dreams of Yitzhak Rabin.
The settlers were marched out of the lands of Palestine at bayonet point, with crowds of jeering Israeli leftists pelting them with garbage as they moved into their temporary transit camps inside Green Line Israel. Liberal Jews in the United States organized a million man march in Washington together with Arabs and the Nation of Islam to celebrate the breaking out of peace and the final settlement of the conflict. "Peace at Last" was the number one pop single. The State Department sent out a message urging Israel and Palestine to conduct good-faith negotiations and round-the-clock talks on all outstanding issues of disagreement still separating the two sovereign states. At long last, there were two states for two peoples. Land had been exchanged for peace. Peace had at long last broken out in the world's most troubled region.
The morning after the Palestine Independence Celebrations, the message arrived in the Israeli parliament, brought in by special messenger.
The newly formed government of Palestine had only a small number of issues it would like to discuss with Israel.
It proposed that peaceful relations be officially consummated, as soon as Israel turned over the Galilee and the Negev to Palestine.
Israeli cabinet ministers were nonplussed. We thought we had settled all outstanding territorial issues by giving the Palestinians everything, they protested.
The spokesman for the Palestine War Ministry explained: the Galilee was obviously part of the Arab homeland. It was filled with many Arabs and in many areas had an Arab population majority.
Israel was holding 100% of the Galilee territory, and Palestine none at all, and surely that was unfair. As for the Negev, it too has large areas with Arab majorities, but is in fact needed so that Palestine can settle the many Palestinian refugees from around the world in lands and new homes.
Israel's government preferred not to give offense and sour the new relations, and so offered to take the proposal under consideration. Within weeks, endorsements of the Palestinian proposal were coming from a variety of sources. The Arab League endorsed it. The EU approved a French proposal that the Galilee and Negev be transferred to Palestine in stages over 3 years. Within Israel, many voices were heard in favor of the proposal. Large rallies were held on the universities. The Israeli press endorsed the idea almost in full unison, with only some regional weeklies from the north and south dissenting. Israeli film producers began turning out documentaries on the sufferings of Galilee and Negev Arabs under Israeli rule. Sociologists from around the world produced studies showing that these Arabs were victims of horrible discrimination and that Israel is characterized by institutional racism. Israeli poets and novelists wrote passionate appeals for support of the Galilee and Negev Others.
When Israel's cabinet rejected the proposal, the pressures mounted. A Galilee and Negev Liberation Organization was founded and immediately granted recognition by the UN General Assembly. It established consulate facilities in 143 countries. Weeks later, the infiltrations began. Squads of terrorists infiltrated the borders between Palestine and Israel, and suicide bombers produced a carnage of 75 murdered Jews a day. The border fences were reinforced, but to no avail. The US State Department proposed that Israel defuse the situation by considering compromise on the matters of the Galilee and Negev.
Six months later, the victims
of Jewish discrimination in the Galilee and Negev decided to escalate their
protests. Gangs of Arabs lynched Jews throughout the disputed territories.
Roadblocks were
set up, and entire families
of Jews were dragged from their cars by the activists and beaten to
death or doused with flames. The EU sent in observers, but warned Israel
that there is no military solution to the problems of terrorism and violence.
When Israel arrested gang leaders from the riots, the General Assembly denounced Israeli state terrorism against Galilee and Negev Arabs.
French universities gave the pogrom leaders, Ahmed Tibi and Azmi Bashara, honorary doctorates.
Meanwhile, boycotts of Israel
arose throughout Europe. Professors at the US Ivy League colleges demanded
a total embargo and divestment from ties with Israel until it ended its
racist apartheid regime. The leaders of the Reform synagogue movement supported
the State Department
and demanded that Israel end
its obstinacy.
Israel's own leftists launched a Movement against Apartheid, and the foreign press reported that 400,000 protested attended a rally by the Movement in Rabin Square.
Cars around Israel had bumper
stickers that read "My Son Will Not Die for Nazareth"
and "Peace Now". The Israeli
Left urged people to refuse to do army service outside metropolitan Tel
Aviv. The Israeli Labor Party proposed erecting a series of separating
barriers throughout
the Galilee under the slogan
"Good Fences Make Good Neighbors".
But Palestine could not sit idly
by. Barrages of rockets and mortars drenched Israeli cities.
The death toll rose to 7,000
Israelis per month. The White House and State Department threatened to
cut off all supplies from Israel if it dared to launch reprisal raids against
independent Palestine.
Large cargo ships from Egypt
laden with advanced arms entered the port of Gaza. Thousands of volunteers
streamed into Palestine to assist in the campaign to rescue the Galilee
and Negev Arabs from Israeli oppression.
On the afternoon of Yom Kippur, tank columns cut Israel in two just north of Tul Karem. Palestine offered to withdraw in exchange for transferring the Negev and Galilee to its control.
An Israeli newspaper and the Israeli Peace Movement proposed transferring the disputed areas to EU control until things could be settled.
Synagogues in Belgium and France were torched. Teach-ins for Palestine were held on US campuses. A new conference was called in Durban to denounce Israeli apartheid.
The White House insisted that Israel not expel the invading Palestine troops who had divided the country, for it was a matter for negotiations and dialogue. The President invited both sides to Camp David, with observers from the Negev and Galilee militias present.
Increasing numbers of Israeli politicians urged that Israel respond to the situation by granting limited autonomy to the Negev and the Galilee. When the government proposed to withdraw from Safed, Arutz Sheva radio broadcast non-stop protests against the move.
The government then passed a bill that shut down the opposition radio station. Adir Zik and the owners of Arutz Sheva were thrown in jail as inciters against peace.
The Americans offered to send in ground troops to protect the remaining Israeli territories, if Israel decided to accept the proposal to give up the Negev and Galilee. Let's at long last have peace in the hills that Jesus roamed, suggested the President.
Jews living in the Galilee and Negev were under siege everywhere and the roads were unsafe. The road through the Negev to Eilat was cut by Arab gangs in four places.
Leftist Israeli professors officially joined the Arab militias fighting for liberation. Two of them blew themselves up on a Jewish school bus to show their solidarity with the oppressed Arabs.
Ahmed Tibi, head of the largest militia, insisted he was doing everything possible to stop the suicide attacks on Tel Aviv and Haifa from the Galilee, but the Americans demanded that he do more. The UK demanded 100% effort to stop the violence.
The PLO proposed, as a compromise, that instead of being annexed by Palestine, the Negev and Galilee be allowed to form a separate state. The Arab League endorsed the idea.
CNN broadcast a series of specials on the plight of the Negev and Galilee Arabs, and the BBC started referring to Tel Aviv as illegally-occupied Arab Jaffa. Netanya and Beer Sheba were described by them as illegal colonial settlements.
When the carnage exceeded 10,000 a month, the New York Times, for the first time, expressed regret in having promoted the peace process and ran as its lead headline "Oops". The Washington Post, however, urged more Israeli flexibility and concessions.
The Negev and Galilee liberation organizations raised their flags over their towns and proposed that the Jews living in their territories be resettled elsewhere.
The Palestine War Ministry was shipping them guns and explosives. The first word came of a detention camp north of Nazareth in which Jews expelled from their Galilee homes were being concentrated, with a second camp opened in the Negev near Rahat.
Strange black smoke rose from the chimneys.
An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan. An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.
An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them choose. An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.
An American is from the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each man and woman to the pursuit of happiness.
An American is generous. Americans
have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time
of need. When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years
ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win
back their country.
As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.
An American does not have to obey the mad ravings of ignorant, ungodly cruel, old men. American men will not be fooled into giving up their lives to kill innocent people, so that these foolish old men may hold on to power.
American women are free to show their beautiful faces to the world, as each of them choose. An American is free to criticize his government's officials when they are wrong, in his or her own opinion. Then he is free to replace them, by majority vote.
Americans welcome people from all lands, all cultures, all religions, because they are not afraid. They are not afraid that their history, their religion, their beliefs, will be overrun, or forgotten. That is because they know they are free to hold to their religion, their beliefs, their history, as each of them choose. And just as Americans welcome all, they enjoy the best that everyone has to bring, from all over the world. The best science, the best technology, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes.
Americans welcome the best, but they also welcome the least. The national symbol of America welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America. Some of them were working in the Twin Towers on the morning of September 11, earning a better life for their families.
So you can try to kill an American
if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and
Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world.
But in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are
not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment
of the human spirit of freedom.
Everyone who holds to that spirit,
everywhere, is an American.
So look around you. You may
find more Americans in your land than you thought were there. One
day they will rise up and overthrow the old, ignorant, tired tyrants that
trouble too many lands. Then those lands too will join the community of
free and prosperous nations.
And America will welcome them!"
Marine Corps, United States, military
corps that forms a separate service
within the U.S. Dept. of the Navy.
The commandant of the Marine Corps is
a member of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff.
During conflicts, the Corps is
charged with conducting all land operations
essential to the successful prosecution
of a naval campaign (see
marines);
during peacetime, its top priority
is combat readiness.
Famous for its esprit de corps,
the Corps emphasizes physical fitness
and intensive training.
In 1775, the Continental Congress
created two federal battalions of marines
to serve as naval infantry.
In 1798, the United States Marine
Corps was established and placed under the control of the Secretary of
the Navy.
Marines have participated in every
major war, especially the Mexican
War; World
War I; World
War II; the Korean
War; and the Vietnam
War.
They have developed expertise in
counterinsurgency and guerrilla
warfare,
as well as in commando
operations and amphibious
warfare.
Marine units are self-sufficient,
with their own tanks
and other armor, artillery,
and air
forces. See A. Millett, Semper Fidelis (1982).
Those of us who have had the privilege
of serving in
the Marine Corps value our experience
as among the most precious in our lives. The fellowship of shared hardships
and dangers in a worthy cause creates a close bond of comradeship.
It is the basic reason for the
cohesiveness of Marines and the
pride we have in our Corps and
our loyalty to each other.
A Marine is proud of his Corps
and believes it to be
second to none. He is loyal to
his comrades and to the Marine Corps, adhering always to the motto SEMPER
FIDELIS.
Semper Fidelis
Don't grieve for me, for now I'm
free.
I'm following the path God laid,
you see.
I took His hand when I heard Him
call;
I turned my back and left
it all.
I could not stay another day -
To laugh, to love, to work , or
play.
Tasks left undone must stay that
way;
I found that peace at the close
of the day.
If my parting has left a void,
Fill it now with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh. a
kiss;
Oh yes, these things I , too will
miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow
-
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life's been full, I savored
much;
Good friends, good times,
A loved one's touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief;
Don't lengthen it now with undue
grief
Lift up your hearts, and peace
to thee -
God wanted me now...He set me free.
I've played a lot of roles in
life;
I've met a lot of men,
I've done a lot of things
I'd like To think I wouldn't
do again.
And though I'm young, I'm old
enough
To know someday I'll die.
And to think about what lies
beyond,
Beside whom I would lie.
Perhaps it doesn't matter much;
Still if I had my choice,
I'd want a grave 'mongst Marines
when
At last death quells my voice.
I'm sick of the hypocrisy
Of lectures of the wise.
I'll take the man, with all
the flaws,
Who goes, though scared, and
dies.
The troops I knew were common
men;
They didn't want the war;
They fought because their fathers
and
Their fathers had before.
They cursed and killed and wept;
God knows....they're easy to
deride.
But bury me with men like these;
They faced the guns and died.
It's funny when you think of
it,
The way we got along.
We'd come from different worlds
To live in one where no one
belongs,
I didn't even like them all;
I'm sure they'd all agree.
Yet I would give my life for
them,
I know some did for me.
So bury me with Marines, please,
Though much maligned they be.
Yes, bury me with Marines,
for I miss their company.
We'll not soon see their likes
again;
We've had our fill of war.
But bury me with men like them,
Till someone else does more.
SEMPER FIDELIS
SGT: Name?
RECRUIT: William Jefferson Clinton.
SGT: Clinton? Is that a Jewish
name?
CLINTON: No, sir. It's not.
But some people say I was the first
Jewish president.
SGT: President of what?
CLINTON: President of the United
States. I was also the first Black
president.
SGT: Ok. You have to answer
a few simple questions. First: Do you
have any military experience?
CLINTON: Yes.
SGT: Describe your military
experience.
CLINTON: Well, I learned how
to salute during the Transition back in
1992. I thought you were
supposed to bend your thumb underneath when you
saluted; but they taught me
to keep my thumb next to my index finger. I got
pretty good. I could really
snap one off when I stepped off Marine One.
SGT: You never served in the
United States military?
CLINTON: Oh! That! Hell, I was
the Commander-in-Chief! Of course I
served. I saluted and everything.
SGT: Have you ever been indicted?
CLINTON: Well, that depends
on your definition of "indicted." I was never
indicted by a grand jury.
SGT: Let me ask another way.
Have you ever had to testify at your own
trial?
CLINTON: No. Absolutely not.
Never had to testify. Nope.
SGT: Have you ever had your
license revoked or suspended?
CLINTON: Like, driver's license?
No. Absolutely not. Nope.
SGT: Any other kind of license?
CLINTON: Suspended? No. Now,
a fair-minded person would not consider
having SURRENDERED a license
- like a, um, I don't know, like, say, a
license to practice law - for
a brief period of time - a suspension, so, no.
Absolutely not. Nope.
SGT: You said that you wanted
to die for Israel?
CLINTON: That's not exactly
what I said. What I said was "if the
Iraqi or the Iranian army came
across the Jordan River, I would personally
grab a rifle, get in a ditch,
and fight and die."
SGT: Did you know that neither
Iraq nor Iran border the Jordan River?
CLINTON: Imagine that.
SGT: Did you know that Iraq
would have to march all the way across
Syria or Jordan before they
got to Israel?
CLINTON: Hmm. Really?
SGT: And that Iran would have
to cross Iraq AND Syria or Jordan
before they got to Israel?
CLINTON: That far. Who knew?
SGT: Mr. Clinton what about
the notion of Iraq launching missiles
against Israel?
CLINTON: That would be bad.
SGT: But would that qualify
as "coming across the Jordan River?"
CLINTON: No. I would have to
say not. That would not qualify.
SGT: So it would take an actual
soldier crossing the River for you to
"grab a rifle, get in a ditch,
and fight and die?"
CLINTON: I believe I said "army"
the Iraqi or Iranian ARMY.
SGT: So, not a company?
CLINTON: Oh, no.
SGT: Battalion?
CLINTON: I don't think so.
SGT: A brigade? A division?
A corps?
CLINTON: You know, I always
wanted to ask the difference between a
brigade and a division, but
I had to practice that saluting.
SGT: Next -
CLINTON: And, there would have
to be a ditch. An actual ditch. I said
I would "get in a ditch."
If there were no ditch, I believe a
fair-minded person would agree
that Israel had not kept its part of the bargain.
SGT: This is a desert. We don't
have that many ditches.
CLINTON: Well, then ...
SGT: These men standing behind
you. Are they willing to fight also?
CLINTON: I can't speak for them.
They're my security detail.
SGT: (To a Secret Service Agent)
Would you be willing to watch this
man "get in a ditch, and fight
and die?"
AGENT: (Not smiling) We've watched
him do worse.
CLINTON: Say, on that point.
In the Israeli army, female soldiers get
into ditches, too, right?
SGT: (Stamping a form) Mr. Clinton.
We'll get back to you.
CLINTON: Does this mean you
won't accept me in the Israeli army?
SGT: Yes. That's what it means.
CLINTON: Whew.
-- END OF TRANSCRIPT --
Come listen to a story 'bout
a man named John,
A poor ex-marine with his little
wanker gone.
It seems one night after gettin'
with the wife,
She lopped off his dong with
the swipe of a knife.
Penis, that is.
Clean cut.
Missed his nuts.
Well, the next thing you know
there's a Ginsu by his side,
And Lorena's in the car takin'
Willie for a ride.
She soon got tired of her purple-headed
friend,
Tossed him out the window as
she went around a bend.
Curve, that is.
Tossed the nub.
In the shrub.
She went to the cops and confessed
to the attack,
They called out the hounds just
to get his weenie back.
They sniffed and they barked
and they pointed "over there"
To John Wayne's henry that was
waving in the air.
Found, that is.
By a fence.
Evidence.
Now peter and John couldn't stay
apart for long,
So a dick doc said, "Hey, I
can fix that dong!"
"A needle and a thread is all
we're gonna need"
And the whole world waited till
they heard that Johnny pee'd.
Whizzed, that is..
Straight stream.
Even seam.
Well he healed and he hardened
and he took his case to court,
With a half-assed lawyer cause
his assets came up short.
They cleared her of assault
and acquitted him of rape
And his pecker was the only
thing they didn't show on tape.
Video, that is.
Unexposed.
Case Closed.
Ya'll sleep on your stomachs now , ya hear?????
I know that it's not within the
harmony of the universe
that I be healed from the trauma
of remembering
(think of your traumatic incidents)
without pain.
Help me through the pain.
Surround me with the golden
light of healing,
fill me with the white light
of peace and love.
Help me to bear the pain as
I go through these memories.
Help me to cry. Help me to remember.
Help me to love myself no matter
what happened to me
or what I did to survive.
Help me to release and to let
go of my survival skills,
the things such as anger and
numbness that helped keep me alive,
as I become aware of how ineffective
they can be
in getting me what I want today.
Fill me with light and love
until I am green and growing again
in the harmony of the universe,
if it be Thy will.
Amen.
Ford : "What do we do?!"
Bush : "Man the lifeboats!"
Reagan : "What lifeboats?"
Carter : "Women first!"
Nixon : "Screw the women!"
Clinton : "You think we have
time?"
Bush II: " Uncle Dick, what
do we do?"
Cpl. Bruce E. "T-Bone" Jones USMC
In 1967 Corporal Bruce E. Jones served with an 81 mm Mortar Crew as an observer. After serving several months in Vietnam he had lost so much weight and once returning from a patrol around hill 881 one of his team members looked at him and explained, "Dude, if you lose anymore weight, you'll look like a "T-bone" steak without any meat". The name stuck and later Cpl. Jones was wounded and after recovering from his wounds was sent back and was involved in the battle of Khe Sanh where he was wounded again. Thirty six years later he retired from a career as an industrial engineer.
Victor H. "Brute" Krulak, only 5'4", hit himself on the head, hoping the resulting bump and swelling would qualify him for the height requirements for acceptance at the US Naval Academy. It worked and four years later he graduated from the Academy and became a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps.
Gen. Wilbur "Big Foot" Brown.
In the 1930's Marines were patrolling the jungles of Nicaragua searching for antigovernment bandits. Wilbur Brown was a young officer leading a patrol when his "Boondockers" fell apart. A message was sent requesting a pair of new boondockers. A Marine Corps single engine plane appeared and dropped one replacement shoe then flew away. The plane soon appeared and dropped the other shoe with a note attached: "Because of the size of the shoes, this small aircraft could only deliver one at a time." From that day forward Wilbur Brown's nickname "Big Foot" stuck with him throughout his career.