America’s veterans are very special to us, even those who have made mistakes in their lives. The military is sometimes quick to cast aside some people, but when a shooting war breaks out they wonder why they did. The Navy for example, worked closely with the mafia in the hope of sparing the lives of servicemen entering Italy. The mafia murdered people left and right. They shook down honest shop owners to get protection money on a regular basis. The United States Navy got into bed with murders and cutthroats with a new naval policy of “the end justifies the means.”
Veterans who languish in the military brigs and prisons should be thanked for their service also. Some are in military incarceration because of a stupid mistake, or a series of stupid mistakes. Some veterans are in prison because the military’s political machine turned against them. With a little pressure on the jury by the convening officer, wham-o; you can find yourself in a military prison cell, sweltering in the summer or freezing in the winter. Pressuring a jury by senior commanders is called “UNLAWFUL COMMAND INFLUENCE,” and it happens all the time. There are people in a military prison who got five or ten years, when they should have gotten a reprimand and sent back to work.
Some veterans unfortunately, bring shame on their fellow veterans by their words and deeds and should not be thanked for anything. But, by and large, America’s veterans are a great and wonderful group of people who deserve a hell of a lot more respect than they receive. Sadly, the government and politicians sometimes view veterans as throwaways. If the government wants more cannon fodder, all they do is institute a draft with the wisp of their pens there are thousands more to die in a little political war somewhere in the world.
For those who don’t know, cannon fodder is an informal, derogatory term for combatants who are regarded or treated by government or military command as expendable in the face of enemy fire. The term is generally used in situations where combatants are forced to deliberately fight against hopeless odds (with the foreknowledge that they will suffer extremely high casualties) in an effort to achieve a strategic goal; an example is the trench warfare of World War I.
On this Veterans Day, tell a veteran that you thank him/her for their service, but only say it if you mean it. Many people don’t mean it and frankly don’t care. During the 2016 national conventions as the parties were choosing who they wanted to put in the White House, on of the big national parties made a feeble attempt to portray themselves as supporting America’s veterans. While they did it, they showed a video on the big screen of a row of military ships steaming with pride. It didn’t take long before one of our sailors noticed the radar array was that of Russian vessels. This big national party was too damn lazy to show a video of American war ships. WHAT A DAMN JOKE.
If you want a feel good story, one of our readers passed along a remarkable story about Colonel Ovid O. Wilson. If you have a pot of coffee, take some time to read this incredible story about an incredible man few of us ever knew. And, with that we wish all veterans a Happy Veterans Day.