From: Dave Ball (vought@msn.com)
Date: Wed Sep 11 2002 - 23:44:47 PDT
Hi Doc...
I just want to say Thanks for your efforts there and if you can and you see
some of those "Kids" tell them my family is thankful and grateful for there
Dedication and Bravery and please tell them thanks for me.
Please stay safe hope you all come home soon.
Dave Ball
You may post this I would appreciate it.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doc" <roughdoc@earthlink.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2002 9:37 PM
Subject: [MV] 911 from a MV
>
>
> Greetings From Freedom's Frontier! 11 September 2002
>
> I've got to admit, I woke up today with a degree of resignation. The last
> thing I really wanted to see and hear today was more sadness, self pity,
and
> "golly gee" doesn't the world hate us. It's been compounded by the
stories
> you read of the politically correct all over the US who don't want us to
show
> the red, white and blue, and sing patriotic songs.
>
> Somewhere along the way today I decided that I wasn't going to let 11
> September turn into a day of sadness, and somber memorials to the dead,
> injured and those left behind. We have plenty of holidays that serve
those
> purposes.
>
> No, I'm going to use 11 September to celebrate the American Spirit. Our
> enemies attacked us because they perceived that we were weak. They hoped
that
> we were lethargic. They prayed that we were ashamed of our uniqueness in
the
> world. Well, the last twelve months have proved them wrong. And for many
of
> them, dead wrong.
>
> The reaction of Americans everywhere in response to the cowardly attacks
was
> tempered by a few moments of stunned amazement. But almost
instantaneously
> Americans rose up as one and proclaimed to the World that the attack on
one of
> us was the same as an attack on all of us. We felt the hurt as a group,
and
> would respond as a group. It was obvious that our Nation, under God would
> band together like never before and lead the world in a war against
terrorist
> cowards everywhere.
>
> And the world responded to this demonstrated leadership. Countries that
had
> nothing in common with the United States offered help. Former enemies
> shouldered the burden, standing alongside we Americans, and pledged to
stop
> the evil scourge of terrorism wherever it lived. Old friends renewed
pledges,
> treaties, and comradeship.
>
> I've spent the last month on the front lines in America's War on Terror.
Dust
> and dirt abound. This is a poor country that had been made even worse by
first
> despots and then totalitarian zealots. Yet, still their spirit remains
> strong. When you pass a truckload of local workers, they all wave and
smile
> at you. Removing the yoke of oppression benefits everyone.
>
> I've had three big surprises since I've been here. The first two involve
the
> large number of allies and friends that the United States has in this
cause.
>
> The Romanians are very unique for me, because all of their equipment is
former
> Soviet Union cold war stuff. It's a little bit of a shock to see up close
> that stuff that you stared across the border at for so many years (and
> targeted too!) As poor as their country is, they speak of their country
with
> a fierce pride, and optimism for the future. I'm sure they are here
because
> they can empathize so closely with the burden of oppression having
recently
> gotten away from the Soviet Union.
>
> The second surprise was the Jordanians. They were friendly, disciplined,
and
> experienced in this region of the world. While clearing minefields is
> something rather unique to us, they've been fighting this stuff for
decades.
> Their Company Commander had been doing this for 12 years, the First
Sergeant
> almost 20. When I asked them why they were here, they told me that they
had
> to share the burden of the world in responding to this terror. They
showed a
> rather tired face as they explained to me that their country was tired of
> fighting. That the young people had to stop dying. That Jordan had made
> peace with Israel less because they liked Israel, but out of the
recognition
> that the hatred had to stop.
>
> My biggest surprise was when I woke up this morning and walked around our
> compound. It takes about an hour before the sun is over the mountains, so
you
> get about an hour of light before you get the heat. Everywhere I looked,
> young men and women, soldiers and airmen, were putting up American flags.
I
> don't know where they got them from.
>
> Yet, there they were. Flags put up by Americans half way across the
world,
> not as a show of arrogance or imperialism, but as a show of leadership,
> strength, and solidarity.
>
> I like to talk to these young Americans, and I have to admit, they are
> different than we were at their age. For the most part, they can't recite
the
> Declaration of Independence, couldn't spell constitution for a bet, and
would
> probably try to pay the Bill of Rights if it came in the mail. I don't
find a
> lot of John Waynes or Rambos (we've got some, but not a lot!)
>
> But I'll tell you, the display of patriotism this morning made me feel a
lot
> better about growing old and passing the mantle to the next generation.
The
> instinctive pride in America. The solidarity with their fellow citizens.
The
> knowledge that what they and America is doing is morally right and
ethically
> certain. I'm proud of these kids.
>
> I don't know how any of you all will remember 11 September in the future.
I
> know that for me, I won't see the pictures of the towers ever again in
> connection with 11 September. I will forever remember the affirmation of
> America's greatness as demonstrated by it's young men and women on a
little
> piece of the desert in Afghanistan.
>
>
> Doc
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "Serving on the Frontlines of our Nations War on Terror"
>
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