From: Ryan Gill (rmgill@mindspring.com)
Date: Thu May 19 2005 - 12:39:48 PDT
At 9:37 PM -0400 5/18/05, Henry J. Fackovec wrote:
>Given the "convoy" is driving on public roads, I think that next year
>people who are being excluded should just join in the tour. (Other than
>stops on private property.) I think it would be a hoot to show the
>public the real fun and history of Military Vehicles. Isn't freedom what
>the real heroes of WWII fought for? (Not these wannabes who play dress
>up and steal others glory, while claiming to be "educating" the public).
You know, I missed this, but I saw the exchange later on and I feel I have to respond.
First, not everyone has served. Not everyone that has served is perfect and has a clue, not everyone that has NOT served has a clue either. Just because you wore the uniform for real doesn't mean you've got the right idea today. I can point to one WWII vet that needed to be beaten for what he did to his granddaughter, my girlfriend. But he's dead. That doesn't mean that all vets are what he was. Perhaps you need to take off your blinders for those that didn't wear the uniform.
I haven't served yet because my life's path through the 90s didn't really warrant it. It was also in a time when a lot of people I respect were leaving the military because of the administration at the time (Remember Clinton?). I'm still distinctly cognizant about veterans, their sacrifice and their memory. Having two grandparents that were Army Air Corps (one was shot down) does that to a kid growing up. I have a room full of books and artifacts that are distinct reminders. Having more than a handfull of friends that served also bolsters such an attitude.
As a re-enactor who portray's British in WWII, I choose to do so because without the Brits we'd have had a hard time invading Europe in '44 from New York (I wonder how many Americans would have died on Bombing Missions in B36's from Newfoundland on missions to Europe trying to return across the Atlantic in damaged bombers?).
I also choose to do so because my mother who was big into genealogy, she named me after our great grandpa Montieth (a Scot) who was strong figure in her life and in the life of my Grandparents (one of those Vets). Looking back is a good way to look forwards. It lets you have perspective, gives you a spring board and helps ground you in the world. That's what the Greatest Generation still does and its more than just the Americans. There are Canadians, Brits, Aussies and other folks that fought and died alongside our own Joes in WWII (Soviets too in a degree). The same thing goes for Korea, Vietnam and other fights large and small.
Not enough people know about WWII and studying the WWII generation by working on the vehicles, camping the way they did or doing any number of other things they did just to get through the day outside of combat gives you a better look into what they dealt with. I have had barely a peek at the trials that were daily life for AFV crews in North Africa or in North West Europe in the Winter of 44 because of the few times I've been in the field with my dingo on some farm playing dress up. That's important to me because I get a better idea and have some perspective of what worked and didn't.
If and when I join the Guard (I've been looking at it strongly, even at age 33), I'll have a pretty satisfying perspective I think given how much stuff the current troops have as compared to the Tommys, Dog Faces, Aussies, Kiwis and Canuks had. Letters took a month to make it back. Today you can borrow a sat phone or use a land line to call home. E-mail and all sorts of things. Comfy cots, in air conditioned hooches, gortex, campoline, nomex, kevlar, digital radios, vehicles that have a read out to say what's wrong with them, Hot chow ever day (mostly) and any number of things that would be amazing if you'd sent them back to WWII.
Does being able to relate, understand and grasp such a perspective help for you to understand what I'm looking for when I 'play dress up' Hank? Your beef's with Tim and the WWII parade, are between you and him, but I have to ask, if you were organizing a Vietnam era rally and someone showed up with a WWII jeep, would you be a bit annoyed? Has the Liberal Left 'Everyone must be included' mind set poisoned you that much?
-- ------------------------------------------------------------ - Ryan Montieth Gill www.mindspring.com/~rmgill/ - - rmgill@SPAMmindspring.com || ----------------------------------------- ||_=--===--=_ - '42 Daimler Dingo MkII Scout Car []\|| / | / | /[] - '43 Humber MkIV Armored Car []|\|_____|_____|/=[] - '60 Daimler Ferret Mk2/3 Armored Car |||-_--===--_-| H - '72 Honda CB750K ||||O|||||||O||(_) - '76 Chevy Monte Carlo -@--||_|=====|*||--@- - '85 Honda CB700S |______o_______o______| - '01 Honda Insight..... AND.... --> |_____\\_/---\_//_____| -------------------------------------- |##| []--- -*-[] |##| - NRA/ACLU/EFF/SAF |##|=[]===(__)[]=|##| - I speak not for CNN, nor they for me |##| USMC |##| -------------------------------------- |##|M813-A1 5-Ton|##|
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