[Ihatebugs]

"Why do you fight?"
"So my son won't have to."

Many of you have probably heard those words before. Sounds good to me. Self-sacrifice for the sake of the next generation is a noble cause indeed. But talk to them 40 years later (the ones who didn't die, of course) and the tone is quite different. Somewhere along the line their attitudes change. Gone are the noble sentiments, replaced by bitterness.

"Why do they have to fight?"
"Because I had to."

 

[Straight Razor]

Gone are the noble sentiments, replaced by bitterness.

The only bitterness I have about my service is that those who died did not die for the likes of those who criticize those who died.

 

[david]

I did my time, i served with no bitterness then, and have none now. the finest people you will ever know are the ones you serve with. its funny, on any given day in civilian life, you might not even take the time to speak to someone you served with ,but drop the both of you in a foxhole with some pissed off guy from a foreign land shooting at you ,and you will die for that guy and he would die for you. and then there are those who make the ultimate sacrifice to freedom. they are held in a place of the highest honor never to be dirtied by the petty squabbles of men. my friend be careful when it comes to the feelings of soldiers. if you havent been there you cant even make a valid argument, and you are treading on ground so sacred it is second only to heaven itself

 

[Ihatebugs]

I'm a vet too. Now spare me the cliches and answer the fu---n question.

 

[CommanderJake]

Why do we fight you ask? Because I would rather die on my feet as a free man than lie down and die as a slave to a dictator. There are some fates worth than death. Such as living under the rule of a dictator whose rules you don't dare question for fear of reprisals to you, your wife or children. To all those who want to abandon our efforts to win this war in Afganastan or Iraq and leave the rest of the world to continue their reckless ways...go tell it to the Marines who risk their lives every day standing guard over our great nation so you can enjoy the freedom of speech, tell it to the Airmen who fly over Baghadad, tell it to the Sailors who protect our international waters from untold threats. We fight to protect our way of life, our family our children, and yes our children will carry on the vigile, much as our forefathers did and as I have done. God Bless America and God Bless our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airman.

 

[Ihatebugs]

Why do we fight you ask?

No, that's not what I asked.

 

[Straight Razor]

I'm a vet too. Now spare me the cliches and answer the fu---n question.

Are you capable of a post without being crude?

 

[Renegade Chipmunk]

A current culture of Me-ism and hedonism, killed off "we the people", and "united we stand".
The question now is; Why should I have to sacrifice for you?
When you say the nation needs you, the general response is; "F" that! You do it!"
Our elected leaders are also squandering our best and brightest...because NATO sucks!

 

[Farm boy]

I'm a vet too. Now spare me the cliches and answer the fu---n question.

Anybody ever goggle Ihatebugs ? veteran heh?

 

[sethb]

I joined the army to jump out of airplanes and shoot bad people in the face. I've got my problems, we all do, but I'm glad I did it, and wish I could have done more. Certainly not all vet's are bitter because of their service, but many maybe because they never get their life together afterwords. It's a harsh thing to say, and I'm going through it right now, but that's largely our fault. I think the gravest insult/ damage inflicted upon us by hollywood is rampant moral relativism.The old ' the gov. lied and sent me to war so they could make a buck and I'm screwed up in the head forever because of it' b.s. There is no shame in killing evil men, anyone who supports a culture that calls for the stoning if rape victim's, is in fact, evil, and well worth whatver price you pay. Atleast for me it is. I know far more vietnam vet's that have expressed greater bitterness over their return, than their time in country. And there are always some who play the old' I've just seen so much, I'm, gonna throw my guns away and withdraw from the world, when will everyone grow up? card. Sad to say, but I've noticed from my own service, these are 95% of the time, the ones most full of it. Many are outright lying dirtbags. Just what I've seen, I hope this made since.

 

[rridgeoutlaw]

When I came home from 'Nam I met alot of People like ihatebugs and fxjohn. It bothered me alot that people like them existed because of people like me. Alot of people I knew didn't make it back and when I hear these idiots put down what they died for makes me want to...never mind. When my Son joined I was against it. I didn't want him to hurt like I did, to find out that some people would try to make him feel like dirt for wearing the uniform. He did anyway and I am proud of him. My daughter joined after 9/11. Again, it brought out alot of emotions. Both are better people for their service.

 

[shibbershabber]

I am going to go out on a limb here and take a guess at what Ihatebugs is talking about.

Where is the turning point for a vet when he goes from the whole, "Im serving my country and fighting for the rights of Americans..." Or the old classic that gets thrown at anti-war protesters about how the soldiers are defending the right for the protesters to be protesting.

So basically when a vet gets over the idealism of it and realizes that his service was not always in the interests of the American people, and that he was not fighting for our rights and way of life. But rather fighting and dying for the political and financial interests of the powers that be. Thus bringing the bitterness.

 

[RamblinMan]

I heard that they confirmed that the Gulf of Tonkin incident that led to Vietnam was a lie and they say that the leadup to the Iraq war was based on lies. Who can we believe?

 

[eeyore]

"Why do they have to fight?"
"Because I had to."

I have a friend that ministers in a Veterans Home and i have occasion to help, never heard any other ever say that, some are in their 90's, wonder where you are hanging out.

 

[S.James]

I'm a vet too. Now spare me the cliches and answer the fu---n question.

Hows about you take a long walk off a short pier . Quit being a **** .

 

[FXjohn]

When I came home from 'Nam I met alot of People like ihatebugs and fxjohn. It bothered me alot that people like them existed because of people like me.

I never denigrated any serviceperson. and by the way I don't "exist" because you saved me from the country of Vietnam. Our leaders had no right to squander 50,000 men in vietnam for no good reason.

 

[shibbershabber]

I never denigrated any serviceperson. and by the way I don't "exist" because you saved me from the country of Vietnam. Our leaders had no right to squander 50,000 men in vietnam for no good reason.

Agreed.

I'll never slam anyones military service.

But I get real tired of people talking about them fighting for our freedom.

Please, can anyone tell me the last time that the US military was sent into battle to defend my civil liberties, or any of the individual freedoms guaranteed by the constitution?

 

[Darsemnos]

When I came home from 'Nam I met alot of People like ihatebugs and fxjohn. It bothered me alot that people like them existed because of people like me. Alot of people I knew didn't make it back and when I hear these idiots put down what they died for makes me want to...never mind. When my Son joined I was against it. I didn't want him to hurt like I did, to find out that some people would try to make him feel like dirt for wearing the uniform. He did anyway and I am proud of him. My daughter joined after 9/11. Again, it brought out alot of emotions. Both are better people for their service.

No one debates that soldiers go through very tough stuff. But that it serves some glorious purpose is often just propaganda of the state. Vietnam was a waste of time. Iraq is a waste of time. Both started with lies. Whatever comes next will probably be a waste of time and start with a lie. And it is not for freedom we fought these wars. Who knows what it is for? Maybe the guys at the top know. Our country is going down the tubes. The more we fight these pointless wars the less free we become. We don't even have free and fair elections. It's a one party system that blocks any real outsiders, any real change. We do not have a functioning constitution. We have lost nearly everything our past freedom fighters fought for.

We don't hate military guys. I like them in a lot of ways. I respect the discipline. But that doesn't mean they have fought for noble causes, at least not in the last 60 years.

 

[DocYoung]

"Why do you fight?"
"So my son won't have to."

Many of you have probably heard those words before. Sounds good to me. Self-sacrifice for the sake of the next generation is a noble cause indeed. But talk to them 40 years later (the ones who didn't die, of course) and the tone is quite different. Somewhere along the line their attitudes change. Gone are the noble sentiments, replaced by bitterness.

"Why do they have to fight?"
"Because I had to."

I'm a vet too. Now spare me the cliches and answer the fu---n question.

The only service men I have ever heard say they served cause they had to where those drafted.

Every other service member choose to serve and fight. They knew the price when they enlisted. The men and women I served with did not want to go but had their families and loved ones in their hearts when they did. They went with the right reasons in their hearts and minds and for America.

The bitterness comes when arse who sat home on their tufts sit a bitch about **** they know nothing about. When trolls earn the right to be trolls on the backs of our dead brothers and sisters. Thats when bitterness comes in.

 

[DocYoung]

Agreed.

I'll never slam anyones military service.

But I get real tired of people talking about them fighting for our freedom.

Please, can anyone tell me the last time that the US military was sent into battle to defend my civil liberties, or any of the individual freedoms guaranteed by the constitution?

Where does it say that service members are to only fight for your freedoms? Yes its part of the oath, but the oath and contract have a lot more to say then just your liberties.

"I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States (even if they are a money hungry moron) and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."