Big Dogs Weblog

A Higher Calling

Feb 22, 2005 Military

In a recent comment this statement was made about me:

No, instead you chose to go into the military where you became a belligerent warmongering conservative.

This statement shows a lack of understanding of the military and the people who serve in it. At the risk of sounding self-aggrandizing I will explain what military service means to me. The term soldier is used generically to represent all who serve in the Armed Forces.

There are few callings in life that fall into the category of “higher.” Most would agree that the highest calling is in the service of God. There are those who would agree that public servants have attained a higher calling. To me, one of the highest callings is the service of a nation in its Armed Forces. While many would disagree, few would question that it takes a special kind of person to lay his life on the line for people he has never known and will never meet. These are the selfless folks who rush into harm’s way so that people can sleep peacefully at night.

The Founding Fathers knew of the importance of the military and they wisely accounted for it in the Constitution. One of the things that the Constitution reads is that, “Congress shall have the power to raise and support Armies” (Article I, Section 8 ). The wise ole’ men knew that no nation can be truly free if it can not defend itself. There must be an Army, or Armed Forces, if you will, to protect that which we hold dearly. If these did not exist, neither would our nation.

People join the military to serve their nation. They give freely of themselves so that others may enjoy the rights endowed upon us by our Creator. They do not join for wealth or fame. They join to make life here a little better and to protect that which has been paid for with the blood of many brave men and women. When a person joins the military he gets trained in discipline, tradition, esprit, and team work. These folks are from all walks in life but the thing they have in common is a deep love of their country. The military does not train people to be belligerent or warmongering. The military is here to ensure the peace and lacking that, to secure our freedom.

I think that when men or women join the military they join an organization of people who have a long history of bravery and heroism in the name of brotherhood and freedom. There are few, if any, jobs in this world where a person is willing to lay down his life for those around him. There are few jobs where people serve selflessly for people who they do not know or will never meet. There are few jobs where the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few and that teamwork is the ultimate accomplishment in preparing for, executing, and accomplishing a mission. It was said that people sleep peacefully at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. This is very true. Without those nameless guardians we would live in constant fear.

The idea that soldiers are warmongers is patently wrong. No one prays for peace more than a soldier for it is he who must bear the burden of its alternative. There are some who actually like the sting of battle. Once you are in it you must, for survival’s sake, embrace the thousands of hours of training to ensure you are not carried off the plane in a box. Just as importantly, soldiers work to make sure their buddies do not suffer that fate. It is hard for many people to grasp this concept, that is, of placing other’s lives ahead of their own. Soldiers do that everyday for each other and for their countrymen. The flag has red in it to symbolize the blood shed for this nation. The blood of countless men and women has been shed so that those in this country as well as others may live in freedom.

An unknown author wrote:

For those who fight for it everyday, life has a special meaning the protected will never understand.

This is very true. The soldiers who have waged war know what life is about. They know how precious it is. They know that they might have to give theirs so that others may live but they also know that it is far better, as Patton said, “to make the other Son of a Bitch die for his country.” They know that they fight for everyone else’s right to talk badly about them, protest them, and spit upon them. They see elections as the result of their hard work and they feel satisfaction that they helped to ensure a way of life that is the envy of the World.

Perhaps I went off on a tangent with this one but I felt it needed to be said. I do not care what people say about me. This Dog has thick skin but to insinuate that the military produces warmongers does a disservice to all the men and women who serve this nation honorably. Perhaps the reason some people have trouble understanding this is because they are without honor themselves.

America, Love It or Leave It

Jan 25, 2005 Military, Political

I received some comments on a post at tryontheglasses after I said that Michael Moore’s behavior was narcissistic. I was accused of having the same trait. I’ll admit to being egotistic at times but I am by no means narcissistic.
I responded that I did not have a love for myself, that I have a love for my country and am willing to give my life in its defense. I asked if the commenter or the subject (Moore) were willing to do the same.

This was the reply:

No, I don’t have an excessive love for my country. I have an excessive love for human beings. I can’t love my country as long as it treats my fellow human beings the way it does.

I remember posting a while ago that I wondered why I posted at the author’s site to which I was told that if it bothered me, don’t visit it.

I have the same advice. If you do not love your country then get the hell out. This country is the greatest in the world and many people die trying to get here for the freedoms we enjoy. The idea of not loving your country, despite any failings it might have, is absolute hypocracy. If you love the freedoms and the opportunities then you should love the country. If you do not love this country then stop sponging off it, get off the teet, and move to another country where you can enjoy the love of humans seen in these wonderful places. Perhaps North Korea, North Vietnam, or Siberia Russia would be more to your liking. You could go to One of the Arab worlds where they love humans so much they treat women like property, something less than human. Maybe you could tell them how much you dislike their behavior and then have your head lopped off.

This is America and if you do not like it here, let me know and I will buy you a one way ticket out. All you have to do is denounce your citizenship and sign legal documents stating you will never, ever return.

Tags: Political

Old Friends

Jan 18, 2005 Military

I received an email from an old Army buddy through the web response at my web site. SGT K and I have known each other for a few years and we have enjoyed good times together. We have played golf together and we have worked side by side to ensure the safety of our fellow soldiers and the civilian workforce. I know he always has my back and he knows I have his. This is the kind of brotherhood that people like Michael Moore would have you believe does not exist. Here is some of what SGT K wrote:

I am glad we have an American like you to stand up for a President that not everyone believes in. The truth is that I as well as you do believe in him.

I am, as you know, a U.S Soldier and a leader at that, so with the election over I for one am glad that George W. Bush is still the American President. Jim, you know me as a friend and I you, so you know I am the last person to argue about “the issues” that plague our nation everyday, but unfortunatly I am affected personally. My family as well. And it is nice to know that there is someone who feels strongly enough to post a website and a webblog strictly about “the issues”.

Despite what Michael Moore and his ilk would have you believe about our military and their desires, here is a soldier who supports the president and even though it affects him and his family personally, he accepts that responsibility as a debt he owes this nation. This soldier along with countless others is a Great American and I am proud to be counted among his friends.

I am retired now but I look out for soldiers in any way that I can. I did that as a leader when I served and I do it as a veteran now that I am out. I hope that my small part here in cyberspace lets them know that there are people out here who care and who are thankful for what they do. God Bless our military and God bless America.

SGT K, the cold ones are on me the next time we meet.

U.S. Helicopter Crashes Helping Tsunami Victims

Jan 10, 2005 Military

A U.S. helicopter made what is described as a hard landing near Banda Aceh. No one was killed but all members of the crew were injured, some seriously.

Well, there you have it. The left needs to get up in arms and demand the withdrawal of our troops from the relief effort. They have been put in harm’s way and were injured. My God, they could have been killed. We need to unilaterally pull out of this mission and let the U.N. handle it. This is what happens when that cowboy George Bush goes it alone. If he had built a coalition of relief workers then we would not have this problem. He failed to pass the global test and our troops are paying for it. This is the wrong relief effort in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Our troops are forged from steel and are ready, willing, and able to handle all missions regardless of danger. They are doing a stellar job in the relief effort and they are doing a stellar job in the war. When you hear the left bash our troops again and talk about how dangerous the war is, you remind them that the tsunami effort is dangerous work too. Yet both missions are helping people who have been devestated.

The story is here. We hope and pray they are well and will be back on duty soon.

Wow, is that our Military?

Jan 4, 2005 Military

Since the war started we have had a small minority of people who want to see us lose. They look at our military as terrible people and they want to see them die. This was evident in the signs they carried and the slogans they chanted. They wanted our troops to kill each other and die at the hands of the terrorists. Our military can not be good.

This is from WBAL radio in Baltimore. It details how our armed forces are helping in the tsunami relief efforts. There are warships and 2200 Marines assisting in the effort. We are providing water purifying equipment and we are taking care of the more seriously wounded on our vessels.

Our military is stepping in because we have the training, equipment, and best people in the world. They are helping people in need. Too bad we can’t say the same about the jackasses who wanted them all to die. It is a shame that people from another nation are happier to see our troops than some of the people who live in this country.

I say Semper Fi to those Marines. I wish them and all other service members who are doing God’s work health and safety. Especially from the radical fundamentalist democrats who would like to see harm come to them.