Happy Veterans Day

by Stacey on Nov 11, 2009 11:15 AM EST in News Comment 23 comments

Pfc. Preston Snook leans back and waits for his pitch during a pick-up baseball game on Camp Fallujah’s sandlot baseball field. Marines from Regimental Combat Team 5 gather weekly to play ball, a way to relieve the stress of being deployed and relive their dreams of one day being a Major League Baseball player. (Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva, 1st Marine Division)

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Thanks to all of our veterans and active duty military who have dedicated their lives to the safety of our country. There's really nothing that can be said to appropriately capture your importance, but know that I'm appreciative.

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Just an FYI - since you show a Marine ...

… Yesterday was the Corps birthday (11/10/1774).

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Nov 11, 2009 11:59 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Except for you gaywads. Back in the closet!

These colors won’t be glamored (?!)

Vet discharged under don’t ask don’t tell

by b_duardo on Nov 11, 2009 12:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

that's an indictment on the institution

Not the marines/soldiers/airmen/sailors who serve(d) our country. Those are the people that Veterans Day is about.

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Nov 11, 2009 12:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Of course. neither the time nor the place.

I will save my arguments for the administration at my gym where I have been fighting tirelessly to get a Homo-Detector installed in the entrance to the men’s showers.

by b_duardo on Nov 11, 2009 12:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

All you need is a Mark I Eyeball ...

… to identify the gentlemen walking around with a boner.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Nov 11, 2009 12:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe you could borrow

Dwight Schrute’s gaydar device.

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Nov 11, 2009 12:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

After reading the article ...

…. I can’t help coming to the conclusion that he sort of brought it on himself.

In this case, it appears that the Army tried to turn a blind eye to his telling, probably realizing that he had a good record and it wasn’t causing any problems. That changed when he volunteered to tell his story to the press. At that point it made it impossible for the Army to ignore the issue.

As a vet, my personal opinion is that homosexuality in itself should not be a barrier to serving. I have sympathy for the Sgt. but I would have advised him to have refused the inteview if he truly wanted to continue his military career.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Nov 11, 2009 12:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, he did bring it upon himself

He knew the law, judged it to be unjust and decided to commit an act of civil disobedience. He was probably aware of the ramifications and the personal sacrifice he was making for future generations.

and as my contribution to the celebration of veterans day, I publicize his story of exclusion to a bunch(read:small off-season segment) of hopeless orioles fans. I do what i can for america.

by b_duardo on Nov 11, 2009 1:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Stick it to the man!

by O'sFan21 on Nov 12, 2009 1:53 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Great Photo For This post...

Really, it’s beautiful. Good find.

by ioland1 on Nov 11, 2009 3:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Since the military is so proactive about sexual harassment

I’m curious if they will install bathrooms for gay men and bathrooms for gay women. Oh how the taxpayers will cry out!

Anyway, like to point something out to those who haven’t been “over there”. See how there are no clouds in the sky? It’s like that every day….. Never thought I’d miss clouds but you really realize it when there are none.

by GeoffreyA on Nov 11, 2009 4:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Movie recommendations for today

WWI – All Quiet on the Western Fron (Lew Ayres version)
WWII – Catch 22
Korea – M*A*S*H
Vietnam – Platoon
Cold War – Dr. Stragelove
Gulf War I – Three Kings

Clearly some wars (WWII, Vietnam) have a wider selection than others (Korea), so I’ve limeted it to 1 per war. Let the debate begin!

You can't fix stupid. Stupid is forever.

by sluggo 2.0 on Nov 11, 2009 5:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Iraq - The Hurt Locker.

Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?
Man in Black: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons.

by birdman on Nov 11, 2009 6:29 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

If you have a low opinion of the military ...

… then these are probably good choices.

WWI – I’ll stick with your choice. The remake was ok, w/ Earnest Borgnine. I also like The Lost Battalion and one who’s title I can’t recall that starred Kirk Douglas as a French officer.

WWII – A Walk in the Sun. If you want to understand what it was like to be an infantryman, this is a good starting point. As I happen to believe that the best unit to fight in WWII was the 442nd RCT, I’ll recommend the following; Bad Day at Black Rock, The Karate Kid and Go for Broke.

Korea – here’s where you really start goin far afield. Some of the best war movies have been about the Korean War. Two Sam Fuller classics are Fixed Bayonets and Steel Helmet. Mitchner’s Bridges at Toko-Ri is another classic that far ouranks MASH. Two of my favorites are ones I can’t recall the names of at the moment, but were done well after the War. One is a Dutch film that stars the guy who was in Qwest for Fire with Rae Dawn Chong. The other is a South Korean flick about two brothers who are on opposites during the war.

Vietnam – While Oliver Stone makes very entertaining movies, he has to be the world’s worst historian. This guy doesn’t care a whit about facts, so long as he’s telling the story his way. Try watching 84 Charlie MoPic. Other good movies are Go Tell the Spartans, The Lost Command (which, if I recall, also deals with the Algerian War a bit), We Were Soldiers and one that I saw for the first time this year The 317th Platoon, a French flick from 1965 that won at Cannes.

Cold War – I love Dr Strangelove. I might also recommend The Beast. About a lost Russian tank crew in Afghanistan.

Gulf War I – I can’t think of any decent movie out of this one. The one with Sean Bean about Andy McNabb and his SAS patrol that was captured by the Iraqi’s is ok.

Somalia – Blackhawk Down

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Nov 12, 2009 3:25 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Gulf War - Jarhead

But I haven’t seen Three Kings yet.

Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?
Man in Black: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons.

by birdman on Nov 12, 2009 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

jarhead

book is good – movie is eh

by O'sFan21 on Nov 12, 2009 5:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Eh, wait a minute

“low opinion of the military”? Not exactly. Let’s just say I have a low opinion of politicians who start unjustified wars, and that for me to consider a war justified you better show me the wreckage of the Pacific Fleet, or something similar.

Moving on, thanks for the tip on the Korean War movies. Forgot all about Bridges at Toko-Ri & never heard of the others, as well as some of the WWII & Vietnam ones.

The Kirk Douglas one was Paths to Glory, also a good film. But as I say, I limited it to one per war.

You can't fix stupid. Stupid is forever.

by sluggo 2.0 on Nov 12, 2009 4:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Tank Boy!

The Beast rules.

WW1: The WW1 film with Kirk Douglas is Paths of Glory, a great early Kubrick film that kind of makes the French look like total assholes.

WW2: What are your opinions of Decision Before Dawn? Or The Big Red One? How about Stalingrad? I think they’re all pretty badass, but I’ve never been in the military so I dunno if they’re offensive to anyone who has been. My friend is an officer in the National Guard and he likes ‘em, but he pretty much likes all war movies. Although I know he doesn’t think very highly of The Thin Red Line. Empire of the Sun is also a great flick, although I’m a Christian Bale apologist, so ymmv.

Vietnam: I saw Rescue Dawn a few years ago and really dug it. I saw The Green Berets a long time ago and since I never have been a huge John Wayne fan (ducks) I didn’t really dig it, although I only really remember the last scene of the movie. And I may be getting a little crazy here, but when I think of Vietnam movies, the first thing that comes to my mind is Al from Quantum Leap, especially the episode when Sam narrowly missed saving Al from the POW camp.

Gulf War II: The Hurt Locker is an amazing film that should have seen a much wider release – I think it would have been successful. Definitely a movie to see if you like war movies, or just film in general.

And since we’re talking about Sean Bean, have you seen any of the Sharpe’s movies? I haven’t, but I’ve read and loved a few of the books and I love Sean Bean, so it’s only a matter of time before I watch some of them. I hope they’re good. And along these same lines, I’m waiting patiently for another Jack Aubrey film. Master and Commander is a movie I could watch all day long.

by PhilR8 on Nov 12, 2009 4:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Green Berets

has the redeeming feature of George Takei as an ARVN officer.

You can't fix stupid. Stupid is forever.

by sluggo 2.0 on Nov 12, 2009 4:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I can’t place Decision Before Dawn. Will have to look it up.

I liked The Big Red One. That’s also a Sam Fuller directed movie. (My nephew is with the 1/26th Inf, which is assigned to 1 Brigade / 1st Infantry Div at Ft Hood.)

I love Stalingrad. Another one I liked was the Peckinpah flick with James Colburn called Cross of Iron. And I liked Empire of the Sun as well.

I don’t recall Rescue Dawn. Another one I’ll have to look up.

Along with Hurt Locker.

And yes I’ve seen the Sharpes series. Love them. I keep hoping one of my brothers will get the light and get the series for me for Christmas.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Nov 12, 2009 5:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Cross of Iron

Is that the one with Maximillian Schell as the new officer who gets into it with Coburn?

I love all these movies that I never saw or haven’t seen in years being mentioned that I have to catch up on. There are worse ways to spend an off season!

You can't fix stupid. Stupid is forever.

by sluggo 2.0 on Nov 12, 2009 5:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs