I always felt a bit more pride in raising the flag than lowering it...

When I was on Embassy duty, it was great to have foreign nationals stop and watch when we'd have colors... A lot of people would always comment afterwards how impressed our professionalism and patriotims showed as we honored our flag... Then they would joke about how pathetically their country handles their standards...

I had that happen serveral times. It's something Marines take pride in.....Pomp and Circumstance and all that.

Marines are instinctively wanting to be the best, whether it's starching the hell out of our cammies to the point of insanity or being the best at drill.....and of course at fighting (not in bars mind you but I'm sure that ranks pretty high).

We are fortunate to do nearly all the color guards for the Oakland Raiders and I can't tell you the sense of pride we feel everytime we show up because we are treated like hero's. People wanted to take pictures with us even sit next to them and defintely shake our hands. It really felt good and beyond anything I was expecting. They didn't even care that I'm a 49ner fan

Hmm, I think this thread has just been invaded by the military (in all shapes and sizes).

The only problem I have even seen with the military is just in a few...

There are a few (such as my cousin) that have the feeling that just joining the military means everyone must respect them. I'm sorry, ubt he joined the military does not make him a hero and I do not repect him by any means. He volunteered to join, and it was his own choice.

I tend to see a number of military personel that do get too proud and haughty. Not many, but a few.

btw - my cousin went AWOL twice and during the second, he disappeared for nearly a year w/o contacting anyone at all... plus he slept on duty more than just a few times.

GreenArmani, even thou there is an inner service rivelry, we all stick together. As it's been in all wars and police actions. WE have shared the same dirt. I work with retires from the Air Force and Army, plus vets. from all the services. We all share one thing in common. Pride in what we did and pride in those who follow. I put in my 20 (Army) and I still get swelled up at the national anthem and when the colors pass. You do what needs to be done.

I'm glad your opinion is shared by an infinitesimal percentage of people. Let me ask you, what do you take pride in? Your career? You family? Your accomplishments? Anything you hold dear, and you voiced that proudly and someone came along and told you what you just said about some servicemembers. How would you feel......?

It's all relative and to be honest I don't care that you feel military personnel may be pompous or full of themsleves and we are overly prideful.

I have a right to be just as you have a right to show the same in whatever you want. If you don't like it who are you to say anything.....I wouldn't downgrade your pride in whatever it is?

You have to understand that we take pride in knowing we are protecting you and your family from enemies foreign and domestic, night or day, rain or shine.

Why do I feel these comments fall on deaf ears. No matter what I say you wouldn't be able to understand mainly because you don't choose to in the first place.

Wom.............I fully agree. The one service Marines have a hard time with is the Navy. I love the Navy I think sailors fat and skinny, short and tall are the same as me. Not to long ago a few Marines at my unit got in a scuffle with Army soldiers and it was all about nothing.

It's just an interservice rivalry that will never go away. I take pride in being a Marine just as much as you do being a soldier. When it all comes down to it and we are fighting along side each other we do what we got to do and watch each others back......then when we get home we go back to saying "Sailors are gay" ....alright that last part is a joke

Well, not a personnal attack on anyone, but I am very much against any sort of military in general. My dream is that one day all countries have none of those. Of course I'll never see it in my lifetime, no more than my kids will. But maybe one day.

If I was called to serve in the military, I would desert. Even if I was to be shot for doing it, I would still desert. It's not cowardice, it's conviction.

Glad you give a damn

I don't care for people who EXPECT respect for a volunteer position.

I respect most military people who do what they do. Would you respect me if I cured cancer? what about if I did it just to sell the vaccine for a few billion here and there. It's fsking objective. I don't care about being respected and I don't expect respect.

It's my opinion. Do what you want, but I don't think you should expect respect for it. FYI, you do have mine though, there're only a few military people that I don't respect... It's a default thing, I respect volunteersd until I know better... Same way I respect doctors be default.

I think you missed what I meant...

BTW: this doesn't prevent the fact that I have some very good friends in the military that I love dearly. I respect their convictions and they respect mine. It's not personnal.

My name isn't Pax for nothing.

pax = peace, right?

For one I never demanded respect. Secondly if someone is volunteering into a service with full knowledge that they may and will come into harms way....they get my respect hands down.

why is it that the people who are too good to take part in the fighting are not too holy when it comes to enjoying the fruits of victory?

>
if your country is forced to fight for and successfully defend its freedom, and you don't wish to participate, then you should have the intellectual honesty not to grasp anything won by the others. walk around in public wearing manacles while others wave the victory flags, because if everyone follwed your example you'd all be walking around in chains.

Sorry, but never will killing another human being will be a victory to me. And I wouldn't walk in chains either. I'd die first.

Hey, wait a minute. I'm slow tonight, must be tired. I just thought about this.
If everyone followed my example I would not be walking in chains because there would be no war at all. So yes, it is indeed my (unrealistic) dream that some day everybody follows my example.

dang

that's a good analogie Paxx (#164) ... it works well.. I didn't mean to imply that you specificly were America Bashing, but it seems as though others have been. I appreciate people being frank, but remember everyone does have the best interests of the world in mind. It's not about who's country is dumb, it's about what needs to be done. I don't believe it's the right time for a war, but when is?? I don't believe this is a start to an American Crusade to conquer the world. we don't need that, who would get the power??? many people don't know this, but the president has no power. Neither does congress, or the supreme court. All three are useless without the other. If one strives for more power than he's given in the contituion the other branches can throw out the bills, and laws passed. Just my thoughts. America would gain nothing from taking over the world. Saddam Huesein however has alot to gain by doing such. But war should never be the answer to anything. But how do you fight a man like Saddam without using weapons??? that's why the world is so divided and so confused. It's split, between those that Jump in head first (America and Britain) and those that are passive and wait for a solution to appear (France).

so much for intellectual honesty and courage of convictions.

I say we fly planes very high over his country and send in the smart bombs.... also from all of the battleships we have out there.... bomb every single point that I'm sure we already have targeted and save the lives of our boys by not having to send them in there physically. Bomb Iraq into the next dimension.....

I agree with that one, cut back on american casualties. Save our men from that hell.

I think your assessment, hits right on Jam

Well I expected to be attacked verbally and yet I see two people who agree...... Well Alright!!!!!

you never know... someone may be creeping around waiting for the right time to attack verbally... lol but i got your back

I say dust off and nuke them from orbit....It's the only way to be sure....

We're on an express elevator to hell....goin' down...

[Aliens was a favourite of mine]...