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We, as Americans, are spoiled

While I was in Germany (1974-75), a guy from HQ Co. was wandering around downtown staggering drunk. Polizi stopped him and had him assume the position on a wall and said don't move. Ordinarily, when they find out that you're an American soldier, they just turn you over to the MPs and that's that. But this poor drunken G.I. made the mistake of reaching for his inside coat pocket. Its believed he was going for his ID, but we'll never know for sure. Because when that hand moved toward the pocket, a 9mm bullet took the back of his head off. AFAIK, nothing was ever said or done about it.
 
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When I was on a REFORGER exercise I think in 1987, our unit first went to The Netherlands to draw our armored vehicles out of storage and rail load them to West Germany. We were in a containment area surrounded by a high chain-link fence with concertina wire on top, and guarded by Dutch Army troopers. The Dutch troopers would always tell us to stay away from the fence and not interact with the villagers on the other side of the fence. We just laughed at them because they looked like hippies to us with their long hair. Then one day some drunk Dutchman tried to scale the fence near us. Hippie Dutch troopers shot him. We scattered like roaches. He was shot with a 7.62 FAL. I think he was hit in the leg, because he fell from the fence and lay on the ground screaming. We never made fun of the Dutch troopers again, and stayed away from the fence!
 
The ancestry of the Dutch is complex, a fascinating mix of Germanic tribes, Roman influences, and neighboring populations; ultimately, the Dutch descend from a variety of European groups, predominantly Germanic tribes that settled in the Low Countries centuries ago. Far cry from being "hippies".
 
Onewolf426 said:
The ancestry of the Dutch is complex, a fascinating mix of Germanic tribes, Roman influences, and neighboring populations; ultimately, the Dutch descend from a variety of European groups, predominantly Germanic tribes that settled in the Low Countries centuries ago. Far cry from being "hippies".
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This was in the 80s, they were allowed to have long hair in their army. At the time, we called them "hippies' jokingly. After the shooting incident, we had a whole new respect for them. I was actually jealous of their grooming standards. I would have loved to have long hair back then (when it would grow out of my head) and a beard while serving in the Army (at that time).
 
belladonna said:
Those of us who had to navigate the immigration “process” (and I use that term loosely) and pay thousands and WAIT OUR TURNS do not take our citizenships for granted (at least I don’t). I have many freedoms here that I did not have in Canada, and Canada becomes more restrictive every day. I worked hard to get here, like the Russian driver previously mentioned.
I’ve also lived overseas…in Germany when where I lived was still West Germany, and I know better to assume that I have the same rights in another country that I do here. That’s just stupid. I guess there’s a lot of stupid in this country these days.
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We, as Americans, are spoiled​


G.D. right we are. Generations have worked, had successes and failures fought bleed and died so we can have what we have today. We owe each and every one of them a thanks we can never repay. So, the next time some twit feels compelled to list all out faults and warts, tell them to shut their pie hole and leave to someplace better. Don't bother waiting for them to pack, they won't go anywhere.
 
By and large its the sheltered generations that are spoiled.

I left home to get away from my family name, not for bad reasons, but to be somewhere my family wasn't known. You see, in the area I grew up in, my family was known across about three counties. My folks knew people, that knew who I was, and I didn't know them.

So, the Marine Corps was my way out, nevermind that I grew up around Cherry Point........

Nine years I spent away from home, I saw the world, from the West coast, and from the East coast. I have been around the world.

After I EAS'd, I came home. I came home years wiser,and very much more appreciative of where I came from.

As a nation we are spoiled, but there is a sect that's been there, and seen what the rest of the world is like, and we know what a sacred place we call home is.
 
USMC6094 said:
By and large its the sheltered generations that are spoiled.

I left home to get away from my family name, not for bad reasons, but to be somewhere my family wasn't known. You see, in the area I grew up in, my family was known across about three counties. My folks knew people, that knew who I was, and I didn't know them.

So, the Marine Corps was my way out, nevermind that I grew up around Cherry Point........

Nine years I spent away from home, I saw the world, from the West coast, and from the East coast. I have been around the world.

After I EAS'd, I came home. I came home years wiser,and very much more appreciative of where I came from.

As a nation we are spoiled, but there is a sect that's been there, and seen what the rest of the world is like, and we know what a sacred place we call home is.
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Oh crap. I know how that is, being known, breakfast table, dad says "I hear you were at the bowling alley again, how did you get there without crossing the highway?" years later mom says, "so you and Mary Lou went to the drive in, I heard you didn't get to watch the movie," then dad says tell me about the movie, was it good?"! There is no place to hide, everywhere you go someone sees you and you're the topic of conversation being out by yourself or with other kids, yes, that's the so and so kid racing his car down the street!

Sorry, I'll see myself out......
 
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