Words Of A Very Wise Retired Marine MGySgt

I Will NOT Forget!

I sat in a movie theater watching "Schindler's List," asked myself, "Why didn't the Jews fight back?"

Now I know why.

I sat in a movie theater, watching "Pearl Harbor and asked myself, "Why weren't we prepared?"

Now I know why.

Civilized people cannot fathom, much less predict, the actions of evil people.

On September 11, dozens of capable airplane passengers allowed themselves to be overpowered by a handful of poorly armed terrorists because they did not comprehend the depth of hatred that motivated their captors.

On September 11, thousands of innocent people were murdered because too many Americans naively reject the reality that some nations are dedicated to the dominance of others. Many political pundits, pacifists and media personnel want us to forget the carnage. They say we must focus on the bravery of the rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the killers. They implore us to understand the motivation of the perpetrators. Major television stations have announced they will assist the healing process by not replaying devastating footage of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers.

I will not be manipulated.

I will not pretend to understand.

I will not forget.

I will not forget the liberal media who abused freedom of the press to kick our country when it was vulnerable and hurting.

I will not forget that CBS anchor Dan Rather preceded President Bush's address to the nation with the snide remark, "No matter how you feel about him, he is still our president."

I will not forget that ABC TV anchor Peter Jennings questioned President Bush's motives for not returning immediately to Washington, DC and commented,
"We're all pretty skeptical and cynical about Washington."

And I will not forget that ABC's Mark Halperin warned if reporters weren't informed of every little detail of this war, they aren't "likely -- nor should they be expected -- to show deference."

I will not isolate myself from my fellow Americans by pretending an attack on the USS Cole in Yemen was not an attack on the United States of America.

I will not forget the Clinton administration equipped Islamic terrorists and their supporters with the world's most sophisticated telecommunications equipment and encryption technology, thereby compromising America's ability to trace terrorist
radio, cell phone, land lines, faxes and modem communications.

I will not be appeased with pointless, quick retaliatory strikes like those perfected by the previous administration.

I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do nothing" regulations like the silly "Have your bags been under your control?" question at the airport.

I will not be influenced by so called,"antiwar demonstrators" who exploit the right of expression to chant anti-American obscenities.

I will not forget the moral victory handed the North Vietnamese by American war protesters who reviled and spat upon the returning soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines.

I will not be softened by the wishful thinking of pacifists who chose reassurance over reality.

I will embrace the wise words of Prime Minister Tony Blair who told Labor Party conference, "They have no moral inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent. If they could have murdered not 7,000 but 70,000, does anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced in it?

There is no compromise possible with such people, no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a choice: defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must!"

I will force myself to:
hear the weeping
feel the helplessness
imagine the terror
sense the panic
smell the burning flesh
experience the loss
remember the hatred.

I sat in a movie theater, watching "Private Ryan" and asked myself,
"Where did they find the courage?"

Now I know.

We have no choice. Living without liberty is not living.

Ed Evans, MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)
Not as lean,
Not as mean,
But still a Marine.

"Submitted by a Marine Brother"

Colorful paint is not TACTICAL!! Besides, it conjures up feelings of teamwork, camaraderie, and patriotism and makes other air forces feel inferior to ours. It used to set the "Bold,", Tailhook Navy apart from the drab, 5-day hops a month Air Force. It now takes nearly 3,000 dead Americans
to show our patriotic colors. We could have done the same thing during "peacetime", But morale would have gone against the liberal plan of degrading and watering-down the military and turning us into a paper tiger.
Just like when my bed-wetting, liberal neighbors came begging at my door after 9/11 wanting to know where I got my American Flag. Told 'em I'd had it for years.
"LET'S ROLL"
Aircraft nose art with the words "Let's roll!"   -- America's two-word marching order in the fight against terrorism will be displayed on various
aircraft throughout the Air Force as a way of recognizing the heroes and victims of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. The words were made famous by Todd Beamer, a passenger on Flight 93. Beamer, a 32-year-old businessman, Sunday school teacher, husband, father and hero, led other passengers in fighting terrorists for control of Flight 93 before it crashed into a field in western Pennsylvania.
He was overheard on a cellular phone reciting the Lord's Prayer and saying "Let's roll!" as passengers charged the terrorists. "'Let's roll!' has served as a rallying cry for this nation as we go forward in our war on terrorism," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper. "We are proud to display this new nose art on our aircraft." The passengers of Flight 93 won one of the first victories in the fight against terrorism. There has been much speculation about the terrorists' intentions for Flight 93, but it is widely believed that either the White House or the U.S. Capitol building was the intended target. The nose art design depicts an eagle soaring in front of the U.S. flag, with the words "Spirit of 9-11" on the top and "Let's roll!" on the bottom. The design was created by Senior Airman Duane White, a journeyman from Air Combat Command's multimedia center at Langley Air Force Base, Va.
The Thunderbirds and other Air Force demonstration teams will apply this nose art on all aircraft, while major commands and wings will be authorized to apply the nose art to one aircraft of their choice. For thousands of years, warriors, such as the Vikings, Zulus, Native Americans, samurai and many others, have followed a tradition of decorating their instruments of war.
These instruments could include the warriors or their weapons. The Air Force has used nose art throughout much of its history, and for a variety of
reasons. The "Let's roll!" nose art is being used to continue the remembrance of   the events of Sept. 11, spur on the nation's current patriotic spirit and pay tribute to the heroes and victims in the war against terrorism. It is anticipated that the art will start to appear on Air Force aircraft around Jan.15.

03-11-02 Two colums of light reach skyward at ground zero in Honor of all those that payed the ultimate sacrifice 6 months ago on 9-11-01 at the WTC, Pentagon, in a field in PA.