terry batdorf wrote:Jim,
Tell me all about you and I will tell you all about me. Why so curious? Want to look me in the eye?
Once again, I refuse to back down to your agressive advances.
Terry
Sure I would love to meet you. I love Lakewoodites, and I have a bunch of very close friends that served in Iraq. The paper has featured two very large center page spreads on returning Iraqi Vets. The stories freak me out, but i find them fascinating. As I said I come from a military family and I know first hand how tough it can be. I have also had many "sessions" speaking with Iraqi vets that run from conversation over coffee, to Ken taking an Iraqi Vet out to Walmart to get and air mattress to sleep on. I dig soldiers and all they do. It is the single bravest and finest job a citizen can do for their country.
My story is pretty simple, graphic guy that has done a little of everything. Spent ever summer on a military base, when my time to sign up for Vietnam, I just couldn't. I have to admit, I was against the war, but at the time mainly because I could get drafted. It was not until later did I find out how Nixon, sold out our soldiers. when I went to the Vietnam Wall a couple years ago, It tore me up. Then I stood halfway down the way and looked to the end and cried. No only could I have been in there, but many of my friends were. And to think they died to get Nixon elected just made me sick,
Soldiers as we now know are a very rare commodity. Good soldiers even rarer. We really need to protect our men and woman that have the nerve to serve. Again, this is one of the things that bothered me. To send you, if you are that Terry, into Iraq or my best friend's brother into Afghanistan without proper Body Armor is criminal. They could have waited to outfit our men and woman. After all we now know there was no imminent threat.
At Congressman Kucinich's office the other day the meeting with Vets was about health care or lack of health care. 40 vets vented on a number of issues and I couldn't believe it. These guys are heroes, and the government is not only cutting benefits but treating some worse than illegal immigrants. What the hell is that about! National Guardsman wounded in Iraq can't go to the VA Hospital system! That is insane. Not helping disable vets get to hospitals for rehab, is nuts. This is no way to respect our soldiers.
That is why I was wondering. Plus if that was you I would love to do a story in the paper. Do you work with the local Vet group? I do. Do you go to breakfast at the Coffee Pot with the Coffee Pot Warriors? I try to make it but 8 am on Saturday is tough.
Just wondering if that was you.
Me agressive! Laughable.
.