I meant no disrespect. One of the first things I ask the boys that are about to start off shooting sporting clays is how do you feel about being out shot by a girl. Most roll their eyes. I then tell them they better get used to the idea because it's gonna happen soon and happen often.
I have tremendous respect for the military. I have some good friends there. But I also look at some that make the cut these days and happen to know some candidates first hand that made it through that couldn't make it through high school football practice. Being in the military does not in and of itself make someone "tough". Less than 20% of military personnel will ever get anywhere near combat. The other 80% have jobs to do and some of those jobs are not very desirable but they do it because it's their job. Not unlike millions of civilians do every single day.
Compared to some of the things I've done and had to endure I assure you the question of my toughness has never been in question. Sanity, maybe. Toughness, never. I am a real life tried and true "Walking Miracle" that by fortune or luck is still alive. God let me live for a reason. Be that as it may. I don't have to prove my toughness to anyone.
. when they re broke my back then put it back together again. They have no idea why but told me that 22 hours of surgery over the course of a week it may have just been to much shock to my system or could have been due to the 12 units of donated blood and the liter plus of my own blood they managed to recycle and put back into me during the last surgery. Evidently I bled a lot when they made a second incision in my side, moved my stomach and intestines out onto the table, punched through my diaphragm and placed adjustable wedges into the front of the vertebrae. I have more fused than un fused vertebrae. Enough metal in me to build a rifle. I didn't walk for 3.5 years without a walker or put my own shoes and socks on by myself yet I still helped raise my young son. I was able to learn to walk again after the last surgery. Again, you don't have to be in the military to be tough.
I posted about Chickification following in the humorous context of this thread. Again I meant no disrespect. I feel free to talk about lack of testosterone because without injections I have none. They still can't tell me why my body stopped producing it.
Raeford said it on radio but over the last several years TV and media has made quite an effort to portray men as less masculine. Fact, these days a lot of men are. They have also made an effort to portray women as more powerful and capable. Fact, these days many of them are just that. The portraying men as less masculine is the part I refer to as "Chickification".
Not that it matters, but I did spend 30 years in the Army, not sitting behind a desk and an 8 hour day was pretty much unheard of. I am old. Can I do things that I used to be able to do, absolutely not. Can I still do things that others can only hope to do, certainly. I spent two tours in Viet Nam and brought home souvenirs such as a 7.62 bullet, one of two that suddenly uninvited and unceremoniously entered my body. One the Army surgeons removed, the other they left in place because it would cause more damage to try to remove it. I've been carrying it around for some 57 years now. Another souvenir that came back with me was the ravages of Agent Orange, which was the reason I had to retire after only 30 years. It was my intent to stay for 40. While women were not allowed to be assigned to combat units, we were assigned to units that supported combat units, in combat areas. When our locations came under attack we grabbed our M-16s and joined forces with everyone else defending their location. That is how I earned a purple heart, acquired two bullets, defending our perimeter and zigging when I would have been better off zagging. That is just me.
The comment,
"But I also look at some that make the cut these days and happen to know some candidates first hand that made it through that couldn't make it through high school football practice." Tells me that it's a pretty good chance that you have never gone through any military basic training. If you had, you would know that many soldiers enter basic training, who never spent a day playing high school football, considered wimps or called other derogatory names can kick any normal civilian butt all across the room and back. I know of several soldiers I served with that entered the Army or in some cases Marines that were of the category you so sarcastically disparaged in your comment that you probably shouldn't take a swing at.
I think that it's a pretty safe bet that you have never seen combat. I don't know where you got your 20% statistic from, other than pulling it out of your butt, but I think if you did an actual count of the percentage of military personnel at places like Fort Campbell, KY, Fort Benning, GA, Fort Bragg, NC (I use the real names not the sissified politically correct changed names. I'm not much of a politically correct person." This is primarily because it's politicians who have caused the military to have to serve in such non war (Congress never declared a war) zones such as Korea, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Afganistan and all of the other hell holes that the military has served in, at the whim of politicians, giving up their lives and spilling their blood in lands far away, for what reason?
The military, which includes all branches as well as the reserves and National Guard comprise, 2,063,451 personnel, of which 17.5% are women, many of which are now serving in combat positions. Think about this, those 2,063,451 soldiers are who are protecting 345.426,7511 people, both legal and illegal. There are however another another 16.2 million veterans living all around the country, and some around the world that are trained soldiers who for the most part, if anyone tried to take over the country would come out of the woodwork. Just as food for thought, why do you think that there are forces that want to disarm American citizens. Without firearms it would be easy to take over a country when there is no means for the citizens to fight back. Don't think so, take a look around the world.
Your comment,
"Be that as it may. I don't have to prove my toughness to anyone." Nobody has to prove their toughness, there are soldiers and veterans that take care of being tough for you. There are many real life examples of others just like you who have gone under the knife in order to remain alive. While I don't envy you for your back surgery, I too have had back surgery so don't think that you are so special. You mention units of donated blood. Have you ever donated any blood, or have you left that to others too?
Your comment,
"I am a real life tried and true "Walking Miracle" that by fortune or luck is still alive." You are not alone. If you want to see real walking miracles visit your local Veteran's Hospital or retirement home. You will see more miracles still able to walk despite grievous injuries received while protecting their country, and allowing you, and me to exercise our first amendment rights of free speech.
Your comment,
"Evidently I bled a lot when they made a second incision in my side, moved my stomach and intestines out onto the table," I guess you have never bled on the ground, or had your intestinies laying besides you on the ground, wondering if there would be enough blood left to keep you alive, A lot of veterans have and didn't make it home alive. Until you do, quit your crying.
Again you comment,
"Enough metal in me to build a rifle. I didn't walk for 3.5 years without a walker or put my own shoes and socks on by myself yet I still helped raise my young son." I am going to be a bit of a bitch here, (I am sometimes known for that) I doubt very much that you have enough metal in you to build the rifle you never carried. Don't cry about not being able to walk without a walker for 3.5 years. There are thousands of soldiers, who will never be able to walk without a walker, or for that matter, never walk again. You should feel lucky and privileged to be able to do so.
FYI, I also raised a son, the first several years I was still in the Army, as well as a single Mom. I will bet that there are a lot of people reading this dissertation that were or are in the same boat. Raising their children under trying conditions. It's what you do when you are a parent.
I could go on, but I think that I have more than made my point. While you say you have tremendous respect for the military, you don't seem to show it very well.
For everyone else reading this, I do not take disparaging or unkind remarks about the military very well. In case you haven't noticed, it sets me off.
ONCE A SOLDIER, ALWAYS A SOLDIER, A SOLDIER FOR LIFE!
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