#4053603 - 12/20/14 10:28 AM
25 years ago
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 24,065
oldgrognard
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Administrator
Lifer
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 24,065
USA
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Time passes so quickly. It doesn't seem so long ago that 25 years ago, right now, I was part of the Invasion of Panama. In an airplane in the dark. The lines of tracers, the noises, the colors in the dark, going through the procedures and duies in myhead. It doesn't seem so long ago. Rather nostalgic and a bit drunk sitting here with some momentos and equipment. Wife is asleep. She doesn't truly understand who and what I was then. She didn't know me then. My family is unable to make the connection. To them it is getting ready for Christmas. They know, but only in a disconnected way. My past. Old comrades are with me. Thoughts of then. Remembering it all.
Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
Someday your life will flash in front of your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.
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#4053650 - 12/20/14 01:56 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: oldgrognard]
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 10,343
shan2
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 10,343
Maryland, USA
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After college, I considered joining the Army. My recruiter was a Ranger who had been in there...probably with you. I wish I could remember his name...
You're only young once, but you can be immature forever.
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#4053822 - 12/20/14 09:56 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: oldgrognard]
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 9,163
Murphy
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Posts: 9,163
Northern Michigan, USA
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I understand where you are coming from OG. But life if far from over now...it's just the excitement and vibrant times of a hard warrior, are over. We all only get one time around. A new chapter is going to have to be written. Remember what they say.... "It ain't over, till it's over"And it's not over for you yet. Just the horrifying and exciting part of your life is over. Now the rich 'knowing' part of life starts. Sit back....and smile, cause....'you know'. And some, will 'never' have your experiences, or even get that far. Be happy you're a survivor. Sometimes I remember the ones that didn't make it. We should be celebrating 'life', at this point. For them. 'S'
"Murphy's Law"
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#4053845 - 12/20/14 11:12 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: Murphy]
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,301
Nixer
Scaliwag and Survivor
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Scaliwag and Survivor
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,301
Living with the Trees
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I understand where you are coming from OG. But life if far from over now...it's just the excitement and vibrant times of a hard warrior, are over. We all only get one time around. A new chapter is going to have to be written. Remember what they say.... "It ain't over, till it's over"And it's not over for you yet. Just the horrifying and exciting part of your life is over. Now the rich 'knowing' part of life starts. Sit back....and smile, cause....'you know'. And some, will 'never' have your experiences, or even get that far. Be happy you're a survivor. Sometimes I remember the ones that didn't make it. We should be celebrating 'life', at this point. For them. 'S' Well, after I spent parts of the day pondering how to respond, Murphy pretty much said it all and then some. Respect, remember and learn from the past and live for today man.
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"There's a sucker born every minute." Phineas Taylor Barnum
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#4053859 - 12/21/14 12:13 AM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: oldgrognard]
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 24,712
Dart
Measured in Llamathrusts
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Measured in Llamathrusts
Lifer
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 24,712
Alabaster, AL USA
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My Army pictures (and I didn't have many) are put away, but a few months ago my wife found the shoe box and thumbed through them.
"You looked kinda rough back then." "Hey," I say, taking the picture, "I'm high-and-tight in this one." "That's not what I meant."
"Well, I was a little bit different back then...."
We were hard back then because we had to be hard. We're softer now because we have to be softer, and there's no reason to be hard.
The advantage of our youth is that the steel of those days can shine through when we need it to, another tool in our boxes.
The opinions of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events. More dumb stuff at http://www.darts-page.comFrom Laser: "The forum is the place where combat (real time) flight simulator fans come to play turn based strategy combat."
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#4053860 - 12/21/14 12:15 AM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: oldgrognard]
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,786
PFunk
SimHQ Redneck
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SimHQ Redneck
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,786
N. Central Texas
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War is a young man's game. Old men don't play for such small stakes.
"A little luck & a little government is necessary to get by, but only a fool places his complete trust in either one." - PJ O'Rourke www.sixmanfootball.com
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#4053868 - 12/21/14 12:29 AM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: PFunk]
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 8,932
ArgonV
Hotshot
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 8,932
College Station, Texas, USA
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War is a young man's game. Old men don't play for such small stakes. "There's nothing further here for a warrior. We drive bargains. Old men's work. Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men. Courage and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace. And the vices of peace are the vices of old men. Mistrust and caution. It must be so."
"Go Fly A Kite!" -Jason R. FS-WWI Project Leader FS-WWI Plane Pack SiteIntel i9 10900k Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Elite AC 64GB Corsair DDR4 2933 Vengeance RGB Pro AMD XFX 7900 XTX Merc310 Black Edition LG UltraGear 38GN95B-B 38" monitor Corsair HX1200 PSU 1TB EVO 980 Pro M.2 PCIe x4 SSD 2TB EVO 980 Pro M.2 PCIe x4 SSD Two 2TB EVO 860 SSDs Sound Blaster ZxR Win 10 x64 Pro HOTAS Cougar #4069 w/Uber II Nxt mod #284 & UTM bushings
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#4054013 - 12/21/14 01:29 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: piper]
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 2,413
Cold_Flying
6079 Smith
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6079 Smith
Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 2,413
Quebec, Canada
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Took Noriega out of the picture. And that was a good thing.
Read the history on this one. The truth is far more complicated and far uglier than is commonly known or spoken of.
Question everything!
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#4054088 - 12/21/14 04:31 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: Cold_Flying]
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,845
JimK
Veteran
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Posts: 10,845
Spokane,WA
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Took Noriega out of the picture. And that was a good thing.
Read the history on this one. The truth is far more complicated and far uglier than is commonly known or spoken of. That is the truth of it. The US created Noriega. Always remembers stories my Dad would tell us about during his tour in the Army in Panama. He said they government changed hands 4 times during his 18 months there. They would have secure the canal every time they had another coup. This was during the Korean war.
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#4054099 - 12/21/14 04:57 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: JimK]
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 2,413
Cold_Flying
6079 Smith
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6079 Smith
Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 2,413
Quebec, Canada
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That is the truth of it. The US created Noriega.
Including training at Ft. Bragg and being a hired thug on the CIA payroll for twenty-years, including during his time as the narco-tyrant of Panama. He was only removed from power because he became a disobedient thug, and the invasion to remove him killed - depending on what report you cite as being the most credible - up to 3000 Panamanian civilians. History is a complicated place.
Question everything!
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#4054106 - 12/21/14 05:13 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: oldgrognard]
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 13,217
NH2112
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 13,217
Jackman, ME
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25 years ago I was home from Korea on mid-tour leave, bored out of my mind after barely 2 weeks, when I saw the beginning of Operation Just Cause on CNN. I immediately called my old unit at Ft Bragg (3/27 FA, part of XVIII Abn Corps artillery) and told them that I was coming down and signing in off leave if they got alerted. They never did, and not even 9 months later I was on my way to my own fight.
Phil
“The biggest problem people have is they don’t think they’re supposed to have problems.” - Hayes Barnard
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#4054163 - 12/21/14 08:34 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: NH2112]
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 9,163
Murphy
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Administrator
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 9,163
Northern Michigan, USA
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25 years ago I was home from Korea on mid-tour leave, bored out of my mind after barely 2 weeks, when I saw the beginning of Operation Just Cause on CNN. I immediately called my old unit at Ft Bragg (3/27 FA, part of XVIII Abn Corps artillery) and told them that I was coming down and signing in off leave if they got alerted. They never did, and not even 9 months later I was on my way to my own fight. Thanks for your service Phil. And anyone who served their country, especially during ANY military operations, from our surviving WWII vets, to Afghanistan. And I'm talking 'any' soldier, from 'any' country, and 'any' campaign. They served, and some died, for Citizens and Country. 'S'
"Murphy's Law"
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#4054174 - 12/21/14 08:51 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: Cold_Flying]
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 9,163
Murphy
Administrator
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Administrator
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 9,163
Northern Michigan, USA
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That is the truth of it. The US created Noriega.
Including training at Ft. Bragg and being a hired thug on the CIA payroll for twenty-years, including during his time as the narco-tyrant of Panama. He was only removed from power because he became a disobedient thug, and the invasion to remove him killed - depending on what report you cite as being the most credible - up to 3000 Panamanian civilians. History is a complicated place. Some make it more 'complicated' than it has to be. The guys who did the fighting, didn't think it quite so "complicated"...it was more a "Will I wake up in the morning?"...type thing. Perhaps you can give us your version of "enlightenment" as to what it means to risk your life, under fire? In the proper forum please, if you wish to discuss the "Politics" of survival. Murphy.
"Murphy's Law"
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#4054179 - 12/21/14 09:04 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: Cold_Flying]
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 10,343
shan2
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 10,343
Maryland, USA
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That is the truth of it. The US created Noriega.
*snip* History is a complicated place. And what was the other choice? A neo-Marxist regime that would have killed many more and put the people under a greater degree of oppression? You act like the other option was a vibrant Jeffersonian democracy. It was the US squashing the dog that got too uppity for its own good that stabilized the region. Like it or not.
You're only young once, but you can be immature forever.
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#4054216 - 12/21/14 10:14 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: oldgrognard]
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 24,065
oldgrognard
Administrator
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Administrator
Lifer
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 24,065
USA
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I did not post to make any political statement. It was just the 25th anniversary of a combat operation I was involved in. I was just commenting on how quickly time goes by and we are left with our memories. Our past. It was late, I was being nostalgic, and had opened a bottle of scotch I had reserved for the anniversary. I regret it. It allowed some to get on a political soapbox. Not the correct place for it. Nice display of empathy and understanding. Shame.
Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
Someday your life will flash in front of your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.
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#4054245 - 12/21/14 10:46 PM
Re: 25 years ago
[Re: oldgrognard]
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,968
Jayhawk
Silastic Armorfiend
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Silastic Armorfiend
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,968
Docking Bay 94
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I find the political remarks in this thread disrespectful towards OG, and out of place. Not to mention irrelevant to the thread topic. Why do some people feel the urge to rain onto someone else's parade? There is a whole section on this site that was created specifically for these kinds of debates. There is absolutely no need to "infiltrate" someone's nostalgic trip down memory lane. No one keeps you from starting your own thread, preferably in the appropriate, dedicated sub-forum. I mean, if you don't have anything meaningful and appropriate to add, there's always the option not to comment.
Why men throw their lives away attacking an armed Witcher... I'll never know. Something wrong with my face?
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