Boys
& Girls No More!
~ Author Unknown ~
The average age of the military
person is 19 years. They are tight-muscled kids
who, under normal circumstances are considered by society as half
child, half adult. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough
to buy a beer, but old enough to die for their country.
They never really cared much for
work and would rather wax their own car than wash their father's;
but they have never collected unemployment either.
They are recent High School
graduates; and were probably average students, pursued some form of
sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady
girlfriend/boyfriend that either broke up with them when they left, or swears
to be waiting when they return from half a world away.
They listen to rock and roll or
hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and 155mm Howitzers.
They are 10 or 15 pounds lighter
now than when they were at home because they are working or fighting
from before dawn to well after dusk.
They have trouble spelling, thus
letter writing is a pain for them, but they can field strip a rifle
in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark.
They can recite to you the
nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either
one effectively if they must.
They dig foxholes and latrines
and can apply first aid like a professional.
They can march until they are told to
stop or stop until they are told to march.
They obey orders instantly and
without hesitation, but they are not without spirit or individual
dignity.
They are self-sufficient. They
have two sets of fatigues: they wash one and wear the other.
They keep their canteens full and their feet dry.
They sometimes forget to brush
their teeth, but never to clean their rifles.
They can cook their own meals, mend
their own clothes, and fix their own hurts. If you're thirsty,
they'll share their water with you; if you are hungry, their food.
They'll even split their ammunition
with you in the midst of battle when you run low.
They have learned to use their hands
like weapons and weapons like they were their hands. They can
save your life - or take it, because that is their job.
They will often do twice the work
of a civilian, draw half the pay and still find ironic humor in it
all. They have seen more suffering and death then they should
have in their short lifetime.
They have stood atop mountains of
dead bodies, and helped to create them.
They have wept in public and in
private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.
They feel every note of the
National Anthem vibrate through their bodies while at rigid attention,
while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around
them who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop
talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home,
they defend their right to be disrespectful.
Just as did their Fathers,
Grandparents, and Great-grandparents, they are paying the price for our
freedom.
They are the American fighting
men and women and they have kept this country free for over 200 years.
They have asked nothing in return,
except our friendship and understanding.
Remember them, always, for they
have
earned our respect and admiration with their blood.
A
Prayer for our Military Men and Women
Dear Lord,
Hold our troops in Your loving hands. Protect them as they
protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless
acts they perform for our freedoms and for us in our time of need.
Amen
Please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our ground troops crossing the deserts of Iraq, for the sailors on ships, the airmen in the air, and for those still fighting the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan.
Of all the gifts you could give a Soldier, Sailor, Airman,
Marine or National Guardsman prayer is the very best one!
