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Re: The Great Men and Women that Serve Our Country
Posted By: jlmann In Response To: Jlmann - Re: Pier and Vets (Capt D)
Date: Monday, 5-28-12, at 4:54 p.m.
You're very welcome Capt D , and it's a very heartfelt thank you too - not something I say lightly.
Since it's Memorial Day I'll share one of my favorite military stories , one that I read a few years after the Cold War ended. I wish that I could find a copy of it or remember it in better detail , but I'll try my best.
Shortly after the Cold War was over , the U.S. and the Soviet Union both agreed to reduce the amount of nuclear warheads in their respective arsenals. As part of the agreement , it was decided that the people who maintained the silos and ICBM's would tour their counterpart's facilities to foster goodwill and help the world understand exactly how bad things could have been if we had ever tested the theory of mutually assured destruction.
The American contingent visited and found a large percentage of the Soviet arsenal in disrepair due to the decline of the USSR over the last few years of communist rule. The bodies of the missiles were rusted. There was water standing in several of the silos. The computer control systems were old and outdated. All in all , it was unimpressive and even terrifying in a certain way that such powerful weaponry would be allowed to deteriorate to a point that their launch was questionable and detonation a gamble.
One Soviet scientist summed up their visit to U.S. facilities as follows : " I was absolutely terrified. The American systems had been kept updated with the most sophisticated technology available. All of the hardware was in prime condition and housed in clean , well lit facilities. They could have launched those missiles in a matter of minutes , whereas ours would have taken hours , even days to launch - if they could have been launched at all. It was very frightening to think what could have happened. "
The above may or may not be true , and I know I've forgotten a lot of it , but it really hit home with me and made me proud to be an American. It hints at the pride our service-men and -women have in their jobs , and the effort they put forth to keep our military in top notch , working order. Most veterans and even currently enlisted soldiers I know are very humble , surprisingly so considering the awesome power of our armed forces.
To me , it doesn't matter if a man or woman served in the military as a cook , grunt , mechanic , medic , pilot , special forces , or officer - they are all worthy of our utmost respect on Memorial Day and every day for doing their part to keep our country safe.
Again , "Thank You".....
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