Eleventh Day, Eleventh Month

[slang]

*civilian salute* Thanks UG and all other veterans. Whether you washed the laundry on a carrier during peacetime or were the toughest, baddest ass in combat....most sincerly, thank you.

HLJ - good article too. True, it's long but well placed.

[ZenGum]

I can't remember the exact quote, nor who said it, but it is something like this:

Peaceful people sleep safely in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.

Nowadays they're not all rough, and they're not all men, but in this imperfect world, we still need them. I will argue about the politician's decisions where to send them and when, but I don't blame the troops for being where they are or were.

I don't salute with my arm because I don't know how to do it properly and don't want to pretend to be something I'm not. Instead I stand still at the appropriate times, and very sincerely lower my head.