[Shotimes] The military honor

Tue, 30 Sep 2003 12:55:52 -0500

I had seen that. Very cool!
-- 

Paul L Fisher
'93 Ford Taurus SHO Crimson Clearcoat ATX 177K Build date 11/18/1992
- K&N Panel filter, Tokico Struts, Eibach Springs, Dynomax cat-back, Holley 
190lph fuel pump, FPS rebuilt ATX, 26mm rear sway bar, Performance-Plus 
Stainless Steel Y-pipe, Delrin sub-frame bushings, Amsoil Series 2000 0W-30 
oil, Amsoil Synthetic ATF.

SHO Club member http://www.shoclub.com/
Check out my web site http://www.paul-fisher.com/
Amsoil dealer http://www.paul-fisher.com/oil.htm

Get $5 free from Paypal! https://www.paypal.com/refer/pal=P3XEFFBFUFKN6

Quoting Don Johnson <don@themav.biz>:

> The Third Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer has the responsibility for
> providing ceremonial units and honor guards for state occasions, White
> House social functions, public celebrations and interments at Arlington
> National Cemetery....and standing a very formal sentry watch at the
> Tombs of the Unknowns.  The public is familiar with the precision of
> what is called "walking post" at the Tombs.  There are roped off
> galleries where visitors can form to observe the troopers and their
> measured step and almost mechanical silent rifle shoulder changes.
> They are relieved every hour in a very formal drill that has to be seen
> to believe.  Some people think that when the Cemetery is closed to the
> public in the evening in the evening that this show stops.
> 
> First, to the men who are dedicated to this work...it is no show...it
> is a "charge of honor".The formality and precision continues
> uninterrupted all night. During the nighttime, the drill of relief and the
> measured step of the on duty sentry remain unchanged from the daylight
> hours.  To these men...these special men, the continuity of this post is
> the
> key to the honor and respect shown to these honored dead, symbolic of
> all American unaccounted for American combat dead.  The steady
> rhythmic step in rain, sleet, snow, hail, hot, cold...bitter
> cold...uninterrupted...
> uninterrupted is the important part of the honor shown.  Last night,
> while you were sleeping, the teeth of hurricane Isabel came through this
> area and tore hell out of everything...  We have thousands of trees
> down...power outages...traffic signals out...roads filled with down limbs
> and "gear adrift" debris...We have flooding...and the place looks like it
> has been the impact area of an off shore bombardment.  The Regimental
> Commander of the U.S.  Third Infantry sent word to the nighttime Sentry
> Detail to secure the post and seek shelter from the high winds, to ensure
> their personal safety.
> 
> THEY DISOBEYED THE ORDER...During winds that turned over vehicles
> and turned debris into projectiles...the measured step continued.  One
> fellow said "I've got buddies getting shot at in Iraq who would kick my
> butt if word got to them that we let them down...I'm sure as hell have no
> intention of spending my Army career being known as the idiot
> who couldn't stand a little light breeze and shirked his duty." ....Then he
> said something in response to a female reporters question regarding silly
> purposeless personal risk...."I wouldn't expect you to understand.  it's an
> enlisted man's thing." God Bless the rascal...In a time in our nation's
> history when spin and total bullshit seems to have become the accepted
> coin-of-the-realm, there beat hearts...the enlisted hearts we all knew and
> were so proud to be a part of...that fully understand that devotion
> to duty is not a part time occupation.  While we slept, we were represented
> by some fine men who fully understood their post orders and proudly
> went about their assigned responsibilities unseen, unrecognized and in
> the finest tradition of the American Enlisted Man.
> 
> Folks, there's hope....The gene that George S.  Patton...Arliegh Burke and
> Jimmy Doolittle left us...survives.  Now, go have another cup to pop rivet
>  your eyelids I've got to go to work.  DN From a subvet friend in our
> nation's capital~
> 
> ...More....
> 
> Nina Swink adds.....
> On the ABC evening news, it was reported tonight that, because of the
> dangers from Hurricane Isabel approaching Washington DC, the military
> members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier
> were given permission to suspend the assignment.  They refused.  "No
> way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical
> storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it
> was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person.  The
> tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
> 
> Addition to this: I saw an interview on Fox News Channel with the
> Commander of the soldiers who guard the Tomb of the unknown.
> He took the shift when Isabel was unleashing her fury, cause he did not
> want to ask any of his men to do this - he felt it was his highest honor
> to be on duty during that time.
> 
> Very, very proud of our persons in uniform!!!!!!
> 
> Don Johnson
>     DPC, USN, Ret
>         "El Jefe"
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> '95 White Taurus SHO MTX
>     "the White Rhino"
>         "Fears No Other Species"
>             "Call me crazy ... The faster I go the bigger my smile!"
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.520 / Virus Database: 318 - Release Date: 9/18/2003
> _______________________________________________
> Shotimes mailing list
> Shotimes@autox.team.net
> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes
> 

-------------------------------------------------
This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/