...though they don't all admit to being heroes. Earlier this week, I had an encounter with one such person in the store. A guy who looked to be in his late 20's came in. He had a younger, attractive woman with him, and a little girl who looked to be about 2 or 3. The guy was wearing a US Marine Corps cap, but that wasn't what got my attention.The attention-getter was has prosthetic leg. His left leg was gone just below the knee, though you'd have never known it by watching him walk.
We got to talking, making some small talk about the weather and such. I told him we did give a 10% military discount if he had his ID. Then, we got on the subject of the military. "Lost my leg a year ago in Fallujah. It's ok, though. I still get by."
"Thank you and your family." I told him.
"Aw, it isn't much. Was walking a patrol with a buddy, and one of them little bastards popped an IED. Got my leg, and badly hurt my buddy's arm. It's all good, though. The little raghead bastard stuck his head up to admire his handiwork, so I popped three rounds at him. He got my leg, but my buddy and I are still breathing. I got him twice in the head, so you tell me who won that one! The thing that really pissed me off was that they made me come home. I wanted to stay, and I'd go back now if they'd let me! Hope my politics don't offend you. Which news do you watch?"
"Mostly FOX," I told him. "Hannity's my favorite, but I listen to Glenn Beck and Rush on the radio when I can."
"Good boy!" he said. "Hannity's my boy! Done a lot for the troops!" he said with a smile. "Remember one thing - don't listen to what them other know-it-all types are saying! Those people need us there. They want us there, and we need to stay the course. It would be a disaster if we left it go now. Place would go to Hell faster than anyone could imagine!"
I told him I agreed. What more can one say about such people? Here's a guy shopping with his wife and kid, someone just like the rest of us who's been dealt a tough blow and is just trying to get by. What's he do? Cry and whine, and ask for a handout? Nope! Keep on living and doing what needs to be done!I seriously do think this guy would go back if he was allowed, and that his biggest gripe was having to come home in the first place and leave unfinished business behind.
Gives me chills and makes me proud to live in a country with such people. Where would we be without them?
1 comment:
Where indeed? I met a soldier in a very similar situation in the Gettysburg VC bookstore back in July, and blogged about it. The liberal (oops, sorry, they're "progressives" now) pantywaists now in power will never understand the dedication of our serving soldiers. All they want to do is prosecute those who keep us safe. I see a massive renewal coming in this country next election. Let's hope so, because the little Harvard-educated pussies who think Karl Marx was a Founding Father now in control need to learn that their brand of America-hate has been rejected.
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