# How Marines Say Goodbye



## Reptyle (Jul 28, 2005)

http://www.pcsuccess.us/yrg/farewellmarine_final.swf


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## jamesdel (Mar 21, 2006)

Semper Fi my Friend Semper Fi.
Jim


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## dixiedoodle (Feb 27, 2006)

Couldn,t have said it any better.
People have taken their FREEDOM for granted.Some have never thought of it.How many have taken the time just to say a few words to a solder. Thank-you!I prayed for you!pat them on the shoulder! I thank God every Day for the soldiers,bless them,ease their pain ,from being away from their own familys. :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: You are ANGELS in my eyes!! :angel: :angel: :angel:


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## EasyDay (Aug 28, 2004)

Wow!
Beautifully portrayed and such a powerful message.
It's important to keep all of our marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen in our prayers, regardless of your political viewpoint. They, and their families, are making the sacrifices that keep us free.


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## RLMS (Mar 10, 2003)

You are sorry to get political yet you did it purposely?

What BS!


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## RLMS (Mar 10, 2003)

God Bless Our Troops-----And Their Families

Past Present Future-----

All Who serve-----

God Bless Our Troops-----And Their Families


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

I have the utmost of respect for those who answer the call to duty in the armed forces. The photos in this tribute are quite moving, thought the text seems a bit trite.


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## moopups (May 12, 2002)

FarmerGirl, go spend 26 months in a sunny South East Asia environment, learn to sleep in a hole in the ground that has 2 to 6 inches of mud on its bottom, human waste included. While enemy's are trying to kill you with automatic weapons. You have no idea of the stretch that is required.

Then come back here and explain your version of 'trite'. Sorry to be so raw, but that is whats needed to express the experiences.


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## RLMS (Mar 10, 2003)

moopups said:


> FarmerGirl, go spend 26 months in a sunny South East Asia environment, learn to sleep in a hole in the ground that has 2 to 6 inches of mud on its bottom, human waste included. While enemy's are trying to kill you with automatic weapons. You have no idea of the stretch that is required.
> 
> Then come back here and explain your version of 'trite'. Sorry to be so raw, but that is whats needed to express the experiences.


Right on!

The sleep in the mud was bad, particularly if you throw in the snakes. Got bit twice and am still scared to death of those d.... things.

I prefered sleeping in a tree. Tie in with your web gear. One morning woke up with a parrot perched beside me staring right into my eye. Three days later when my heart got back to beating regular ...........................!

Only those who DO or DID understand.

When I got back to the world I spent a fair amount of time just sitting on the bathtub rim and flushing the toilet. It was facinating.

Welcome home!

God bless our troops.


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## knight88 (Nov 17, 2006)

Spent 23 years USAF. Think this tribute is one of the most moving I have ever seen> All of us living free in the USA owe a debt to those who have given their lives and sacrificed their all. To those I say thank you, you shall always be in my prayers. We must always support our military or become slaves. Andy MSGT USAF ret


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## jamesdel (Mar 21, 2006)

This [political garbage] has no place in this thread !!! I spent many years in the service of my country . And from this post I would say you probably havent. I said good by to 283 very good friens in one day in the ruit,In the very same manner. Several more in central and south America in the followin years.It isnt about the war it is about the brave Men and Women that are fight it if ya cant respect that then kiss my -----
Jim


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## RLMS (Mar 10, 2003)

jamesdel
[I said:


> snip[/I]
> 
> I said good by to 283 very good friens in one day in the ruit,In the very same manner.
> 
> ...


You were there?

S..T!

I had one friend go down that day. Not in the explosion but in the rescue.

Welcome home.


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## jamesdel (Mar 21, 2006)

Yes I was 
Jim 
Lima 2/12 supporting the 22nd And the 26th MSSG/22 Mau
Ps What was his name? I have anotherfriend here that was with LSB maybe we knew him. And By reading your post you know you never really come home .


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## Tater'sPa (Jun 27, 2002)

jamesdel said:


> This has no place in this thread !!! I spent many years in the service of my country . And from this post I would say you probably havent. I said good by to 283 very good friens in one day in the ruit,In the very same manner. Several more in central and south America in the followin years.*It isnt about the war it is about the brave Men and Women that are fight it if ya cant respect that then kiss my -----*Jim


The tribute in my opinion is very touching and hits home..especially to those who...like me that haven't "been there" 
I have a deep respect for the men and women in service of this country, My Dad, a decorated WW2 vet that even now at 82 still honors fallen vets as part of military honor guard rifle squad at funeral services, My oldest brother, A fine Marine spent 2 combat tours in nam and after 20 years retired from the corps. Another brother in the air force served in nam...I have friends in the service today.....dern proud of all of them!
But on the same note two people here express there honest heartfelt opinion..and I can't for the life of me see anything wrong with what they're saying, it's there opinions and no bashing or trashing has been done. It may well be there way of seeing it as they cannot relate to having "been there"
What is wrong with wanting this war to end? I myself believe it shouldn't have started....and would like it to end. In my opinion it *is* about the war..that's where these brave soldiers are fighting and dying...
Jenn was expressing her feelings of what that tribute meant to her, sorrow and pain as I see it...maybe that because she hasn't "been there" and that's how she seen it... I didn't see any disrespect just saw her opinion on putting an end to the many deaths of soldiers....An opinion and right to say, that any mother has!....it could have easily been your mothers statement some 30 plus years ago..would she have been wrong to say it?
Bill Reed, not a soldier or veteran ......Just a proud American

And Jim...if you can't respect that.............


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## jamesdel (Mar 21, 2006)

Bill I am not real good at this so I will just let it be. Yes she has her right to her opinion as does every one here. And yes if my mother had said that I would have felt she was wrong as well.and yes Bill I can respect that .
Jim


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## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

jamesdel said:


> I spent many years in the service of my country . And from this post I would say you probably havent. I said good by to 283 very good friens in one day in the ruit,In the very same manner. Several more in central and south America in the followin years.It isnt about the war it is about the brave Men and Women that are fight it if ya cant respect that then kiss my -----
> Jim


Jim: thank you for your service to our country. I also served: 4 years inactive reserve and 7 years active Army with three years doing two commands. I have no combat service- only wartime DS I service. I continue my support as today is my 16th wedding anniversary to a man who's been in the service 21 years now (and while not deployed, he is unable to get home tonight from work). But hey I'm an Army wife and a US veteran- I've put up with longer separations and much worse attacks directed against me and my country than you have given me here.


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## woodspirit (Aug 3, 2005)

*Thank you*


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## Gunner0331 (Apr 26, 2006)

Jenn said:


> Sorry to get political on you but THIS WAR HAS GOT TO END!
> 
> I know the Marines have made many sacrifices throughout their proud history but (unless this is staged- how I wish it were!) all these photos are from NOW- this decade's uniforms. This hits me harder than coffins coming off planes which is now political and a transport photo not people gathering. I am a mother- these poor boys and girl could be my sons/daughter- THIS WAR HAS GOT TO END!
> 
> Peace with justice and honor.



Ah, Jenn -- you've opened a hornet's nest. When I was 19 and saw combat for the first and only time in my life, really desperate combat that took the lives of several friends, I had so little experience with death that I didn't know how to react, how to express the loss I was feeling. I remember how terribly important it was to keep the flies off the pieces of my best friend, and how miserably I failed at that task. I hate flies to this day.

I spent four months in a naval hospital after that battle, so missed the funerals of all my friends. I look at those photos and think you may be right. The words might be a tad trite. But how I wish I'd had the chance to be there for their funerals or the impromptu memorial services like those in the slide show. Not for a photo op or to ask god for anything...just to have that last moment together, to let them know what they meant to me, to pledge to be the best person I could be as I experienced all those things they wouldn't be able to: love, marriage, parenthood, BS sessions with buddies.

I never felt like I was fighting for god or country. I was certainly NOT fighting for a political party or the president. I was fighting out of love for the men I called my brothers, fighting in the desparate hope that none of them would be lost. And in that moment of loss, a first for so many, we need to say goodbye in our own way. I hope that makes sense.

For those of you who have responded in anger or indignation I ask that you soften your tone. Jenn wrote from emotion based in a mother's love. I think all who call themselves human can respect that.

Semper fi
Gunner B
Chief Warrant Officer of Marines


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## moopups (May 12, 2002)

Gunner0331, I remember 0311 as a ground pounder, but cannot remember 0331, machine gunist? I was 3531, got to ride in the big ones.

The above numbers refer to USMC job specialty codes, each type of duty was assigned a specific number. These are not parallel in all of the services.


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## Gunner0331 (Apr 26, 2006)

Moopups -- Yes, 0331 is a machine gunner. In my case it was a mistake. When I joined Homesteading Today I signed up in a hurry to respond to a post that had really ticked me off. Thanks to a finger slip 0311 became 0331. Grunts have always been and will always be the heart of the Corps. 

My Warrant was in a technical track, not ordnance, so officially I was not a Gunner...though every warrant in the Corps is called a gunner. There sure was a lot more cameraderie in rifle companies than in data systems!

3531...Motor T. We really appreciated the lifts you guys gave us. Didn't get them often, but they were always just in time.

Semper fi!


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

Thanks, reptyle. It made me cry. Now I'll show it to my 'Nam vet-he hasn't shed a tear since he saw another patriotic email similar to this.

Patty


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