My neighbor wants everyone in town to salute her son returning from Iraq

[Maine Mary]

She wants us to all line our cars up on the side of the road to her house and honk and wave when he goes by. Like some kind of mini ticker tape parade or something. :eyes: Don't get me wrong, I think her son deserves pleny of credit for putting himself in harms way and I wish him nothing but the best. But my God, isn't the neighbor going a little overboard?

[mac56]

1. I assume she plans to sit right beside him in the car.

"Dig me!"

I feel sorry for her son.

[GOPisEvil]

7. Exactly!

This has squat to do with her son, except that he is the vehicle for HER ego.

If he's even half-way genuine, he'll be so embarrassed, that he'll duck under the seats to avoid the attention. My limited experience tells me that most guys coming back from overseas service just want to get on with their lives.

[Caution]

2. She's just happy to have her son home

I would stay away becuase this will be paraded (no pun intended) all over the media as a show of support for the war (rather than what it is, a show of support for a local man doing what he thought was right)

[sistersofmercy]

38. I agree she's probably just extremely happy to have her son back.

[XanaDUer]

3. Yes, she is.

Of course she is happy he is back safe and sound. Wanting what she wants people to do is a bit over the top.

[Cappurr]

4. Let her put up a freaking Welcome Home Hero Banner

and invite friends in to welcome him. Like any normal person.

People are wackos. I learn that every day. :eyes:

[Blue_Chill]

5. aw come on she is just beng a mom!

I think that her idea goes more then just a little overboard but you can't blame the women for wanting everything for her son. Moms can be crazy like that. :D

[JVS]

6. Sounds like a bit much

What's wrong with a simple graduation party type event? Drink some punch, have some cookies, and welcome the boy back/ congratulate him.

[damnraddem]

35. Agree to salute the son in person. Welcome him back, ...

thank him for being in harm's way in service to the country, and talk to him about how Dubya has screwed over the troops in Iraq, the military, and the vets -- encourage him to vote against Dubya in November 2004.

[Padraig18]

8. One phrase

"Munchaussen by proxy". Buy the guy a beer instead, or invite him (sans mama) over for dinner and a few beers in a day or two. :)

[cmd]

26. He's probably not old enough to drink

That's not a judgement. I'd give him a beer. It was meant as a commentary on what we ask of 18 - 20 year olds.

[Not a robought]

9. Glad her son's back...

but I think she's been watching a little too much TV. Or she's looking to get into publicity as a hobby.

[Kamika]

10. poor son

Hes gonna get embarassed

[demnan]

11. Don't worry about doing that

but if you see him in a restaurant, coffee house or bar, buy him a drink. That's what they did before, during and after WWII.

When my Dad was stationed in Baltimore right before he went over, he said he was never allowed to pay for his drink if he walked into the bar with his uniform on. I'm sure he felt a little better knowing somebody gave a damn during his 2 horrible years on Guatal Canal.

[Parche]

15. Guadalcanal

He deserves every praise for that hard fought battle!!


I believer everyone in the military should get praise,
but this is over the top
Its like this president has brainwashed everyone with his patriotic
fevor, dont get me wrong, I am patriotic as anyone else, but this
is too much, whatever happened before Sept 11th?
Weren't these people interested before then?

[LynneSin]

20. We'll your Dad sure isn't getting it from the Bush administration

since they want to cut benefits left and right for our veterans of previous wars.

[ikojo]

12. What she is probably recalling is the

heroes welcome the Desert Storm troops received when THEY returned from Iraq during Bush I's reign as chimperor. There are no yellow ribbons around trees. While we do get the human interest story about the local troops on the local news it is really nothing like the fawning the troops got in 1991. She knows a Desert Storm type welcome is not in the cards for her son and his fellow soldiers, so she is hoping you and your neighbors will be that welcoming committee.

Her son did a job, one that he should NEVER have been sent on. I don't know about fawning all over them but then again I was against Persian Gulf War I and didn't care for the sequal either.

I say that if she wants the town to organize a parade then she needs to go to a city council meeting and propose such a thing. I doubt they do it but if it's that important that her son be recognized I say go for it.

:shrug:

[rucky]

13. What's The Harm? It'll Be Fun!

Neighbors getting together for something other than an arguement over dog poop.

[Maine Mary]

16. A Welcome Home party seems warranted

But a parade?

[rucky]

18. You're not invited to my next parade - e-o-m

[lcordero]

14. How about she goes and eats shit

That statement is a slap in the face to everybody that has actually accomplished something.

[Braden]

17. thats F'd up

I bet he wants to amble in to his favorite bar or pizza shop and forget all about Iraq.

Welcome home soldier!

[Warren Stuart]

19. And if you don't? And she knows it then...

She'll hate your for as long as you live there, if you do it, it will appear to be tacit support for the president's policies.

I say go there, but bring a big sign that says "Bring em all Home".

What unit was he in? Was he Infantry or Marines? or did he sit in a bunker all the time peeling potatoes or listening to radios?

If he wasn't a real frontline soldier, then he would probably be very embarassed by all the attention.

I've known guys that were in Vietnam, but spent all of their time in a motorpool, they would never try to pass themselves off as war vets.

[LynneSin]

21. I'd do nothing until you see what her kid wants

I'd almost can guarentee when he gets home that he'll be embarassed as hell for what his mother is doing. Personally, I think the mother needs some help, but that's just my opinion. The best welcome home party is a simple party at her house with his friends & family. Forcing neighbors to re-arrange cars and honk is just too bizarre. This woman is obviously trying to use her son to garner some attention for herself!

[BiggJawn]

22. I'd feel the same way if my boy was coming home in 1 piece

And not in a body bag.

It's a small town, right? go for it.

[proud patriot]

23. She just wants her son to see people are greatfull

and didn't lynch get a parade ?

I think it's great that she is trying to organize this .
I'd probably vollunteer to help go door to door if it
was my neighborhood . :hi:

[Maine Mary]

24. Yeah but as others have pointed out

HE might not want this. I don't know him very well. He was a couple of years ahead of my daughter in school. But from what I do know, he'd probably be very embarrassed. I think a Welcome Home party would be nice though.

[proud patriot]

34. Perhaps "Burma shave ad" types signs

on the route to home :shrug:

[Butterflies]

25. I'd stay home.

He probably wouldn't appreciate an ambush on his first day home.

[MaineDem]

27. We went through this a few weeks ago

They had local Legion guys out in uniform and a celebration in the center of town. Signs all along his route home. :shrug:

I have mixed emotions about it. I'm glad he's home but not thrilled at how "overboard" this all seems.

[Ouabache]

28. Go buy an AIR HORN or two

Then you can blow your car horn AND the air horn. Make sure it has a full supply of gas before you start blowing it. Start before they get there and make it continuous as she passes by. Find out which side of the car she will be on so YOU can be on that side of the road too.

Have fun.

[BigMcLargehuge]

29. My son is only two

and when he uses a new word or phrase I want to have parade for him. I don't know in what tone your neighbor asked, but if it wasn't demanding, why not participate? It may help ease his transition back to civilian life and it would reassure his mom that he didn't go over there for nothing.

I am certain for however long his term was she was scared to death that the next phone call or knock on the door was someone to tell her that her little boy was dead. This parade is her way, too, perhaps of showing relief that such a thing didn't happen.

I don't think attendence is a tacit endorcement of the policies that led to his participation if the Iraq War, rather I think it is to both welcome the son home and show solidarty as parents, neighbors, and friends.

I'd also buy the boy a drink, or ten, and as much pizza as he could eat. It's gotta be better than the Kellog Brown and Root crap they're fed.

[amazona]

30. heck, just humor her a little

It sounds like a nice gesture if all the neighbors will agree. Of course if you are not available at that time, I wouldn't worry about it, just drop by and give him a welcome when you can. Our neighborhood could never arrange anything like that -- too much infighting about the homeowner's association and other bad blood I don't have all the details of.

[qwertyMike]

31. Nice if he came back . .

<---------- displaying this sign :)

[kodi]

32. sing this from bob dylan to her

John Brown

John Brown went off to war to fight on a foreign shore.
His mama sure was proud of him!
He stood straight and tall in his uniform and all.
His mama's face broke out all in a grin.

"Oh son, you look so fine, I'm glad you're a son of mine,
You make me proud to know you hold a gun.
Do what the captain says, lots of medals you will get,
And we'll put them on the wall when you come home."

As that old train pulled out, John's ma began to shout,
Tellin' ev'ryone in the neighborhood:
"That's my son that's about to go, he's a soldier now, you know."
She made well sure her neighbors understood.

She got a letter once in a while and her face broke into a smile
As she showed them to the people from next door.
And she bragged about her son with his uniform and gun,
And these things you called a good old-fashioned war.

Oh! Good old-fashioned war!

Then the letters ceased to come, for a long time they did not come.
They ceased to come for about ten months or more.
Then a letter finally came saying, "Go down and meet the train.
Your son's a-coming home from the war."

She smiled and went right down, she looked everywhere around
But she could not see her soldier son in sight.
But as all the people passed, she saw her son at last,
When she did she could hardly believe her eyes.

Oh his face was all shot up and his hand was all blown off
And he wore a metal brace around his waist.
He whispered kind of slow, in a voice she did not know,
While she couldn't even recognize his face!

Oh! Lord! Not even recognize his face.

"Oh tell me, my darling son, pray tell me what they done.
How is it you come to be this way?"
He tried his best to talk but his mouth could hardly move
And the mother had to turn her face away.

"Don't you remember, Ma, when I went off to war
You thought it was the best thing I could do?
I was on the battleground, you were home . . . acting proud.
You wasn't there standing in my shoes."

"Oh, and I thought when I was there, God, what am I doing here?
I'm a-tryin' to kill somebody or die tryin'.
But the thing that scared me most was when my enemy came close
And I saw that his face looked just like mine."

Oh! Lord! Just like mine!

"And I couldn't help but think, through the thunder rolling and stink,
That I was just a puppet in a play.
And through the roar and smoke, this string is finally broke,
And a cannon ball blew my eyes away."

As he turned away to walk, his Ma was still in shock
At seein' the metal brace that helped him stand.
But as he turned to go, he called his mother close
And he dropped his medals down into her hand.



Copyright © 1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music

[Lars39]

33. Any way you could do a pre-emptive?

Walk over to the house and shake his hand, talk with him a bit? Then skip the parade? It would seem more meaningful to me. :shrug:

[Hubert Flottz]

36. Yes,,,ask her how many times she did that for the guys coming

back from Nam! You'd better get help for that kook!

[GumboYaYa]

37. It is over the top, but understandable.

If my kid had participated in this invasion, I would be beside myself with happiness if he/she came home alive and well. Moms go overboard sometimes, but IMO they are allowed to do that since all of the burden of carrying the kids and most of the burden of raising them falls to the Mom. If the kid is okay with it, I would indulge the Mom on this one.

[bearfan454]

39. Heck yes she is.

Congratulations later or something like that should seem to be okay to me.