Today is Armed Forces Day

[Lionel Mandrake]

No, I'm not making this up.

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armed_Forces_Day#United_States ...

"In the United States, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May. It marks the end of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May.

"The day was created in 1949 to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches – the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard – following the consolidation of the military services in the Department of Defense. It was intended to replace the separate Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Days, but observance of these days, especially within each particular service, continues to this day."

[Captain Hilts]

1. Anyone thinking you're making it up is an idiot. nt

[rug]

2. Seems like every day has been Armed Forces Day lately.

[david13]

3. Seems like every day is armed forces day today. It was

Eisenhower who said something about the main problem being the military/industrial complex. Today they rule the country, maybe the world.
I was in Torrance this a.m. near the great parade route for the 50th annual Armed Forces day parade. I saw a friend, he said he was not a military fan, he would avoid the parade.
Today the rule is "All Hail the Mighty Military", on your knees before the Great Military. And other such jingoistic warrior worship.
The parade and the day is a means of indoctrinating the youth into the warrior culture, the warrior class.
The problem with it? The warrior most needs ... someone to fight with. That is the entire essence and nature of the thing. If you don't have an enemy to fight with, you must create one.
Otherwise it makes no sense to be a warrior.
The only glory is battle. There must needs be someone to battle with. Anyone.
The concept of teaching peace is long gone. Sad that mankind has gone nowhere in how many 1000's of years.
dc

[Texasgal]

4. Really?

So do you think our armed services are completely made up of "warriors"?

You are really misinformed if this is the case.

[Lionel Mandrake]

5. The warrior most needs ... someone to fight with?

Eisenhower was the supreme commander of the Allies in Europe in 1944–45. I'd say he qualifies as a warrior. But he didn't look for additional enemies or additional battles to fight. He just wanted to get the job done, and then get out. He was happy to let the Soviets have the "honor" of capturing Berlin.

As President, Ike ended the Korean War as quickly as possible and avoided war for the next seven years. How do you explain that?

[kimi]

6. I was in the armed services as a nurse

an OB nurse. And I don't like to disagree with anyone, but the armed services do perform other functions. The tsunami in 2004 comes to mind, Katrina, Haiti, various other disaster relief efforts around the world. It's not all about fighting all the time.