I did my time which included three years away from my family between 2 tours in Iraq and 1 in Korea. My wife is the one who decided it was time for a normal life and we left the military. I was away for some very important things in our life and I will never get those things back.

So if my payment for my service to my Country is some money for college and some medical benefits I am going to use it. I will also go enjoy my free dinner Monday night at Chili's like we do every year.

I could be totally wrong (I doubt it) but it sounds like Wiggler would rather see the people in this society who "choose" not work, they sit home collect welfare, use housing assistance, child care assistance, and government provided health care be entightled to these benefits than service members who actually put something on the line for this Country.

Every service member no matter how long they served will have a condition from serving. Some of us are luckier than others. While I only have moderate memory loss and the inability to sleep I know others who are far worse off than I am. These conditions do not just have to come from combat.

Lets use some common sense (not very common at all) and take care of those who put there lives on hold to serve this nation, regardless if it was in combat or on the home front.

Nate and Big Bob thank you for your service. Critterman please thank your son for us.

Everyone who lost their lives for Freedom paid the biggest price. Those who served in Vietnam, WW II, The Cold War, Iraq, Afghanistan and all of our wars have all paid the price . Each of them did what there country asked of them.

Many more will die this weekend and this next week in lands far away from here. It has been that way since cavemen began throwing stones and then spears at each other. War will never go out of fashion.

Patriotism is not an arm chair sport Wiggler. Those who have served our nations armed forces deserve each and everyone of their benefits.

Have you ever put ID tags on your friends toe, zippered him up in a body bag and said goodbye? Did it three times before I was 20 and they were just training & movement accidents. Body bags was part of the job as the medic or corpsman. I attended too many memorial services in my 16+ years of service to ever want to count them. I still go to them.


Tomorrow is Veterans' Day make a point to remember those who who gave you the Freedom to vote this last week.





Freedom is never Free

Parts of Korea, especially along the DMZ, are now considered an Agent Orange zone. You might consider going to a VAMC for an Agent Orange review.

The average American takes their everyday freedom for granted. I would not expect anything more from the ones that have not served. Every self sacraficing man or woman who has served our country and protected our freedoms deserves our respect snd thanks. With that said, THANK YOU VETERANS. SEMPER FI

In 1961 we still had the draft. We were not officially engaged in any combat, so many of us joined the Federal Reserve. ( Now defunct ) We had six months of active duty and either 3 years or 5 years of active reserve meetings.

I remember one drill sergeant making fun of us for spending the least amount of time possible in His Army. One of the guys in my platoon stepped up and said, "Sergeant, you joined this army to make it your career. How would you like it if someone sent you a government letter that said 'For the next two years, you are going to be a plumber!" I am glad those days are over. Half the guys in every platoon were given a choice by the judge; either go to jail or the Army. I think a lot of these guys knew how to kill long before the Army got a hold of them.

Paul you did what your country asked of you. Paul and Red 1 Thank you for your service.

During that federal service obligation you seen the iron curtain built and Berlin locked behind it, Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs Invasion,the President of the USA assassinated and the beginning of the draft for Vietnam.

My late uncle went in the Army in 1961 and spent all of his service obligation in Munich Germany. It was his stories serving overseas that caused me to enlist out of high school and the fact that the County Sheriff had a problem with me dating and was convinced I had carnal knowledge of his favorite niece.

I got one of those deals from a judge and it was all I needed to grow up. Too bad they don't do that anymore.

"Patriotism is not an arm chair sport Wiggler." patriotism also is standing up for your commander and chief and not trying to destroy him. My family also went in the services.. marines.. army... navy .. im pretty positive none of them use the Government Insurance from their service to their country. Some people need it... and they should have it. let the fireworks continue...

wiggler, that doesn't make your family patriotic, it just makes them stupid like me. Much of my hearing loss is attributed to the loud explosions in the service, without any hearing protection. But I'm too proud ( and mainly too stupid to go and get what's coming to me; maybe that will change )

You make it a sound like it is a crime for veterans to use their benefits. Your relatives have the right to do something you don't - period! Personally I bet your relatives take the VA Enrollment over a chance of health care being dropped into the Obama Care bucket. They earned that RIGHT !!

VA Medical care is first of all it is a VA BENEFIT - and its not free. We have co-pays just like other medical plans.

I find it is very ironic that the D's helped pass a law that affected you - the liberal and not me - the conservative.

The increased taxes you and I will be paying will continue to anger you.

Get used to it Al.

Enough of this philosophy - the law of the land says....

You never served. Your not entitled to nothing nada. Got it.

You want to do something patriotic for your commander in chief go ahead & buy Sandra Fluke some contraceptives before this country goes broke keeping that woman in stock!

Enjoy your arm chair and as a businessmen enjoy your new obamacare tax!!

man.. i really glad we had an adult conversation.. glad you could be a man about it.. i never had to have health insurance I EARNED IT AND WORKED FOR IT~!!!!

you have no idea who or what i am... your just pee'd because... well ... no sense dragging it up.. now just pay... like the rest of us....

ATTACK!! ATTACK!! WHEN CORNERED ATTACK!!! there is no surprise here.

C'mon Al I know you. I have been watching you bang your head into your keyboard on here for like 6 years now.

I even seen your video . Enjoy the new middle class taxes.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/06/29/Seven-new-taxes

...and the third to last paragraph explains why stocks are headed down until yearend.

Some of us earned it it by paying an even bigger price.

They sell postcards at the VA hospital would it make you feel better if I sent you some to let you know when I am spending your hard earned dollars.

$250,000 and more, beginning in 2013, will raise the Capital Gains Tax from 15% to 23.8% on investment income for these households and will raise Taxes on Dividends from 15% to 43.4% for the same households. Aside from the impact on retired citizens dependent on dividends, this provision will pull income from the private economy.

This is gonna kill stock market

Ya think!?! The selling already started...

Thanks BibBob. I was right along the DMZ. We were unfortunate enough to wake up each day to a North Korean Flag and propoganda music coming from the North Korean base on the other side the hill from us.

Definately worth getting checked out.

well, the thing about the President getting re-elected, man did he inherit a mess ... The way things have seemingly gone down hill, I dont know how much we are going to have to worry about Obama care ... we might be fighting just to feed our families

We all have money and time invested in our businesses.. we all have some type of dependency of the income it brings in ...

If that income stream stopped today would you be able to survive? I would have to say no ..I mean I could for a while but not for long ... 6 months tops After that I am living on love ...

No matter what- we all need a back up plan if things do collapes ... Then Obama care is kind of a mute point ... survival is first and formost

but till then if you are as concerned as I am, You have to get ahold of your state and find out more about it ...there has to be some kind of educational seminar on what is expected I hope

Thanks to all of you vets today on Veteran's Day and all of the other days every year.
You've EARNED your benefits.
I didn't serve after the Viet Nam era draft missed me and regret it to this day.
My oldest son serves in the Air force and has 10 deployments under his belt, all in or near places with "stan" in their names
Another son (inlaw) has spent 16 years in the Army. Currently a JAG lawyer in GA, he met the elephant in Iraq.
I could not be prouder of both of them!