speaking as a Scottish and European Union civvie, i feel the US armed forces do not recieve the respect they deserve from my fellow Europeans, i am 40 years young and i take my freedoms for granted, that freedom came at a great price, young men from towns and states i know very little about, they came to Europe 64 years ago during out darkest hours, thousands of miles from home in all services of the armed forces of America and many paid the ultimate sacrifice in liberating our continent from genuine evil.

All i can say is i owe my freedoms to everyone of them, America is the best friend a nation could hope for, they stood by us when it wasnt their fight, their sacrifice and the sacrifices of all our allies should never be forgotten

That means alot to me Brad, really i appreciate it, others have said things about us that really just shocked me. But any way thank you, and may the greatest generation never be forgotten

Cheers Calvin, i ment every word of it, a couple of years ago the B-17 liberty belle stopped of at Prestwick airport enroute to a show, thats when it hit home that America was their for us when the chips were down, many thousands of Americans voluntered to help defend us before America offically joined in, that speaks volumes of the courage of your average American .... even now young Americans are paying the same sacrifice for freedom around the globe and i think it is only right our boys stand beside them

Thank you for your sentiments.

We here in America have been blessed with much as an accident of our birth. Because of that , I feel it is our solemn duty to give back....to defend those who cannot defend themselves. My greatest concern for my county in this time is that we, as a nation and as individuals, will lose that sense of duty to others.

Semper Fi,
Dave

In about 4 weeks, I will turn 46 years old. This year also marks the time when half of my entire life, my entire time on this earth, has been spent as an active duty officer in the US Army. Twenty-three straight years of waking up, putting on a camouflage uniform, and a pair of combat boots.

My upcoming birthday also marks the 20th anniversary of the day I spent knocking down the Berlin Wall.

I do not look for praise, appreciation, awards or even a pat on the back. I do not feel the need to beat my chest nor do I need recognition from people with very short memories.

I know what I've done with my life and my own personal satisfaction is all I desire. Much like modelbuilding, I build for myself and my own personal satisfaction.