I didn’t realize how ungrateful a nation we have become. I didn’t realize how pitifully selfish and ignorant citizens of the United States are. I didn’t realize how much “the people” take for granted. I didn’t realize how much contempt, insensitivity, and passive malevolence people who enjoy the right to speak, bear arms and assemble have toward their sons, brothers, fathers, sisters, mothers and ‘friends’ who stared death in the face for these United States of America.
It was at the toast that I got to see it, I saw how selfish many were. There were three Veterans at the toast. O.K. I tried to put this together for two weeks but couldn’t get to the Owner until Wednesday before the toast. So the timing was my fault. I didn’t really care if I was the only Veteran at the toast, I wanted to share and celebrate with Americans what my Corps was and why they should appreciate these men and women who gave so much.
At the last salute some people became belligerent, they tried to shout down the old Airborne First Sergeant who gave a toast to the Marines, they didn’t care to hear who we were toasting to and apparently didn’t give a fuck about the Marine Corps, Veterans or the Salute to POW/MIA’S. I didn’t get to close the ceremony with taps because everybody wanted to ‘put money in the jukebox’ even after I explained how the ceremony would be conducted.
I asked for their indulgence, the food was free. Dino spent a lot of money to put food out. Forget what I spent, apparently it wasn’t significant. Apparently with a belly full of food and liquor the so called ‘Americans’, the so called ‘Citizens of Long Island, the so called ‘Free People, showed me that they really didn’t have much respect for me or anyone in who served.
I had a woman that night tell me her father was in the Marines and she didn’t think much of it. “So what” she said. I tried to carry on without betraying my personal dignity. Shelly said not to pursue it, “they don’t care” she said. One woman asked me if I accomplished what I wanted to do. Apparently not. I thought a quiet heart felt celebration of the good sons and daughters in our nations glorious Corps of Marines would resonate in a positive way with good spirit and joy.
I do feel like a fool and complete idiot for thinking that this would be appreciated. I do want to thank the Owners for their time and consideration for letting me put on this toast. I am not ungrateful about this gesture and thank him from my heart. I thank Shelly for being a good hostess and her attentiveness to this ‘celebration’. Other than the Old First Sergeant from the Army Airborne and Vietnam era Airman no one really cared about why we celebrated anything.
I sat at home staring into the flames in my fireplace realizing this is what the Marines died for, the ungrateful, the implacable, the self righteous as well as the good and the virtuous. Some of the Marines who died over the years were so young, they hadn’t even been with a woman. Some were even to young to be served liquor. I thank those who did appreciate this celebration and the spirit in which it was given. I hope the drunks and the gluttons enjoyed themselves.
I want to thank the Met Fan for encouraging me, he told me he did enjoy himself. My feelings are summed up by the words of an Unknown Marine whose words were found written on a box of rations, “"For those who fight for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know."
RJ.
It was at the toast that I got to see it, I saw how selfish many were. There were three Veterans at the toast. O.K. I tried to put this together for two weeks but couldn’t get to the Owner until Wednesday before the toast. So the timing was my fault. I didn’t really care if I was the only Veteran at the toast, I wanted to share and celebrate with Americans what my Corps was and why they should appreciate these men and women who gave so much.
At the last salute some people became belligerent, they tried to shout down the old Airborne First Sergeant who gave a toast to the Marines, they didn’t care to hear who we were toasting to and apparently didn’t give a fuck about the Marine Corps, Veterans or the Salute to POW/MIA’S. I didn’t get to close the ceremony with taps because everybody wanted to ‘put money in the jukebox’ even after I explained how the ceremony would be conducted.
I asked for their indulgence, the food was free. Dino spent a lot of money to put food out. Forget what I spent, apparently it wasn’t significant. Apparently with a belly full of food and liquor the so called ‘Americans’, the so called ‘Citizens of Long Island, the so called ‘Free People, showed me that they really didn’t have much respect for me or anyone in who served.
I had a woman that night tell me her father was in the Marines and she didn’t think much of it. “So what” she said. I tried to carry on without betraying my personal dignity. Shelly said not to pursue it, “they don’t care” she said. One woman asked me if I accomplished what I wanted to do. Apparently not. I thought a quiet heart felt celebration of the good sons and daughters in our nations glorious Corps of Marines would resonate in a positive way with good spirit and joy.I do feel like a fool and complete idiot for thinking that this would be appreciated. I do want to thank the Owners for their time and consideration for letting me put on this toast. I am not ungrateful about this gesture and thank him from my heart. I thank Shelly for being a good hostess and her attentiveness to this ‘celebration’. Other than the Old First Sergeant from the Army Airborne and Vietnam era Airman no one really cared about why we celebrated anything.
I sat at home staring into the flames in my fireplace realizing this is what the Marines died for, the ungrateful, the implacable, the self righteous as well as the good and the virtuous. Some of the Marines who died over the years were so young, they hadn’t even been with a woman. Some were even to young to be served liquor. I thank those who did appreciate this celebration and the spirit in which it was given. I hope the drunks and the gluttons enjoyed themselves.
I want to thank the Met Fan for encouraging me, he told me he did enjoy himself. My feelings are summed up by the words of an Unknown Marine whose words were found written on a box of rations, “"For those who fight for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know."
RJ.
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