"DO NOT FORGET "

I sat in a movie theater watching "Schindler's List," asked myself, "why didn't the Jews fight back?"

Now I know why.

I sat in a movie theater, watching "Pearl Harbor" and asked myself, "Why weren't we prepared?"

Now I know why.

Civilized people cannot fathom, much less predict, the actions of evil people.

On September 11, dozens of capable airplane passengers allowed themselves to be overpowered by a handful of poorly armed terrorists because they did not comprehend the depth of hatred that motivated their captors.

On September 11, thousands of innocent people were murdered because too many Americans naively reject the reality that some nations are dedicated to the dominance of others. Many political pundits, pacifists and media personnel want us to forget the carnage. They say we must focus on the bravery of the rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the killers. They implore us to understand the motivation of the perpetrators. Major television stations have announced they will assist the healing process by not replaying devastating footage of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers.

I will not be manipulated.

I will not pretend to understand.

I will not forget.

I will not forget the liberal media who abused freedom of the press to kick our country when it was vulnerable and hurting.

I will not forget that CBS anchor Dan Rather preceded President Bush's address to the nation with the snide remark, "No matter how you feel about him, he is still our president."

I will not forget that ABC TV anchor Peter Jennings questioned President Bush's motives for not returning immediately to Washington, DC and commented, "We're all pretty skeptical and cynical about Washington."

And I will not forget that ABC's Mark Halperin warned if reporters weren't informed of every little detail of this war, they aren't "likely -- nor should they be expected -- to show deference."

I will not isolate myself from my fellow Americans by pretending an attack on the USS Cole in Yemen was not an attack on the United States of America.

I will not forget the Clinton administration equipped Islamic terrorists and their supporters with the world's most sophisticated telecommunications equipment and encryption technology, thereby compromising America's ability to trace terrorist radio, cell phone, land lines, faxes and modem communications.

I will not be appeased with pointless, quick retaliatory strikes like those perfected by the previous administration.

I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do nothing" regulations like the silly "Have your bags been under your control?" question at the airport.

I will not be influenced by so called, "antiwar demonstrators" who exploit the right of _expression to chant anti-American obscenities.

I will not forget the moral victory handed the North Vietnamese by American war protesters who reviled and spat upon the returning Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines.

I will not be softened by the wishful thinking of pacifists who chose reassurance over reality.

I will embrace the wise words of Prime Minister Tony Blair who told Labor Party conference, "They have no moral inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent If they could have murdered not 7,000 but 70,000, does anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced in it?

There is no compromise possible with such people, no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a choice: defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must!"

I will force myself to:


-hear the weeping
-feel the helplessness
-imagine the terror
-sense the panic
-smell the burning flesh
- experience the loss
- remember the hatred.

I sat in a movie theater, watching "Private Ryan" and asked myself, "Where did they find the courage?"

Now I know.

We have no choice. Living without liberty is not living.

-- Ed Evans, MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)
Not as lean, Not as mean, But still a Marine.

Well said!

Very well said; Easy to Understand; Easier to accept and join.

M.L. Kagel
formerly USN

People sure have been sending this around. I got it on email 3 times this past week. It is good to be reminded, "lest we forget." We go on largely unaffected by 9/11 and it is easy not to give it the serious thought it deserves. We must keep out outrage foremost in our minds till this insanity of terrorism is defeated. Don't expect quick results, despite the capture of various high ranking Taliban leaders. This fight is about ALL forms of terrorism used as a tool to gain power and control over others. Terrorism comes in many forms; from the school yard bully making life difficult for those weaker to Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. The concept is the same...inflicting your will on those unable or unwilling to stand up for themselves. This fight against terrorism starts in the home, schools and churches. I would rather die than yield my freedom of choice and I am willing to die so that my children and grandchildren have a safer world, free from terrorism, in which to live. Thank God that we have young men and women in our armed forces willing to do the same. Stand firm!

Semper Fidelis,
R.E. Pieske, GySgt USMC ('64-'73)

Thanks for sharing this; a most appropriate and TRUE piece of work...Former 2 tour U.S. Army, 101st ABN.

bttt

Send it up again, following the sobering Presidential press conference.

I agree with what your saying. Lets get it done. Eight year Army vet with 91A and 11B MOS.

Wondering...Is it now going to be "Iraqi Jane" or "Iraqi Martin (Sheen)." I've heard that the producers of his show told him to knock it off. Obviously, he's more interested in money than running off at the mouth.

The liberal newspapers are putting a lot of emphasis on the anti-war protestors. How about the interviews of people that support the President. Quite obviously, nobody wants war. However, it's time to kick #####. We don't need our "friends -the French, Germans and Russians. Paybacks are #####!!

We know who our real friends are!

I received this same email a couple weeks back and forwarded it to my neighbor who was a Special Forces Recon Marine in Vietnam. He was there in 70-71. The only reason I forwarded it was because I liked the message and he was a Marine like my neighbor Dean. Sometimes you get these forwards and you wonder if they are real or just someone making it up. Well I can vouch that this guy is real. The following are two emails I received from my neigbor. He's not one to use flowery prose or even say more than he needs to, so if it looks like you missed part of the email, it's just the way he writes.:)

Here is his first reply after I sent him the email-

"Jim- these are good words and I even know Ed Evans.
He was a reporter for Letherneck (Marine) magazine and
was with us in Vietnam. He wrote the article you read in
that old magzine and took the pictures of me hanging on
the spy rig etc.

Dean"

The article Dean is talking about was an issue of Life magazine that Ed Evans wrote that had a picture in it of my neighbor on a then classified piece of equipment called a SPIE rig. It was used for emergency extraction out of the jungle during a fire fight. It was a long piece of heavy duty webbing with D rings on it. The helicopter would drop it down through the jungle canopy, then the team members would use a carabiner(snap links) to attach themselves to the the rig. The helicopter would then pull them out of the jungle for one ##### of a ride. They would ride beneath the helicopter all the way back to base. This Ed Evans took the only picture ever of an actual SPIE extract. I am going to provide a link to that picture. My neighbor Dean was "Tail End Charlie" on patrols so he is the guy on the bottom of the rig. He said that the NVA and VC would be shooting at them the whole time until they got a few thousand feet up and out of range. Here is his second email about Ed Evans-

"And for the rest of the story. Shortly after he took
the pictures, he went out on a training patrol.

One of our teams was teaching a couple of FO's
(forward observers for artillery) how to stay alive
in the bush. Well, one of em fell down and his
M-16 went off hitting Evans and then a good
friend SSgt Giles- two with one shot, not bad.
HEH HEH Giles is still pissed to this day at Evans
for not being a real Marine and stopping the
the bullet before it hit him.

Semper Fi
Dean "

Here is the caption and the link to the SPIE Rig picture-

Emergency SPIE extraction of Team RUDDER (Bravo Company) out of the QUE SON mountains. (March 71). We ran into a NVA underground hospital complex. They did not like our presence and asked us to leave. The picture was taken by GySgt Ed Evans (Leather Neck reporter). He was riding in the back-up CH 46. On the rig from top to bottom is Scott Matson, Moses Lee, Bob Ast, Dale Rutkowski, Kawelo Makaneole, and Dean Ackman (Dean supplied this picture and he states that he hated riding the bottom!)

http://www.1strecon.org/1STRECON.HTM

I just tried the link I provided and it will only allow me to do a general link. If you want to see the picture, you have a couple things you need to click on to get it.
Click on "Main Index"
Click on "The Gallery"
Under the heading "General" click on "Bravo" (Not Bravo V)
Scroll down just a little bit and click on "Emergency SPIE extraction"

MY hat is off to you. Very well said and I aprreciate your posting it here. Thank you.
Don Pfeiffer

I would like to some of these Hollywood panty waists swing from that extraction process.

Dan

http://www.1strecon.org/ReconPix/SPIE.JPG

Link,

Thanks!:)

http://www.liberateiraqsign.com