About all I've seen in that time was more of the same old, same old, same old. And then something occurred on our local level that caught my eye.

A controversy over rules of engagement came into play when one Republican chided another Republican for forgetting they were on the "same side". He went further, saying they needed to act in unison not carp at one another in ordert to defeat the "other side".

Well, now, it didn't matter whether the two stooges were dems or reps it was the same old theme, taking sides not legislating.

There is, in my opinion, but a single side in this ongoing struggle to right our ship of state, that being the American side for the benefit of all.

So, guess I'll pack it in for another spell and read the Fray instead of contributing. Who knows what I might stumble into?

BTW, this Hood mess brought back memories of my duty in the place, both Camp and Fort. I never met the Queen of Killeen, however, but that's about all I missed. I did encounter a dolly from Copperascove (spelling questionable after so long) who made duty in such a godforsaken place tolerable. What a sad day for our nation when what might've been another terrorist assault befalls our own military from a member of its own establishment. C'mon man.

Gramps

Gramps,we all seem to need time away and then we come back to discuss serious things once again. Works for me>:o)

""BTW, this Hood mess brought back memories of my duty in the place, both Camp and Fort. I never met the Queen of Killeen, however, but that's about all I missed. I did encounter a dolly from Copperascove (spelling questionable after so long) who made duty in such a godforsaken place tolerable. What a sad day for our nation when what might've been another terrorist assault befalls our own military from a member of its own establishment. C'mon man.""

The Iraq war started out with killings before ever we got involved the second time. Remember?

'Copperscove' Gramps

I don't know what year you were there but dad was stationed there in 1948, and 1958-59. The latter years was when he retired from twenty years active duty. He was always trying to get closer to the remoteness of grandmom's ranch which he loved so dearly.

• I recall June Bugs crawling on the ground in such a thickness that you couldn't walk without crunching a few thousand a day.
• I recall the coach
• Upon arriving in Killeen, the city right outside the main gate then, we were enrolled in schools. At that time I was in the 8th grade--the last year of Junior High.
• Grade 9 was High School then and the High School for the entire city was ABOARD the post. This is where my ass was straightened out somewhat. I recall acting out in a little old lady's rather large English class. She walked to the back and handed me a chit after signing it saying, "Make sure you keep this Seasoldier and give it to your coach." Little did I know there was a nifty system of corporal punishment both strict and embarrassing. Upon arriving for football practice the first duty at hand was for everyone to get undressed. Then the coach asked for 'any chits' carrying a large oak paddle with 3/4 inch holes evenly drilled and spaced--a two handed paddle! If you didn't have your chit you got double whacks! Naked as a Jay bird the offender had to bend over and grab his ankles ass facing the class. Then the punishment was quickly and accurately delivered with no remorse or yelling at all. Needless to say I quickly realized I was not in a LIBERAL school. Hahahahahahaha
• Then dad retired and we moved north again, closer to the ranch where I first went to school a complete two years in a row. There, I had to go back to Junior High for the remainder of the school year because that school system only had three years of high school. "Bummer," as my granddaughter says. Texas has great schools but I doubt they are the same today.

Seasoldier/Back then there were many men going and coming even from that post.

I was there in late '43. It was one hellova rat race, they were turning out trainees on a daily basis, first one battalion, then another, including the TD's with their little field pieces. They rode, we walked, and I doubt there are very many places in Hood my travels didn't take me back then. It was my baptism to military life and what a show it was -- the whole damned world at war and the mindset of the average guy was "I don't want to miss out on this." And I didn't and they didn't and in the overall analysis we are all better off for what we did, except those who died or were disabled of course. Coming from a motherless home, as I did, where life was iffy most all the time, my lifestyle took a turn for the better when I drew buddies who were more like brothers to me than total strangers. I ate regular, had decent clothing, medical care and pocket change out of my fifty bucks a month to fetch some luxuries of life.

I intend to post one more tread today after being reminded of something I'd forgotten.

GRamps

I'm sure Fort Hood was then much smaller.

Fort Hood reminds me a lot of Camp Pendleton. When I went in there were two boot camps, one on the east coast and one on the west coast, and I think there still is. Everyone west of the Mississippi went to San Diego MCRD for boot training. That was in the days of tennis shoes, yellow sweat shirts, uncut belts that wrapped around you twice, and covers that had to fit over your ears.

Like you I was glad to be in the Corps never thinking for once that the Corps was being used by Wall Street to rape the world. While the very top brass might have known those down at Battalion and Company levels just FOLLOWED ORDERS like good little soldiers.

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""George Herbert Walker and his Son-in Law Prescott Bush worked direct to finance Hitler with the Union Banking Corporation. The reason Auschwitz was located where it was is because it was close to Fritz Thyssen's coal, steel, and railroads. Through the Union Banking Corporation, Prescott Bush, and his father-in-law, George Herbert Walker, along with German industrialist Fritz Thyseen, became Hitler's banker. War is A Racket!

This made it possible for I.G. Farben to synthesize fuel from coal gasification, to make aviation fuel, gas for their tanks and war machines, and for synthesizing rubber for making tires. They also made Zyklon B gas, which the Germans used to annihilate two million Jews according to the trial testimony of the Auschwitz camp commander.

Fritz Thyssen published a book titled I Paid Hitler in 1941. It described how Hitler used the money he received from Fritz Thyssen through Prescott Bush, sponsored the Storm Troopers of Ernst Roehm as early as 1933, allowing them to build up to 4,500,000 strong to take over Germany.""

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Seasoldier/Imagine, you fought against, and lost a lot of buddies because of the family above. My dad fought in the same war that you did--landed on Utah Beach on the big day. Others in previous wars died deep in France at Verdun. I recall seeing that battlefield still recovering in 1955. Dad pointed out yet unexploded mines waiting to be disarmed.

It is as if we have not listened to past mistakes [That term used tongue in cheek] and have no will to make life better for ourselves first then others, We are hell bent to do it the opposite way.