You Could Have Heard A Pin Drop

[ohsixx]

Four Short Storeis
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When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building' by George Bush.

He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.

You could have heard a pin drop.

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Then there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?' A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'

You could have heard a pin drop.

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A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, 'whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?' Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...

A group of Americans, retired teachers, recently went to France on a tour. Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. "You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. "Then you should know enough to have your passport ready." The American said, "The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it." "Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!" The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained. "Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find any damn Frenchmen to show it to."

You could have heard a pin drop.

[doc_colton]

Good ones....

[Dan Pierce]

Listening to George W. Bush attempt to put words together to convey thought..........................
I'd rather hear a pin drop.
dP

[Bama]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

Listening to George W. Bush attempt to put words together to convey thought..........................
I'd rather hear a pin drop.
dP

[Bama]

Great stories though

[Dan Pierce]

Originally Posted by Bama

Great stories though

Agreed!
dP

[Andad]

My dad was in the French SAS.

Shot twice while parachuting into Arnhem. He was eighteen.

Repatriated to Scotland from a POW camp.

Lost all his family during these times.

Where would we be without you guys.

[Gedanken]

There's a cynical description of a soldier's job that I believe dates back to Vietnam: "We are the unwilling, going into the unknown to do the unnecessary for the ungrateful". After every war won, the first thing that the axe drops on is the military.

Not that I'm much into poetry, but I reckon Kipling got it right:

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o'beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's ``Thank you, Mister Atkins,'' when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's ``Thank you, Mr. Atkins,'' when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy how's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints:
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
But Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

[redshirt1957]

When the bullets start flying, you ain't fighting for God, country, or the pursuit of someone else's happiness; you are fighting for two things and two things only....your own life and the lives of the mates around you.

[Gaijin]

[astcell]

A friend of my Dad was 16 when the Germans invaded his house in Poland and took him away.

In time he escaped and made his way to England where he eventually learned to fly Spitfires.

He was shot down ands captured. Sent to a POW camp.

He escaped and made it to the sea and tried to sail to England.

With no provisions he was soon rescued -- by Germans.

Back to the POW camp he went.

When the war ended he went to England and eventually the USA.

He never saw his mother again until the 1970s.

The story came about because we all went to a Blue Angels airshow in Point Mugu, CA. All the Blue Angel pilots wanted HIS autograph.

There is so much that we do not know. And there is so much knowledge we are losing as we lose our vets.

[Earl]

Originally Posted by redshirt1957

When the bullets start flying, you ain't fighting for God, country, or the pursuit of someone else's happiness; you are fighting for two things and two things only....your own life and the lives of the mates around you.

so true, so true

[Peter Messmore]

The French owe us nothing except respect,Peter

[Welshwatchman]

Originally Posted by redshirt1957

When the bullets start flying, you ain't fighting for God, country, or the pursuit of someone else's happiness; you are fighting for two things and two things only....your own life and the lives of the mates around you.

They fight for their regiment. That's what my brother told me and he was involved in the first landing in the Falkland conflict.

A bit of a small war compared to the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq though three of his friend died and another was badly scarred.

The queen (sic) never entered his thoughts.

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Peter Messmore

The French owe us nothing except respect,Peter

History always has more to tell. In WW I, France lost 1,397,800 soldiers. Quite sobering.

[Jimbits76]

One thing that amazes me is the pure love and unabashed pride Americans have for their people, country and history.

In the UK we always talk about Britain being Great, yet all we seem to do is tear it down. The youth couldn't care less for tradition, the pseudo intellectuals and upper middle class liberals are embarrased of the history and the media get their claws into anybody whom dares to strive to make a success of their lives.

I've never had to fight a war. The situation in Iraq and Afghanistan is a situation I was dead against the UK getting involved in. This does not mean however that I do not give my support to our boys abroad. It pains me each time I hear yet more troops are killed in combat, whether UK, US or other allied (in fact just as much as when I hear innocents have been killed in military operations). These men put their lives on the line on a daily basis to fight for the world's freedom and liberty.

The people of the UK and the USA may not always see things in the same way but when it comes to your love and support of your own, you should be proud!!!!

J

[Teofilo]

Great series on tv at the moment called "Ross Kemp in Afganistan"........Ross is a tv star who has spent several months serving alongside troops from my local Regiment, The Royal Anglians. All makes me damn glad I'm sat in front of a roaring fire in England, and not out in Afganistan fighting the Taliban.
Safe return to all our troops........

[Jimbits76]

I saw that Peter and I saw the real fear in his face. It makes me glad I spent my youth and early adulthood in a time where national service or conscription wasn't demanded.

Like I said, you don't have to support the politics behind these bloody wars but you should support those fighting them!

J

[SRTOutlaw]

Originally Posted by Jimbits76

One thing that amazes me is the pure love and unabashed pride Americans have for their people, country and history.

In the UK we always talk about Britain being Great, yet all we seem to do is tear it down. The youth couldn't care less for tradition, the pseudo intellectuals and upper middle class liberals are embarrased of the history and the media get their claws into anybody whom dares to strive to make a success of their lives.

I've never had to fight a war. The situation in Iraq and Afghanistan is a situation I was dead against the UK getting involved in. This does not mean however that I do not give my support to our boys abroad. It pains me each time I hear yet more troops are killed in combat, whether UK, US or other allied (in fact just as much as when I hear innocents have been killed in military operations). These men put their lives on the line on a daily basis to fight for the world's freedom and liberty.

The people of the UK and the USA may not always see things in the same way but when it comes to your love and support of your own, you should be proud!!!!
J

The United States and britain have not seen things eye to eye since about 1775.

Something about "taxation without representation." They said it was very oppressive or something.

[jasonbellevue]

Great stories Mark, thanks for sharing them.

[mdx77]

Great post! Thanks for sharing.

[JBat]

Mark, thank you for posting these vignettes. For those of you who saw this as an opportunity to poke fun at the president of your country, shame on you. You completely missed the point, as did many of the individuals in the stories Mark posted.

Long live the USA.