Just Stay

I received this in an email from my sister Mary and I can't help but think that there is a rare but remote chance that it is true. People are funny and Marines are even funnier when it comes time to simple actions for another person. God bless our men and woman in uniform and SCREW YOU Michele Bachman when you think about screwing over our nations veterans!

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

"Your son is here," she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned.. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

"Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, But I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

"I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His Son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this gentleman's Name?"

The Nurse with Tears in her eyes answered. "Mr. William Grey"

And that my friends is how veterans feel about one another and their families. They love their brothers in service and care for them beyond the point of being in service to our nation. It is a blood that can't be given but earned and that is something Michele Bachmann and her ilk will never understand.

I'm not a Marine but I am the son of a man that served as a medic caring for Marines. God bless the Marines and all that serve our country.

Papamoka

Obama Ticks Off Veterans

I'm with President Obama on 90% of the changes he is moving fast and furious on and I'm pretty happy with his progress so far. I do however feel the need to ANGRILY disagree with him on messing with the VA and our Veterans care.

(Picture stolen from Gun Toting Liberal... don't tell)

One of the things that most politicians know upfront is that you don't screw around with Social Security. You just do not do it! That's a given, and then there is the Veterans Administration aka the VA that you just don't mess with as well. Former President Bush took every single opportunity he could to wave the flag, promote America's security thanks to all the troops, but then he looked the other way when it came to taking care of the veterans. Ergo, many troops served at his call but he was not worthy of their respect. Year after year Bush cut VA funding to the bone while he increased use of our troops overseas. It was as if one hand had no clue as to what the other was doing, cut the VA budget with one hand and salute and thank a veteran for serving with the other. Typical Bush. Then the SOB (Standard Operative Bush) would only have public appearances at military bases because he knew the troops had to at the very least be respectful to the Commander in Chief. Basically, Bush kidnapped them till the cameras were off for many of his speeches out on the road.

Today, we have President Obama promising $25 Billion in increased funding to the VA and a mosquito bite budget cut that is tantamount to the start of Malaria in the VA care of our veterans. I back him 100% on the increased funding but he's touching the third rail by insisting on third party medical insurance coverage for veterans. I honestly can not and will not budge from my stance that the Government owns our wounded veterans ailments for life and Uncle Sam signed on the dotted line when they signed up to serve their nation.

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Give me a break President Obama! Every single Veterans group across America is pissed off that you are even considering this shannanigan! And on St. Patrick's day to boot!!! I agree with my brotha from anotha motha, Gun Toting Liberal, that this is just wrong. Put down the green beer and take a reality check pill. I'm as Liberal as the day is long but I'm also a proud and never ending supporter of all of our men and woman that have served this nation in uniform. We owe them our grattitude and we better sure as hell take care of them when they need us the most. This plan endangers the much needed care of millions of disabled veterans living on minimum existence income and the whole plan is idiotic. Dump it Obama!

Just dump it and move on, please! Don't mess with my Vets!

Papamoka

***UPDATE 3/18/09

Obama backs off plan to alter vets' healthcare
By Roxana Tiron

Posted: 03/18/09 03:42 PM [ET]
The White House on Wednesday backed off a controversial plan that would have dramatically altered the way the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) handles insurance claims, after veterans groups staged an all-out fight against such a proposal. - The Hill