You Said It, Colonel Hack.

US Army COL (Ret.) David Hackworth writes in this week's commentary on WND:

There's more to supporting the troops than slapping a bumper sticker on the back of your wheels or occasionally flying Old Glory and feeling good about vowing to bring freedom to the world.

This is something that I have been mulling over the past few months, but hadn't written about yet. Here's the story: If my memory serves me correct, it was over Thanksgiving break. I was back at home in Florida and decided to join my dad on an adventure over to the local WalMart. We were walking through the parking lot and I started looking at all the quaint yellow magno-ribbons that said, "Support Our Troops". I had seen a POW/MIA magno-ribbon, which is what initially got my wheels turning. I started to think about how pointless they (ribbons) are. The sad fact behind the magno-ribbons is that the people they are for will, when it matters most, never see those things. Yes, it is a nice thought. But, honestly, that is all it is. There is nothing that is benefiting our troops by you "proudly displaying your patriotism & support of our troops" on your vehicle.

The part that sickens me is this: You're driving around somewhere and see a yellow magno-ribbon. Your first thought is, "Wow, that person is a great American. He/she supports our troops." However, when you see another truck with JumpMaster, Pathfinder, CIB & Ranger badges, all you say is, "Oh look, another army guy," (when in fact you don't really know if a person is Army, AirForce or flippin' Coast Guard. Other tangent: Don't assume every person in uniform is "Army". Say "military" if you aren't sure. Better yet, take 5 minutes & hit the websites of four of the branches & learn the uniforms. That way, if you encounter one you don't recognize, it'll be the one branch site you didn't visit.) That is utterly ridiculous. The man that's BEEN there & DONE it should be honored exponentially more than the person that wastes $2.50 for a yellow magno-ribbon and thinks that makes him or her a "good person".


Crispy