Comments on: Thank you!

By: Deana

Deana — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:00:15 +0000

Oh my goodness, yes, thank you!

The man who was the biggest influence in my life was a pilot in WWII, my grandpa. I thank God for him and for all the other men and women who offered up their everything for America and for me. They’ve made a world of difference to me.

Deana

By: jlibson

jlibson — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:27:47 +0000

Nicely done Book.

And a hearty “Thank YOU!” to all of our fine veterans past and present.

By: MrBob

MrBob — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:20:39 +0000

I joined the Navy reserves after 9.11 and was deployed to the Persian Gulf (last year for 6 months).

In the reserves the difference between officer and enlisted, training and education is even slimmer. Most reservists are over 30 years old (many like myself over 40) and have college degrees, plus tons of technical training. The officers respect us a great deal. Which when I was in the regular Navy I did not see as much.

I’ve never worked with a finer bunch of people in my life. My enlistment is up next year, I may stay in just to keep working with these people. If McCain had been elected there would not even be a discussion in my mind.

By: NavyOne

NavyOne — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:18:40 +0000

“It makes friendships more possible, I think.”

I am friendly with all my Sailors, up to the point of friendship. As in, I don’t hang out with them, go to the movies, etc. as I might with another friend. I play the piano and one of my Sailors has been wanting to practice with me and I had to say no. I just don’t want to blur the lines. . . I work side by side him and I want to maintain our current relationship.

Since I was prior enlisted and know the slog these guys go through, I am friendly with all, senior, peer, or junior. Rank structure exists to accomplish the mission, not to rank the soul’s worth or the value of the Sailor.

And Book, I highly doubt you are professional coward. You write like a lioness. As well as supporting us as we do our work. Different operation, same mission.

By: Bookworm

Bookworm — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:59:16 +0000

My sincere condolences to the friends and family of CTM3 O’Bryant (and congratulations for catching the bad guys). As a professional coward, I have no words for the gratitude I feel to those of you willing to take the risks.

By: suek

suek — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:57:45 +0000

>>even though I am an Officer and he was Enlisted>>

The military needs to retain it’s rank structure for order etc, but the differences between enlisted and officer these days frequently isn’t the wide chasm it used to be. Many of the enlisted men have an education equal to their officers – at least the lower cadre of officers. It makes friendships more possible, I think.

By: Veterans Day 2008 « lookingforlissa

Veterans Day 2008 « lookingforlissa — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:25:30 +0000

[...] thank-you’s here, here, here, here here, here and here. That last one has the Flanders Field poem I almost [...]

By: NavyOne

NavyOne — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:42:23 +0000

Thanks Book.
I love reading your heartfelt blog. I know it is not Memorial Day, but my department recently lost one of our Sailors, a quiet, young man who I could always get to laugh while we were out running or pt’ing together. His name was CTM3 Matthew O’Bryant. And even though I am an Officer and he was Enlisted, he is, and will always be, a friend of mine. They caught those responsible for his death in Pakistan. May God bless you and your family Matt. I miss you Buddy. . .

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/10/ap_pakistan_102408n/