[Vision2020] Concerning Obama's "Horses and Bayonets" Comment . . .

[Tom Hansen]

Oh, yeah, another something I learned after twelve years in administration . . . during my transition training . . . from the infantry instructors . . . in a most discourteous way . . . a wrongful assumption I held during the entire twelve previous years . . .

"Infantry" is NOT the plural form of "infant".

Seeya at the polls, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares"
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students.  The college students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)


 

On Oct 25, 2012, at 1:25 PM, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:

> During the last presidential debate, President Obama commented to the affect that our military is beyond the age of horses and bayonets.  I consider him to be only half right. 
> 
> As weapon technology advances, and targets further and further away can be engaged and destroyed with ever-increasing armament, the bottom line remains forever constant.  It is something I learned after twelve years of service while undergoing transition training from administration to infantry.  My training consisted of two stages; Basic Infantryman (military occupational specialty 11B) training and Bradley Fighting Vehicle Infantryman (military occupational specialty 11M).  Throughout the entire six months of training, it was hammered into us constantly . . .
> 
> You do not own a piece of land until you put your boots on it.
> 
> So, no matter how advanced the weapon technology . . . from the very first battle of the very first war to the last round fired of the last battle of the last war . . . the need for battle horses may degenerate, but the absolute necessity will ALWAYS be . . .
> 
> "The Man With The Rifle"
> 
> Men may argue forever on what wins wars,
> and welter in cons and pros,
> and seek for their answer at history's doors,
> but the man with the rifle knows.
> 
> He must stand on the ground on his own two feet,
> and he?s never in doubt when it's won.
> If it's won he's there; if he's not, it's defeat.
> That's his test, when the fighting is done.
> 
> When he carries the fight, it's not with a roar
> of armored wings spitting death.
> It's creep and crawl on the earthen floor,
> butt down and holding his breath.
> 
> Saving his strength for the last low rush,
> grenade throw and bayonet thrust;
> and the whispered prayer, before he goes in,
> of a man who does what he must.
> 
> And when he's attacked, he can't zoom away.
> When the shells fill the world with their sound,
> He stays where he is, loosens his spade,
> and digs his defense in the ground.
> 
> That ground isn't ours til he's there in the flesh,
> not a gadget or a bomb but a man.
> He's the answer to theories, which start afresh,
> with each peace ever since war began.
> 
> So let the wild circle of arguments rage
> on what wins, as war comes and goes.
> Many new theories may hold the stage,
> but the man with the rifle knows.
> 
> ------------------------------------
> 
> Seeya at the polls, Moscow, because . . .
> 
> "Moscow Cares"
> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>   
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
> 
> "We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students.  The college students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."
> 
> - Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)
> 
> 
>  
> =======================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>               http://www.fsr.net
>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20121025/3ddc0f02/attachment.html>