It's only 2 minutes...

[smileyeagle1021]

I would love to know the reason why a person can't take 2 minutes. Just 2 minutes out of a 24 hr day. It's just really sad.

No, just 2 minutes out of a 8760 hour year... as it is that Rememberence Day/ Veterans Day, only happens once a year.

[AccountingDrone]

Umm, ex US Navy here. We DID call the latrine the Head. Most sailors I know today still do. but wearing the ribbons wrong, yeah, HUGE giveaway.

But AF calls it the latrine and they were claiming to be air farce.

[Marszenka]

Yes, my dad is Air Force, and they never call it 'the Head'. That's a nautical phrase. XD

A friend of mine showed me an interesting video on youtube; apparently some singer was in a store and they made the same two minute announcement, but one guy persisted in talking. The musician got so mad he wrote a song about it.

The music itself isn't really my style, very folksy, but if anyone wants to give it a listen the song is called "Pittance of Time."

Also, a big THANK YOU to the LARP-ers who stopped on the field and waited!! *applauds* Anytime you hear the national anthem or taps, people, you stop. And you [I]remain[I] stopped and silent until the ceremony is over with.

My college campus plays the Anthem every day at a certain time, and I'm always disgusted to see that I'm the only one who stops and faces the flag. Oh, well. Thanks to everyone who observed two minutes today.

[jackfaire]

Umm, ex US Navy here. We DID call the latrine the Head. Most sailors I know today still do. but wearing the ribbons wrong, yeah, HUGE giveaway.

Yes but the guy was an ex Navy impersonating an Air Force Officer who call it the Latrine.

[Ree]

A friend of mine showed me an interesting video on youtube; apparently some singer was in a store and they made the same two minute announcement, but one guy persisted in talking. The musician got so mad he wrote a song about it.

The music itself isn't really my style, very folksy, but if anyone wants to give it a listen the song is called "Pittance of Time."

My sister mentioned that video when I told her about my day.
She couldn't remember the name of the song.
She just remembered the video.

[protege]

Getting back on topic here, I was hoping to honor my family's fallen vets. That is, both of my grandfathers, who fought in WWII. My mother's dad was stateside, helping to protect our eastern ports from German U-boats. The other, my father's dad, that is, was actually in the Battle of the Bulge.

He never talked about it. It wasn't until after he died, that I found out some of the things he'd done. Things like blowing up bridges, dangerous missions, the death camps, etc. Crap that would um, make you lose control of certain functions Seriously though, he always thought I was "too young" to understand, or didn't want those images in my head. Can't say I blame him for that...

Even now, roughly 8 years after he died, all of his medals and other military items are carefully packed away. I have his WWII helmet hanging on the wall, but I'm not sure where his medals disappeared to--they're probably still at my grandmother's. But, I know one thing...my grandfather was an excellent marksman and all-around nice guy. But, if you pissed him off, he'd kick your ass. Combat hardens you a bit

I do know where my father's Vietnam stuff is--most of it is hanging on the wall in my old bedroom. He was one of the escorts that went along with the news media. Dad was a bit more willing to discuss what he went through--including the jeers and getting spit on when he returned.

He too doesn't like impersonators. In fact, he thinks they should be shot

[lupo pazzesco]

I was on campus all day, but did manage to take a minute of silence for myself. Kind of glad there wasn't TAPS playing anywhere, I'd probably have broken down sobbing. >.>

Still...makes me unbearably sad sometimes that people can't stop for just 2 minutes, once a year.

I think I'm gonna look for that song on youtube, when I get a chance, though.

[Ree]

I think I'm gonna look for that song on youtube, when I get a chance, though.

I found it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlrrAWCTRg

[LadyAndreca]

I also dislike people wearing a full set of BDUs or other uniforms incorrectly as some sort of fashion statement. Although I'm not sure how I feel about someone wearing, say, they're grandfather's or uncle's uniform or service coat. It might be a sign of respect, but not sure how I'd feel about it being used as a costume or such; kind of a grey area.

I don't know about you, but I have SUCH a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I see people wearing BDUs but out of uniform. And I can't say anything because I don't really have any sort of authority. It's like "Argh! Take that hat off, you're indoors! Mom would've chewed you out GOOD if she'd seen that!" and such. (I suppose Dad would chew them out too, since he's also military, but it sounds much more threatening when Mom does it.)

Anytime you hear the national anthem or taps, people, you stop. And you remain stopped and silent until the ceremony is over with.

I have a compulsion to stand and remain at attention for both of those. It makes watching things like the Olympics interesting, because I HAVE to stand up at half the medal ceremonies, even though I know it happened half the world (and many time zones) away! Taps only does that to me when I hear it live.

[Ree]

Getting back on topic here

Thank you.

No offense, but the side tracking of a thread about people failing to stop for 2 minutes to honour our veterans into a discussion about what the army and navy call their toilets seemed just a bit tactless and oblivious.

[lobo94]

It's all too easy to forget that freedom isn't free.

If one of my customers is military or a family member, I make it a point to thank them for their service.

I was a soldier in the US Army from 1990-1994.

Ah, wannabes...there are a lot of things I could say, but I'll just say that people like that are low. I have old friends who have been to Iraq and Afghanistan, and I served in the first Gulf War. My father served in the Korean War. My uncle was a Marine. My mentor in high school served in Vietnam. And for some knucklehead to play PX hero when others have served for real, bled for real, and died for real...I don't hold with that.

[protege]

And for some knucklehead to play PX hero when others have served for real, bled for real, and died for real...I don't hold with that.

Me either. The only time I'd played a "military hero" was usually at Halloween. Dad would let me use his Vietnam-era fatigues, along with Grandpa's WWII helmet. Combined with some face paint, a rifle made from wood, and I was all set. What can I say, other than I was a child...who respected what his father and grandfathers had done

As for the impersonators, they suck. Not only do they not have the balls for *real* military service, but what they are doing actually *cheapens* the sacrifices our vets (some of whom have paid the *ultimate* price) have made in order to preserve our freedom. To quote a friend, "it ain't free."

[Marszenka]

Protege---

On my mother's side of the family, Grandpa is Polish and Grandma is Slovak. My grandfather was placed in a German labor camp during WWII (I don't know many of the details; it's not something I really like to bother him about...I just know that it was a labor camp and not an extermination one), and if there's one thing Grandpa has said over and over was how much he loved the American soldiers who set him free. (Later he immigrated to the US and joined the Army). So, a big thanks from mine to yours! I think he would have wanted me to share that.

[Jetfire]

Rememberance Day is a stat holiday in the Maritimes here (no comment about the rest of the country, at least not one that shouldn't be said in Fratching), so I was at home. I woke up around 10:30 and started doing some cleaning up with the radio on. When 11 came around, the radio stopped for a moment of silence, the anthem and Taps, and so did I. Teared right up too, listening to it and thinking about it.

[tropicsgoddess]

Wow, that's just sad and incredibly disrespectful that they can't take a lousy 2 minutes to remember those that have sacrificed so much for us?!!