[PatoLiza]

Please lift up prayers for strength, peace and comfort to the families at Ft. Hood who were unfortunately victimized today.

[ArmyWife94e]

Its so sad and so tragic.

[tookey]

I for one am directing all my prayers to the familes and the surviving victims of this horrible action. It is bad enough that these people have to be thousands of miles away to fight in a war so that the enemy doesn't come onto our shores but now they have to wonder when a malcontent will show up and fire upon them in their own country. These men and women are and always have been heros. This incident is so horrendous that it is hard to wrap the mind around it, please everyone just say a prayer for everyone at Ft. Hood, and when you see a member of the military thank them for their selfless contribution to the safety of this great country.

[Jammie]

My thoughts and prayers have been with the survivors and all the families ever since I heard this horrible news. What a tragedy!!

[ArmyWife94e]

Im just venting and not pointing fingers at anyone on here...But it makes me so mad that it take s a tragedy like this or like a war for some civilians to remember our troops. Our troops are there 24 hours a day 7 days a week..365 days a year. But most people just pass them by on the street not saying a word, not recognizing their sacrifice...until a tragedy strikes, then everyone wants to jump on the band wagon and pray and thank the troops. I see what they go through day in and day out, I appreciate every member of the Armed Forces past, present and future. I just dont understand some people... If you cant thank and pray for a vet or a member of the military on a normal day then dont thank and pray for them when a tragedy strikes. Our military men and women protect us everyday not just when something terrible happens.

[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by ArmyWife94e

....... But most people just pass them by on the street not saying a word, not recognizing their sacrifice...........

Thank your blessings.........

A lot of us have been spit on for serving when our country called..............

[tookey]

Originally Posted by ArmyWife94e

Im just venting and not pointing fingers at anyone on here...But it makes me so mad that it take s a tragedy like this or like a war for some civilians to remember our troops. Our troops are there 24 hours a day 7 days a week..365 days a year. But most people just pass them by on the street not saying a word, not recognizing their sacrifice...until a tragedy strikes, then everyone wants to jump on the band wagon and pray and thank the troops. I see what they go through day in and day out, I appreciate every member of the Armed Forces past, present and future. I just dont understand some people... If you cant thank and pray for a vet or a member of the military on a normal day then dont thank and pray for them when a tragedy strikes. Our military men and women protect us everyday not just when something terrible happens.

I understand your position and I know you need to vent I get that. Please do not lump everyone in the same mold, there are plenty of us out here that appreciate their military and we don't just pick and choose when and how we remember them. I remember the Viet Nam war when our soldiers came home to some pretty horrific receptions. I think you may be right about not recognizing the service until something horrific happens, I am kind of insulted though that you think people jump on the "bandwagon" how do you know that people don't think of our military every single day. Just because something horrific happens and people express their sympathy and concern does not necessarily mean they are just now jumping on the bandwagon. During the Viet Nam war these same soldiers would have not been given a second thought I think Americans learned the hard way that the military deserves more and people are expressing themselves in a much kinder way please be grateful for that and don't burn us for expressing our prayers and concerns. Try to understand that just because a civilian does not go out of their way to thank a soldier does not necessarily mean they are not thankful for the hard job they must do.

[Goodpasture]

I was at Hugo's cafe in Claremore some time back and saw Garth Brooks having lunch. People noticed him, but people let him eat in peace despite his obvious popularity. Okies do that to people we like, to people we respect, and to people we admire. We don't inject ourselves into peoples life unless it is a situation such as what Annemieke encountered:

We were at the Cherokee Casino for dinner about a year ago. A guy in his 80's wearing a VFW watch cap and his wife came in and sat down. Annemieke noticed them and told me that she would be right back.

As many of you know, although Annemieke is an Okie today, she was born in Holland. Her uncles and grandfathers were in the Dutch underground. Quite a few of her mother and fathers cousins and siblings were lost during the German occupation.

At the Wild Potato, she got up and went over and asked if he had served in Europe. when he said yes, she explained where she was from and then thanked him for liberating her country. They talked for a moment and as she came back to our table, I looked back at his and saw some tears......not in the old soldiers eyes, but in the eyes of a very proud and dignified wife.

So AmyWife.....we do remember. Some of us were there....maybe not in the current conflict, but many of us have felt the tremors of artillery or heard the buzz of a bullet. Usually we don't make an issue of it, or carry on about it, or even talk about it much. But we do remember. And we do respect both those who have served and are serving.....but, for the most, we are not going to inject ourselves into their life. To do otherwise would not be polite. To do otherwise would disrespect the soldier. to do otherwise would make us less Okie and more like everyone else.

[ArmyWife94e]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

Thank your blessings.........

A lot of us have been spit on for serving when our country called..............

When we were stationed in New York there were protesters at the airport that waited for soldiers ot come home on R&R from Iraq and they would spit on them at the airport... they hated us up there, spouses, soldiers children..they didnt care, they would protest at the gates of post, we would be on lock down. Ive seen it and been through it. Its so sad.

[Goodpasture]

That was New York....what did you expect?