-Caveat Lector- So sad, isn't it? I have a cousin who is at sea right now on the USS Austin. When I first heard of this tragedy, I thought of him right away. He wrote to me and then shared what he'd written with his shipmates. His superior asked him to read it at a sunset memorial service for the sailors of the USS Cole: I am going to share a little patriotism with you today that starts with the oath I took and have maintained for the last 18 years. Read what this says, and understand why I as an American sailor do what I do day after day: "I do solemnly swear, That I will support and defend the constitution of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic, and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, And that I will obey the orders of the president of the United States and all officers appointed over me In accordance with the uniform code of military justice so help me God." What that means is that each day we as American sailors go to work just like everyone else does, we come home just like everyone else does, and we have lives just like everyone else does. But more than that, we have an order that tell us we must put ourselves in harm's way so that the freedom we so dearly cherish never goes away. My shipmates on the USS Cole have given their lives in the name of freedom because they believed in the same principles that I do. Some of those very young sailors will never see their families again and the loved ones left behind will never see the face of that cherished sailor again. It's a chance we all take when we take orders to a sea billet. I have taken that chance on four other occasions but each time God saw fit that I return. I love the job I do, I love the chances to visit other countries, but the thing I love the most is the fact that I as an American can secure the freedom of those I love and those I don't even know, I sit on the line from time to time to ensure that my children and the children of countless others don't have to face the terrors of war. I have been in one war, and I have been in a couple small military actions, and as long as you can sleep at night, in the security of the knowledge that you are safe from the terrible things that go on, I will gladly do it all over again. God has given me the chance to make a lifetime of devoting my career to the defense of the greatest nation in the world and although she may have her problems because of the evil one down below, she may have stumbled but never fallen. Look at the colors and beauty of the American flag, see the bloodstains of those who've gone before me in the hopes of securing a lifetime of freedom and know that I too will someday say that I had a hand in keeping the watch over a grateful nation. I pray for my fallen comrades I pray for those who are lost, and I pray that our nation never forgets how ALL GAVE SOME, BUT LET'S NOT FOR FORGET THAT SOME GAVE ALL. I love my country and my family that's why I am here. Go in peace today and and always, keep a song in your heart, a smile on your face and the light of God in your eyes. SK2(SW) EDWARD GREGOIRE, <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
