Louis Zamperini

[LloydMooresLegs]

Chicos hijacks a patriotic thread in an effort to further his political agenda. Pains me.

[ChicosBailBonds]

There is someone I am calling a liar....but it's not them.

I see, so you're calling my wife a liar who was there with me.   


Well, we have breakfast with them every year, those that still come around and make it to the breakfasts.

Not highjacking anything Lloyd, I'm telling you exactly what these men said.  Some people don't want to hear it, so they lash out and call me a liar.  Or my wife.  Or worse, these men.  Awesome.   These men, Zamperini included, did great things for this country.  Unfortunately, not all of them think it was worth it anymore.

That, Lloyd, is what PAINS ME.

[LloydMooresLegs]

Turning an effort to praise these great men into a platform for your politicking is what pains me.  My point (and I know you understand this) isn't whether you are telling the truth (I don't doubt you); it is that it was a completely unnecessary off topic comment, and you only included it in an effort to score political points.

[Lennys Tap]

Turning an effort to praise these great men into a platform for your politicking is what pains me.  My point (and I know you understand this) isn't whether you are telling the truth (I don't doubt you); it is that it was a completely unnecessary off topic comment, and you only included it in an effort to score political points.

+ 10,000. He turns a thread honoring Louis Zamperini and the men and women of the greatest generation upside down. First, he interjects himself into the middle of their story (with an implied self pat on the back thrown in). What new. Then he exploits them to further a political agenda and as a bonus plays the victim card for all - (Are you calling them liars, are you calling me a liar, are you calling my wife a liar?,etc.)

I don't know if Chico really knows anyone from that generation or he just has breakfast with a handful of them once a year, but those folks were my parents, aunts, uncles, coaches, mentors, teachers and priests. My Dad was a Captain in the USMC and fought on Iwo Jima and Saipan. My Father-in-law was one of the youngest commissioned officers in the war (19, fresh out of Morgan Park (military) Academy in Chicago. They and most of their brothers-in-arms have passed, but I take serious offense on their behalf at what Chico is doing. It's not "news" that a certain % of folks in their 80s and 90s are nostalgic and long for their past. Nor is it odd if they're a bit confused (or even angry) about the changing world around them. In fact, it's normal. Using them isn't. It's despicable.

And it pains me.

[keefe]

My Dad was a Captain in the USMC and fought on Iwo Jima and Saipan.

One of my favorite movies is Letters From Iwo Jima, the companion to Flags of Our Fathers. I really enjoyed Brady's book but the film left me feeling somewhat disillusioned which was not the tone of the book in any way.

Eastwood redeemed himself with Letters. What superb cinema.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Chicos hijacks a patriotic thread in an effort to further his political agenda. Pains me.

  I believe he mentioned that the Vets he breakfasted with were disappointed in the treatment they and their brothers receive at the VA. Some people Never miss an opportunity to climb all over Chicos but the truth is the truth. These guys and my father, who was at Tarawa and fought hand to hand across chains of atolls in the Marshalls, would be appalled at the lack of respect for the law we see now. If that is political so are the knee jerk attacks on Chicos. Somehow it has become OK to ignore the sins of politicians if they agree with us and lash out with ad hominem attacks at their critics.
I prefer the civility of "The Greatest Generation"

[keefe]

  I believe he mentioned that the Vets he breakfasted with were disappointed in the treatment they and their brothers receive at the VA. 

As a wounded vet I am entitled to care and treatment at the VA which I use over my private sector coverage. While it seems fashionable to criticize VA care my experience has been outstanding. In fact, compared with my forays into private health care I can say that the VA offers a better product in every way.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I think it's amazing that it took this long to have a movie made of his story. 
I was reading over the weekend about how him and two others were floating in a life raft and they finally spotted a plane for the first time in weeks and it turned out to be Japanese and he started strafing the lifeboat with fire.  Louis was attacked by a shark while hiding in the water during the strafing attack and he had to punch the shark in the nose on three separate times to keep from being eaten.

[Spotcheck Billy]

The WW2 Vets are dying at a rate of 555/day now.

If anyone gets to Nawlins it is well worth the time to visit the WW2 Museum there. If I recall correctly, a leading force behind its creation was Stephen Ambrose. New Orleans was chosen as it was where the Higgins boats were created and manufactured - these were the iconic landing craft that symbolized America and Britain going on the offensive and beating back tyranny. A superb choice in my opinion.


http://www.nationalww2museum.org/honor/wwii-veterans-statistics.html

I agree, a fantastic museum although still a work in progress when we visited the year after Katrina.

[LloydMooresLegs]

  I believe he mentioned that the Vets he breakfasted with were disappointed in the treatment they and their brothers receive at the VA. Some people Never miss an opportunity to climb all over Chicos but the truth is the truth. These guys and my father, who was at Tarawa and fought hand to hand across chains of atolls in the Marshalls, would be appalled at the lack of respect for the law we see now. If that is political so are the knee jerk attacks on Chicos. Somehow it has become OK to ignore the sins of politicians if they agree with us and lash out with ad hominem attacks at their critics.
I prefer the civility of "The Greatest Generation"

You are mistaken.  Here is what he said:

"Love hearing about this country from them...though it also scares the hell out of me with how they feel the direction it is going.  A few of them say things like "this is what we fought for"?  Ugh.  Pains me."

[ChicosBailBonds]

Sorry, but my wife's dad (Marquette med school grad) was a Captain in the Army and served in field hospitals during the Korean War.  Her brother was in the Air Force on the air traffic control side of the house.  His daughter, currently in the Navy and now teaching air traffic control courses in Pennsacola after serving multiple years on the USS Harry Truman carrier based out of Norfolk.

My wife is a pointed person, loves the military and she isn't afraid to ask questions.  She asked them.  These gentlemen answered them.  Some people will like the answers, some people will not.  They are concerned Vets, concerned Americans.  They aren't alone.

When I told her yesterday that we didn't have breakfast with any VFW vets on Friday and didn't have several long conversations with them she had the WTF are you talking about look on her face. 

[LloydMooresLegs]

Sorry, but my wife's dad (Marquette med school grad) was a Captain in the Army and served in field hospitals during the Korean War.  Her brother was in the Air Force on the air traffic control side of the house.  His daughter, currently in the Navy and now teaching air traffic control courses in Pennsacola after serving multiple years on the USS Harry Truman carrier based out of Norfolk.

My wife is a pointed person, loves the military and she isn't afraid to ask questions.  She asked them.  These gentlemen answered them.  Some people will like the answers, some people will not.  They are concerned Vets, concerned Americans.  They aren't alone.

When I told her yesterday that we didn't have breakfast with any VFW vets on Friday and didn't have several long conversations with them she had the WTF are you talking about look on her face. 

Blah blah blah.  Again.  Not denying the statements made.  We all hear similar things all the time but then don't stuff them into a thread intended to honor Louis Zamperini.

[keefe]

I think it's amazing that it took this long to have a movie made of his story. 
I was reading over the weekend about how him and two others were floating in a life raft and they finally spotted a plane for the first time in weeks and it turned out to be Japanese and he started strafing the lifeboat with fire.  Louis was attacked by a shark while hiding in the water during the strafing attack and he had to punch the shark in the nose on three separate times to keep from being eaten.

What is crazy is that his ordeal on the raft was nothing compared to the fate which awaited as a POW.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Blah blah blah.  Again.  Not denying the statements made.  We all hear similar things all the time but then don't stuff them into a thread intended to honor Louis Zamperini.

I don't like being called a liar, I certainly don't like it when my wife is.  That's why I reacted to him the way I did.  Don't like my comments, that is fine.  Calling me a liar, which two of them did, not going to fly with me.

Thankful for Mr. Zamperini and many others like him, that I and others have the ability to talk and his sacrifices even give others the ability to level charges of lying, even if they they are 100% wrong.  Hopefully the sacrifices over the years aren't wasted.  To some of those vets, they are, which is a shame as we honor Mr. Zamperini and others.

[ChicosBailBonds]

As a wounded vet I am entitled to care and treatment at the VA which I use over my private sector coverage. While it seems fashionable to criticize VA care my experience has been outstanding. In fact, compared with my forays into private health care I can say that the VA offers a better product in every way.

More than fashionable right now, it is a shame what is happening to too many of them.  People may go to jail over this in the end.  Not a way to honor vets when almost 100K of them are on waiting lists to get treated. Not the way they should be filling out their days.

Happy you got your treatment and it was quality in nature.  Hopefully many of your brothers and sisters will receive the same kind of care.

[LloydMooresLegs]

What is crazy is that his ordeal on the raft was nothing compared to the fate which awaited as a POW.

This.

[LloydMooresLegs]

More than fashionable right now, it is a shame what is happening to too many of them.  People may go to jail over this in the end.  Not a way to honor vets when almost 100K of them are on waiting lists to get treated. Not the way they should be filling out their days.

Happy you got your treatment and it was quality in nature.  Hopefully many of your brothers and sisters will receive the same kind of care.

I don't like being called a liar, I certainly don't like it when my wife is.  That's why I reacted to him the way I did.  Don't like my comments, that is fine.  Calling me a liar, which two of them did, not going to fly with me.

Thankful for Mr. Zamperini and many others like him, that I and others have the ability to talk and his sacrifices even give others the ability to level charges of lying, even if they they are 100% wrong.  Hopefully the sacrifices over the years aren't wasted.  To some of those vets, they are, which is a shame as we honor Mr. Zamperini and others.

And you don't like being called out on your inappropriate posts.  Which is what I did.  For once, just take personal responsibility for your words and the way you use them.  Like you rightly often want others to do.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

You are mistaken.  Here is what he said:

"Love hearing about this country from them...though it also scares the hell out of me with how they feel the direction it is going.  A few of them say things like "this is what we fought for"?  Ugh.  Pains me."

   I was referring to a later comment that specifically mentioned their displeasure at the VA scandal.

[ChicosBailBonds]

And you don't like being called out on your inappropriate posts.  Which is what I did.  For once, just take personal responsibility for your words and the way you use them.  Like you rightly often want others to do.

I take responsibility for it 100%.  The difference is, I didn't call or imply you are a liar or anything of the kind, unlike the other individuals.  That's a huge difference.  I respect your opinion, I may not always agree with it, but I respect it.  That's not the path they chose to go down.  I've done what I tell others to do, if you don't like what I have to say, put me on ignore.  I put them on ignore...mostly because I'm not going to carry on conversations with people that weren't there and are questioning the truth of what was said at an event they weren't at.   

As I said last week, not going to matter too much.  I've got some major life change stuff happening in the next week, so it will be a scant existence anyway. 

[real chili 83]

Blah blah blah.  Again.  Not denying the statements made.  We all hear similar things all the time but then don't stuff them into a thread intended to honor Louis Zamperini.

Legs....well said.

[GGGG]

I see, so you're calling my wife a liar who was there with me.

Yes.

I don't like being called a liar, I certainly don't like it when my wife is.  That's why I reacted to him the way I did.  Don't like my comments, that is fine.  Calling me a liar, which two of them did, not going to fly with me.

Oh well.

[keefe]

   I was referring to a later comment that specifically mentioned their displeasure at the VA scandal.

As regards VA care, they have a triage system for providing services since there is a very real resource constraint. Anyone Honorably Discharged from the military is authorized care. But access is tiered based on your service and at the very top are those with combat-related wounds.

I still go to the VA for treatment about once a month and the quality of care is exceptional. Also, because of my status, if I want to see a doc I can do so on the same day. I had a spider bite from a night in the Cascades and went straight to the VA Clinic in Bellevue where I had it treated and was given an RX. Total cost to me: $0. Total time: 30 minutes. Try doing that at a private care practitioner. I could have tried going to Swedish where I have my employer-sponsored plan but it would have been days before I would have been seen.

It is fashionable to criticize the VA but I believe they do a great job of caring for our community. The system is overburdened mainly because so many vets lack access to any other sponsored health care. The VA correctly prioritizes care for wounded warriors and they excel at the specialized medicine needed for traumatic injuries.

[jesmu84]

Edit: not worth it

Anyway, here's the trailer to the movie: http://devour.com/video/unbroken-trailer/

[keefe]

Edit: not worth it

Anyway, here's the trailer to the movie: http://devour.com/video/unbroken-trailer/

Wow, that looks fantastic! Thanks for posting that link.

[ChicosBailBonds]

As regards VA care, they have a triage system for providing services since there is a very real resource constraint. Anyone Honorably Discharged from the military is authorized care. But access is tiered based on your service and at the very top are those with combat-related wounds.

I still go to the VA for treatment about once a month and the quality of care is exceptional. Also, because of my status, if I want to see a doc I can do so on the same day. I had a spider bite from a night in the Cascades and went straight to the VA Clinic in Bellevue where I had it treated and was given an RX. Total cost to me: $0. Total time: 30 minutes. Try doing that at a private care practitioner. I could have tried going to Swedish where I have my employer-sponsored plan but it would have been days before I would have been seen.

It is fashionable to criticize the VA but I believe they do a great job of caring for our community. The system is overburdened mainly because so many vets lack access to any other sponsored health care. The VA correctly prioritizes care for wounded warriors and they excel at the specialized medicine needed for traumatic injuries.

Not sure fashionable is the defense, there's a reason why General Shinseki resigned a few weeks ago.  It was rather disgraceful what has been happening.  I'm sure for many the care is great, but what a mess.