MILITARY LIFE, PAGE THREE

"That Ragged Old Flag"

I walked through a County Court House square.

On a park bench an old man was sitting there.

I Said, "Your old Court House is kinda run down.

" He Said, "No, it will do for our little town.

" I Said, "Your old flag Pole is leaning a little bit.

And that`s a ragged old Flag you`ve got hanging on it."

He Said, 'Have a seat," and I sat down.

"Is this the first time that you`ve been to our little town?"

"Well," he said, "I don`t like to brag,

But we`re kinda proud of that ragged old Flag.

You see, we got a little hole in the Flag there,

When Washington took it across the Delaware.

And it got powder burns, the night Francis Scott Key,

Sat watching it, writing "Oh Say Can You See."

And it got a bad rip at New Orleans,

When Packingham and Jackson took it to the scene

And, it almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas Flag

But she waved on through

She got cut with a sword at Chancerville,

And she got cut again at Shilo Hill

There was Robert E. Lee, Bouregard and Bragg

The South wind blew hard on that Old Ragged Flag

On Flanders Field in World War One

She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun

She turned BLOOD RED World War Two,

And she hung limp and low a time or two

She was in Korea and Vietnam

She went from our ships upon the briny foam

Now they`ve about quit waving her back here at home

In our good land she`s been abused,

She`s been burned, dishonored, denied, and refused

And the Government for which she stands

Is scandalized through out the land

She`s getting threadbare and she`s wearing thin,

But, she`s in good shape for the shape she`s in

Because she`s been through the fire before,

I believe she can take a whole lot more

So we raise her up every morning, and we

Take her down every night,

We don`t let her touch the ground,

and we fold her up right,

On second thought, I DO LIKE TO BRAGG,

BECAUSE I`M MIGHTY PROUD OF THAT RAGGED OLD FLAG.

Military/Gun Quotes

* Never run when you can walk, never walk when you can stand, never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can sleep. - Old Soldier's Adage

* They've got us surrounded again, the poor bastards. - Gen. Creighyon W. Abrams

* I love the smell of napalm in the morning...It smells like victory. - Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now

* Get into a tight spot in combat, and some guy will risk his ass to help you. Get in a tight spot in peacetime, and you go it alone. - Brendan Francis

* Fortunately, terrorists are not conspicuously bright, else they'd go to law school and work for Friends of the Earth. - Tom Clancy

* There is not hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter. - Ernest Hemingway

* The conventional army loses if it does not win. The guerrilla wins if he does not lose. - Henry Kissinger

* Warfare is the art of deceit. Therefore, when able, seem to be unable; when ready, seem unready; when nearby, seem far away; and when far away, seem near. If the enemy seeks some advantage, entice him with it. If he is in disorder, attack him and take him. If he is formidable, prepare against him. If he is strong, evade him. If he is incensed, provoke him. If he is humble, encourage his arrogance. If he is rested, wear him down. If he is internally harmonious, sow divisiveness in his ranks. Attack where he is not prepared; go by way of places where it would never occur to him you would go. These are the military strategist's calculations for victory... - Sun Tzu in The Art of Warfare

* The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his.- Gen. George Patton

* The man who loves other countries as much as his own, stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife. - Theodore Roosevelt

* When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do. - George C. Scott in Patton

* It comes down to this question: Who do you trust? Do you trust law-abiding American citizens, or do you trust a bloated bureaucracy, willing to strip Americans of their rights and privileges? - J. D. Hayworth on Gun Control

* It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees. - Unknown

* When men take up arms to set other men free, there is something sacred and holy in warfare. -Woodrow Wilson

* I heard the bullets whistle, and believe me, there is something charming in the sound. - George Washington

* We don't want things to be equal on a battlefield. We want to win 100-0. Technology makes that possible. - Tom Clancy

* Let him who desires peace, prepare for war. - Vegetius

* Americans have the right and advantage of being armed, unlike citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms. - James Madison

* Nothing concentrates the military mind so much as the discovery that you have walked into an ambush. - Thomas Packenham

* To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them. - George Mason

Standing Orders, Rodgers Rangers Maj Robert Rodgers > 1756

1. DON’T FORGET NOTHING.

2. HAVE YOUR MUSKET CLEAN AS A WHISTLE, HATCHET SCOURED, SIXTY ROUNDS POWDER AND BALL, AND BE READY TO MARCH AT A MINUTES WARNING.

3. WHEN YOU’RE ON THE MARCH, ACT THE WAY YOU WOULD IF YOU WAS SNEAKING UP ON A DEER. SEE THE ENEMY FIRST.

4. TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE AND DO. THERE IS AN ARMY DEPENDING ON US FOR CORRECT INFORMATION. YOU CAN LIE ALL YOU PLEASE WHEN YOU TELL OTHER FOLKS ABOUT THE RANGERS, BUT DON’T NEVER LIE TO A RANGER OR OFFICER.

5. DON’T NEVER TAKE A CHANCE YOU DON’T HAVE TO.

6. WHEN WE’RE ON THE MARCH WE MARCH SINGLE FILE, FAR ENOUGH APART SO ONE SHOT CAN’T GO THROUGH TWO MEN.

7. IF WE STRIKE SWAMPS, OR SOFT GROUND, WE SPREAD OUT ABREAST, SO IT’S HARD TO TRACK US.

8. WHEN WE MARCH, KEEP MOVING TILL DARK, SO AS TO GIVE THE ENEMY THE LEAST POSSIBLE CHANCE AT US.

9. WHEN WE MAKE CAMP, HALF THE PARTY STAYS AWAKE WHILE THE OTHER HALF SLEEPS.

10. IF WE TAKE PRISONERS, WE KEEP ‘EM SEPARATE TILL WE HAVE TIME TO EXAMINE THEM, SO THEY CAN’T COOK UP A STORY BETWEEN ‘EM.

11. DON’T EVER MARCH HOME THE SAME WAY. TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE SO YOU WON’T BE AMBUSHED.

12. NO MATTER WHETHER WE TRAVEL IN BIG PARTIES OR LITTLE ONES, EACH PARTY HAS TO KEEP A SCOUT 20 YARDS AHEAD, 20 YARDS ON EACH FLANK AND 20 YARDS IN THE REAR, SO THE MAIN BODY CAN’T BE SURPRISED AND WIPED OUT.

13. EVERY NIGHT YOU’LL BE TOLD WHERE TO MEET IF SURROUNDED BY A SUPERIOR FORCE.

14. DON’T SIT DOWN TO EAT WITHOUT POSTING SENTRIES.

15. DON’T SLEEP BEYOND DAWN. DAWN’S WHEN THE FRENCH AND INDIANS ATTACK.

16. DON’T CROSS A RIVER BY A REGULAR FORD.

17. IF SOMEBODY’S TRAILING YOU, MAKE A CIRCLE, COME BACK ON YOUR OWN TRACKS, AND AMBUSH THE FOLKS THAT AIM TO AMBUSH YOU.

18. DON’T STAND UP WHEN THE ENEMY’S COMING AGAINST YOU. KNEEL DOWN, LIE DOWN, HIDE BEHIND A TREE.

19. LET THE ENEMY COME TILL HE’S ALMOST CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH. THEN LET HIM HAVE IT AND JUMP OUT AND FINISH HIM UP WITH YOUR HATCHET.

THE HISTORY OF THE CHALLENGE COIN

During World War I, American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly formed flying squadrons. Some were wealthy scions attending colleges such as Yale and Harvard who quit in mid-term to join the war. In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered medallions struck in solid bronze carrying the squadron emblem for every member of his squadron. He himself carried his medallion in a small leather sack about his neck. Shortly after acquiring the medallions, this pilot’s aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire. He was forced to land behind enemy lines and was immediately captured by a German patrol. In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck. In the meantime, he was taken to a small French town near the front. Taking advantage of a bombardment that night, he donned civilian clothes and escaped. However, he was without personal identification. He succeeded in avoiding German patrols and reached the front lines. With great difficulty he crossed no-mans-land. Eventually, he stumbled into a French outpost. Unfortunately, the French in this sector of the front had been plagued by saboteurs. They sometimes masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Not recognizing the young pilot’s American accent, the French thought him to be a German saboteur, and made ready to execute him. Just in time, he remembered his leather pouch containing the medallion. He showed the medallion to his would-be executioners. His French captors recognized the squadron insignia on the medallion and delayed long enough for him to confirm his identity. Instead of shooting him, they gave him a bottle of wine. Back with his squadron, it became a tradition to insure that all members carried their medallion or coin at all times. This was accomplished through a challenge in the following manner: A challenger would ask to see the coin. If the challenged member could not produce his coin, he was required to purchase a drink of choice for the member who had challenged him. If the challenged member produced his coin, then the challenging member was required to pay for the drink. This tradition continued throughout the was and for many years after while surviving members of the squadron were still alive. The tradition was lost to the Air Force for more than fifty years. In part this was due to the high cost of coinage and the difficulty of creating special medallions. In the late seventies, a weapons systems operator flying fighter aircraft in one of the reserve components uncovered this story while doing research for a paper at the Air Command and Staff College.

Author Unknown

A "LIVING WILL"

*Write one if you wish to guide the conditions for the care of yourself and/or your children - even your pet - if you are incapacitated.

LIFE INSURANCE

*Designate your beneficiaries on your Servicemen's Group Life Insurance, as well as any retirement plans you have, and make sure they reflect who you want to receive your benefits. Make sure the total coverage provides enough for your family's needs.

*If you have private insurance, whether you are active or reserve make sure it doesn't contain a "war" or "combat exclusion" clause that would prohibit coverage if you are killed in combat or in a war zone.

Military Life / Page Four