Bob Ackley wrote:

BA>Replying to a message of BOB KLAHN to BOB ACKLEY:

BA> BK>>>  They didn't want you to get the ribbon???

BA> BA>> They didn't want me (and the other 3 guys) to get credit
BA> BA>> for having served in-country, which if we'd been there less
BA> BA>> than 60 days they

BA> BA>> wouldn't have to do.  It would move us a bit farther down
BA> BA>> the list of those to be sent there.  The award of the
BA> BA>> ribbon (ribbons, there were two) was irrelevant.

BA> BK>  I would think both would be worthwhile to the recipient. Ok,
BA> BK> the  moving down the list immediately, the ribbon in the long
BA> BK> run.

BA>They're just "I was there" ribbons.  No big deal, really.  Many if
BA>not most ribbons are basically BS - outstanding Basic Training
BA>graduate (really!), Good Conduct (stayed out of the stockade) Medal,
BA>etc.  IIRC I have 13 ribbons I could wear in the unlikely event I
BA>ever put on a uniform again, IMO the only ones that really matter are
BA>individual and unit commendation awards, awards for valor
BA>(Bronze/Silver Star, MH) and the Purple Heart. The Air Medals I have
BA>are basically mission count ribbons - 35 missions = one Air Medal, if
BA>one was an Airborne Mission Supervisor (which I was not) instead of
BA>the third Air Medal one got a DFC for 105 missions.

BA>Because ribbons were and are generally handed out like candy color me
BA>unimpressed
BA>by large displays of them.  Once upon a time they meant something,
BA>today other than those noted above (and I may have missed a couple)
BA>they're meaningless.

BA>I should also note that in addition to devaluing the meaning of
BA>ribbons, the  military has (over the past decades) devalued the
BA>meaning of rank.  Someone noted
BA>years ago that there were more flag officers (generals/admirals) on
BA>active duty then
BA>than the military had during WW II, when it was about ten times
BA>larger than it was
BA>at the time.  When I was working at SAC there were 21 flag officers
BA>assigned there,
BA>apparently since the demise of SAC the number has declined as I note
BA>that several
BA>colonels and one *civilian* are now living in the "Generals' Row"
BA>housing area on the
BA>base (along "Generals' Row" the names of the occupants are displayed
BA>on a small marker
BA>in front of each house).


In the event that I've neglected to ever say this:

Thank you for serving the country. It takes a special kind of person to 
put their own lives on the line to protect other people, even people 
they don't know. You're one of those special people and I appreciate it.

L'Chaim

Mimi

In the beginning
the Word already was.

mimigal{at}cox.net

þ CMPQwk 1.42 9998 þ"Not a clue. Going senile at light speed
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