i arrived in NZ on 18 Sept 01.. i was on the first commercial airliner to leave US airspace after the bombing.i had bought my ticket months before to come here to get married and i was not about to miss coming to be with Caroline..
"let them try something" i thought to myself " i'll sho them what one motivated Marine is capable of.."
it was surreal.. almost eerie. 1/2 empty Qantas filled with silence.. everyone watching everyone.. some were visibly scared.. some were visibly defiant (i count myself as one of those) some were hollow.
as the plane left the ground, the tension mounted.. i looked out the window at my homeland and saw the huge amount of red white and blue flags , growing smaller as we rose into the air. a lump formed in my throat and i choked back a tear for those affected by the attack (all of us were). i started, absentmindedly singing softly...
" Oh say can you see.. by the dawns early light..."
to my suprise, the lady in front of me joined in.. then her seatmate.. and the old man sitting next to my son.. before the "Rockets Red Glare".. all of the Americans on the plane had joined in with pride, singing at the top of our voices
the flightcrew stopped what they were doing and watched.. some crying.. some with thier hands over thier mouths trying to hold it in..one attendant was standing bolt straight, holding her hand over her heart with tears streaming down her face. after the last note .. the plane erupted in a cheer and round of applause and the Aussie capitain thanked us over the intercom. i never felt prouder in my life.
now folks .. i know some of you are going to bash me for this thread, but i dont care.. i needed to get this out. bad rep me all you want.. i have green to spare and i am slightly too pissed to give a fuck at the momnt ( Gawd Bless you Jack Daniels)
i have seen some real shitholes in my time. Beruit , Grenada, Falklands, Libya and a few places i cant talk about. Politics aside, i hold my brother Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in my heart every day, moreso on 11 September. i dont nessasarily agree with G.W.Bush and the War On Terror ™ .. didnt like his daddy either but i am proud to call myself an American. i am , however ashamed of the mess on the Gulf Coast, New Orleans etc and i LOATH the assholes who are causing the grief there (armed thugs and incompetant government toadies alike)
i do love New Zealand and i hope to make a good life here. you are all friendly (for the most part.. a few twats in the mix , but you have that everywhere) and i have made a few great friends in the 4 years i have been here
thanks for reading this and for indulging me over the last few paragraphs
just so you know .. the loud FJ with the Stars n Bars flying off the back on the NW Motorway for the next week is me.. honk if you see me
Sempre Fidelis
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Originally Posted by SpeedMedic
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