Bumper Sticker Soldiers

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Bumper Sticker Soldiers by Bob Miller

Since 1958, my employer has been the U.S. Government. I have served in both the Air Force and the Army. I was a pilot in the Vietnam War in 1968 and 1969. Not once in all those years have I met a person whose sole, or even primary reason, for joining the military was God and country.

The number one reason that people join the military by a large margin is for the package deal of employment, health care, education and retirement.

Coming in second is adventure---to get away from home; to travel to all those exotic places.

Coming in a very lonely third is God and country. This percentage is so low it barely qualifies as a reason. While the majority of these soldiers come from a dysfunctional family and are poorly educated, however, there are a few well-educated men and women who buy into the military-industrial complex's propaganda. Why I can't say.

One such person, who gave up a reasonable amount of fame and fortune, was Patrick Daniel Tillman. He was a football player who left a professional sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002. He served multiple tours in combat before he was killed by friendly fire in the mountains of Afghanistan. The all-knowing general staff at the Pentagon, afraid that Americans would discover that they are not really in control of shit, tried their best to cover up the fact that Tillman had been shot by his own men. But these incompetent dickheads failed to accomplish even that little mission. What they did accomplish was to cause the Tillman family a trainload of needless heartaches, but causing heartaches is the one thing these warmongering bastards at the Pentagon can do without trying. They're like watching the Keystone Cops, but you don't laugh. At least I didn't.

Here's an example of what career soldiers are really like. The first time I was shot down in Vietnam, my crew and I had to sit patiently for two hours until our company commander and executive officer could fly out and rescue us. There were no less than ten helicopters within two minutes of us, but these two wanted the glory and medals that went with this act of heroism.

Then there are the people at home, the bumper sticker soldiers. A recent study by an anti-war group discovered that the vast majority of Americans who had "Support Our Troops" bumper stickers on their cars had extended their support no farther than putting that sticker on their car. Less than 1% questioned had volunteered their time or donated money to any veteran causes, which included hospitals for veterans. The report went on to read, We are not aware of any mass marches to free the low ranking enlisted soldiers who have received dishonorable discharges and are sitting in cells at Leavenworth for war crimes. We are not aware of any civilian or military organization demanding that the senior officers and CIA mercenaries who took part in the Nazi torture camps that Bush, Cheney, and the Pentagon operated be put on trail for war crimes. We are, however, very much aware that Americans do overwhelmingly support forgetting about Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. If they never hear about these places again, it'll be too soon.

Biography: Bob Miller was born in Florence, Alabama. Miller served as a pilot in Vietnam in 1968-69 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. Challenged Richard Shelby for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1992. Produced the television show, The Late Show (BLAB 2001). Worked as the golf pro on Holland America's ms Westerdam. Bob Miller is America's most controversial writer and has authored seven books.