Good Ol' US of A

[jpatm2]

Yesterday I went to finish Christmas shopping. Figured while I was at it I would run by Cabela's, you know just because. On the drive there, I saw a bald eagle sitting on a branch. I thought to myself, driving my GMC pickup truck to Cabelas and see a bald eagle. I couldn't do any of those when I was stationed in South Korea. We got back last year, but I still find things like that which makes me happy to be living in the USA.

[contender1]

It's the little things that make this country so great. THose of us who do appreciate it know it oh so well!
I'm assuming your trip to Korea was military related. If so; "Glad to have you home bro'!"

[Bad Water Bill]

Seems to me that 99% of the folks with the big mouths have NEVER left their home state let alone seen how the rest of the world lives.

Yes it still the best country EVER..

Thank you for your service sir.

[nicholst55]

Yesterday I went to finish Christmas shopping. Figured while I was at it I would run by Cabela's, you know just because. On the drive there, I saw a bald eagle sitting on a branch. I thought to myself, driving my GMC pickup truck to Cabelas and see a bald eagle. I couldn't do any of those when I was stationed in South Korea. We got back last year, but I still find things like that which makes me happy to be living in the USA.

Those of us still in Korea wish we could drive to Cabela's!

[jpatm2]

Those of us still in Korea wish we could drive to Cabela's!

Yeah, I remember those feelings. Now I have on 20 minutes away. Life is good.

[Freightman]

Nearest one is four hours away! and the Bald Eagle is a majestic bird, everyone should see one in the wild at least once.

[bbs70]

Those of us still in Korea wish we could drive to Cabela's!

I take it that it is still as cold as a well diggers backside there.
I remember firing at Santa Barbara in the winter, -30 with the wind chill those couple days.

Camp Essayons 71-72 6/37th fld arty 13B40.
Closed now, can't say I have fond memories of the place.
I still shiver when I think about polishing 155 tubes in the gun park with snow all over the place.

[1Shirt]

Every time I travel overseas I marvel at just how good we have it in the USA. I have been in over 30 countries and enjoy travel, and being stationed overseas, but there is nothing like setting foot back on American soil. Most enjoyed it when I hit McCord in Wa. on the way back from Nam!

Americans who have never left our country will never know just how great our country really is. They will never know or fully understand our freedoms, inclusive of speech regardless of political correctness.

And the 2nd Ammendment factor really stands out in foreign countries. Not one other country in the entire world has our freedom to keep and bare arms! Not one! Just think of that, and the fact that without the second ammendment, there is more than just a slight possibility that our country would not have made it! Like the song says
"God Bless the USA"!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[blackthorn]

Here in B C during the winter months it is very common to drive along one of the several large rivers and see literally hundreds of bald eagles. In 2004 we moved here to Kamloops and one afternoon the following spring I was privaliged to witness two of those majestic birds in a courtship dance. They were locked together by thier entwined feet and were going through the air doing a slow roll about sixty feet above the river that flows in front of our home. What a beautiful thing to see. We also have turkey buzzards that soar around over the hills behind our house. I am told that we are on the extreme nortern edge of thier range. As far as a great country, I think I live in the best place on earth (except for our constitution really NEEDS changing)!

[Dale in Louisiana]

I take it that it is still as cold as a well diggers backside there.
I remember firing at Santa Barbara in the winter, -30 with the wind chill those couple days.

Camp Essayons 71-72 6/37th fld arty 13B40.
Closed now, can't say I have fond memories of the place.
I still shiver when I think about polishing 155 tubes in the gun park with snow all over the place.

Camp Rose 69-70 1/72d Armor 11E40

Did Freedom Bridge guard duty in January. boiling water in your canteen at the beginning of the shift was FROZEN before I walked to the far end of the bridge.

dale in Louisiana

[jpatm2]

Camp Rose 69-70 1/72d Armor 11E40

Did Freedom Bridge guard duty in January. boiling water in your canteen at the beginning of the shift was FROZEN before I walked to the far end of the bridge.

dale in Louisiana

Last time I was up there, Freedom Bridge was guarded by ROK soldiers. It was an odd feeling driving north past them while they were locked and loaded and watching the direction we were going. The most disconcerning part was we had no weapons. We were going up for training. You just had to watch out for UXO and land mines.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I live about 10 miles from the Mississippi river. In winter, the bald eagles are all over the place. The water just below the dams never freeze and they fish there. Last week I watched an Eagle fishing in a small lake. He swooped down three times and on the third time, he got a fish and then landed in a tree. What a great symbol for a great country.

[troyboy]

I feel the same way. I bleed RED WHITE and BLUE. Buy American stay American. I am that guy. Those that have never worked in another country will never understand how good we have it here. GOD BLESS AMERICA and those that defend liberty.

[nicholst55]

It was a balmy +7* F here this morning at 0700, and our gov't vehicle (diesel) wouldn't start because one of the guys burned up the glow plugs in it. We've actually had a very mild fall and winter up to this point.

I know I wouldn't want to be down in the tank park trying to crank up one of them this morning! I remember having to 'gas-rag' our old 2-1/2 ton trucks on mornings like this, back in the day. That was NOT fun.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Awesome bird!

[LUBEDUDE]

Awesome!

Around here, when one is spotted, you usually need binoculars. And everyone pulls over and starts taking pictures or just enjoys the scenery.

It's a big deal.

[gandydancer]

Freedom and Jeff


Freedom and I have been together 10 years this summer. She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings. Her left wing doesn’t open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in 4 places. She’s my baby.

When Freedom came in she could not stand and both wings were broken. She was emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vets office. From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for weeks.

This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn’t stand. It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn’t stand in a week. You know you don’t want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning. She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon.

I didn’t want to go to the center that Thursday, because I couldn’t bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear. I went immediately back to her cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then. That was a very good day.

We knew she could never fly, so the director asked me to glove train her. I got her used to the glove, and then to jesses, and we started doing education programs for schools in western Washington. We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV. Miracle Pets even did a show about us.

In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair – the whole bit. I missed a lot of work. When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer. This happened time and time again.

Fast forward to November 2000, the day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my last checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant. Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results. I went in Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone.

So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill. I hadn’t said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don’t know how long. That was a magic moment. We have been soul mates ever since she came in. This is a very special bird.

On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them. I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power course through his body. I have so many stories like that.

I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as Freedom.

Hope you enjoy this.

Image courtesy of http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff261/dakota41394/noname2.jpg.

[smoked turkey]

Whew..very touching story about Freedom. There is no place like the USA. I don't understand why some of our new "citizens" want to change it to be like it was where they came from. If where they came from was so great why didn't they stay there? I am afraid we are so close to losing some of the freedoms we enjoy here. God help us and God Bless the United States of America! While I am on the soap box, God Bless those who are standing watch between us and harms way tonight and every night.

[onesonek]

Whew..very touching story about Freedom. There is no place like the USA. I don't understand why some of our new "citizens" want to change it to be like it was where they came from. If where they came from was so great why didn't they stay there? I am afraid we are so close to losing some of the freedoms we enjoy here. God help us and God Bless the United States of America! While I am on the soap box, God Bless those who are standing watch between us and harms way tonight and every night.

Indeed!!!!!!

[DLCTEX]

Thanks for sharing Freedom's story with us! They are awesome birds. I saw an immature one two years ago when deer hunting. We don't normally see them here, but when it took flight there was no doubt it was an Eagle.