# A sense of pride



## theguns (8 Dec 2006)

I know we have all heard it before, the slander and derogatory remarks made about us to us all about being in the army.  I also know that it goes without saying that we all have an indistinguishable amount of pride for what we do. And ad mist all the negative comments toward us and all the positive support we have, I very recently was involved in an incident in where the words of a child caused me to have even more pride in myself and my brothers and sisters serving around the world.

I was walking downtown one day in uniform after work when a gentleman came up to me and confronted me about my choice to be in the army. I just stood there and took this verbal assault, when the little boy who was with him who was no doubt his son looked up at him and said and I quote "Why are you being mean to the Army man?  He's my hero leave him alone!"  

This comment stopped the man in his tracks and like a scolded dog left with his tail between his legs.  To me the fact that a little child we stand up to his father for a soldier who he knows nothing about makes me proud to know that we as soldiers day in andday out are fighting the good fight.



 "To a gunner there are two types of people, other gunners and targets"


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## Snowy91 (8 Dec 2006)

Wow good story thanks for sharing.  Kind of gets you thinking...


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## vonGarvin (8 Dec 2006)

"Out of the mouths of babes...."


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## Pte_Martin (8 Dec 2006)

wow that's amazing, wish i could have been there to see the father's/man's face


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## reccecrewman (16 Dec 2006)

God bless the children..............  

There you have it ladies and gentlemen.......... There's why we do what we do without question. Our Country & her future generations.  Thanks for sharing that.


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## Desert Fox (20 Dec 2006)

Nicely done Guns!!!! Where the hell did this happen, an NDP riding i presume?  





"Sir, I do what I do, so to ensure that people such as yourself have the right to be critical of me for doing what I do"


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## theguns (21 Dec 2006)

actually i think it was a conservative riding but this city's downtown core is rotten so who knows


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## Desert Fox (21 Dec 2006)

Which city?

I dont think i want to go there....


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## derael (21 Dec 2006)

Morons exist in every city, not just one.


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## Desert Fox (21 Dec 2006)

Very true, curious to know the city none the less....


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## Justacivvy (21 Dec 2006)

Bravo to the little boy.  However I feel sad he has an a-hole for a dad....hopeful he doesn't get brainwashed as he grows up


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## New Brunswicks son (2 Jan 2007)

that is where the saying "I dont agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it" comes into play.Well done to the kid, and to you for holidng your fists at you side.


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## daftandbarmy (2 Jan 2007)

Out-standing. +100 to the little guy!


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## tlg (2 Jan 2007)

Kudos goes to the kid.


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## armyrules (3 Jan 2007)

Great stroy sometimes it takes little kids to say something so the even bigger kids know when to remove the foot from their mouths, Great post.


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## gaspasser (3 Jan 2007)

Desert Fox said:
			
		

> "Sir, I do what I do, so to ensure that people such as yourself have the right to be critical of me for doing what I do"



Great line, mind if I use it sometime?
Great story guns, gives you that little lump in your throat.
Bet'cha walked a wee bit taller after that?


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## Mike Baker (3 Jan 2007)

That is great, makes me want to join even more  ;D


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## IN HOC SIGNO (3 Jan 2007)

That's amazing! I've never had anyone come up and give me any grief when in uniform...usually quite the opposite. In the old days when we were all in the jolly green suit there were a lot of people who didn't know what I did for a living (an old lady in Vancouver asked what time my bus left) but since DEU came back and we look like soldiers, sailors and air persons I find that most people are very positive.

Again there are idiots everywhere....but hey we're here to defend them and their rights as others have pointed out.

Class act that kid. I hope he didn't get a beating for his troubles when he got home.


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## Desert Fox (3 Jan 2007)

BYT Driver said:
			
		

> Great line, mind if I use it sometime?





Fill your boots!


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## westie048 (27 Jan 2007)

That is a great story. 


 :skull:


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## tannerthehammer (6 Feb 2007)

I was sitting in a pizza place the other night after a parade night waiting for my pizza and some guy went out of his way and walked in and offered to buy my pizza and thanked me for doing what we are doing...I refused and thanked him anyway...I never know what to say in situations like that because it's not like I'm overseas or anything so I don't really feel like it is me he should be thanking...


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## aesop081 (6 Feb 2007)

tannerthehammer said:
			
		

> I never know what to say in situations like that because it's not like I'm overseas or anything so I don't really feel like it is me he should be thanking...



You are doing your part, just like the rest of us.  Defending Canada's interests does not only happen overseas.


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## tannerthehammer (6 Feb 2007)

cdnaviator said:
			
		

> You are doing your part, just like the rest of us.  Defending Canada's interests does not only happen overseas.



I suppose so but I guess since I have never had the feeling of being in combat that I can't really identify with me being a defender of this country.


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## aesop081 (6 Feb 2007)

tannerthehammer said:
			
		

> I suppose so but I guess since I have never had the feeling of being in combat that I can't really identify with me being a defender of this country.



Tanner.....i dont do combat on a daily basis either.  What i do is monitor shipping in canadian waters, looking for drug smugglers, illigal imigration, illegal fisheries, polluters and suspicious activities. None of this involves being in combat but is vital to canadian national interest.  Don't seel yourself short


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## GAP (6 Feb 2007)

For every person in the field there is 7 to 9 people in the background....take those away, and suddenly we are not as efficient in the field anymore after a short period of time. Support staff are not only in Kandahar, etc, but in every province in this country.


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## JesseWZ (6 Feb 2007)

I was waiting for a bus on my university campus to go to an ROTP briefing in Sept. I was in Cadpat, with cornflake and all. I lady I had never met walked up to me and shook my hand and offered to pay my fare. I declined (I have a bus pass) but thanked her kindly. On that same bus ride a child and his father came on the bus and the kid stared at me for a bit and then asked his dad... "daddy, is that an enemy?" His dad set him straight and gave me a wink.


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## tannerthehammer (6 Feb 2007)

cdnaviator said:
			
		

> Tanner.....i dont do combat on a daily basis either.  What i do is monitor shipping in canadian waters, looking for drug smugglers, illigal imigration, illegal fisheries, polluters and suspicious activities. None of this involves being in combat but is vital to canadian national interest.  Don't seel yourself short



I guess it is just the trade I am in (Artillery)  We fire rounds at nothing and never do anything other than train.  I never get to apply the skills I have learned is what I'm saying.  I find this kind of frustrating.  I also find it frustrating when there are guys in my unit just begging to go to A-stan and they get passed over.  We can't be in all that much need of troops over there if that is the case.


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## R933ex (6 Feb 2007)

Tanner,
When I was a Tfc Tech, I felt left behind, and when people came up to me and said "Great job " etc I felt embarrassed. It wasn't until I got heavily involved in disaster response as a civy, that I realized, how vital the support trades are to an operation. In Katrina it was nice to know that someone who wasn't there was coordinating resupply of the team, return travel back to Canada and helping my family out!! And on that note I would like to use to use Gaps words.

 "For every person in the field there is 7 to 9 people in the background....take those away, and suddenly we are not as efficient in the field anymore after a short period of time. " 

Believe it man! You ain't being shot at, but you are a true defender of the country!


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## 241 (6 Feb 2007)

tannerthehammer said:
			
		

> I guess it is just the trade I am in (Artillery)  We fire rounds at nothing and never do anything other than train.  I never get to apply the skills I have learned is what I'm saying.  I find this kind of frustrating.  I also find it frustrating when there are guys in my unit just begging to go to A-stan and they get passed over.  We can't be in all that much need of troops over there if that is the case.



We don't shoot at nothing, I guarantee they are not shooting at nothing in A-Stan.  Every time you go on exercise you are applying the skills you have learned granted not in theater but potentualy in preperation for it.  As for being passed over for A-Stan perhaps it is because your unit doesn't feel that they are mature enough or have a good enough head on there shoulders to keep themselves and there fellow gunners over there from getting killed or injured, my unit has been told that anyone they submit for tour will go, not newsgirl with the unit they want but they will go, sometimes there is more to the story then what you see...


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## tannerthehammer (6 Feb 2007)

For me personally, I just find the artillery to have very low job satisfaction.  I don't have much other choice to do another trade yet I want to stay in the reserves while doing university until I am done university and apply to the reg force for a different trade.



			
				241 said:
			
		

> We don't shoot at nothing, I guarantee they are not shooting at nothing in A-Stan.  Every time you go on exercise you are applying the skills you have learned granted not in theater but potentualy in preperation for it.  As for being passed over for A-Stan perhaps it is because your unit doesn't feel that they are mature enough or have a good enough head on there shoulders to keep themselves and there fellow gunners over there from getting killed or injured, my unit has been told that anyone they submit for tour will go, not newsgirl with the unit they want but they will go, sometimes there is more to the story then what you see...


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## aesop081 (6 Feb 2007)

tannerthehammer said:
			
		

> I guess it is just the trade I am in (Artillery)  We fire rounds at nothing and never do anything other than train.  I never get to apply the skills I have learned is what I'm saying.  I find this kind of frustrating.  I also find it frustrating when there are guys in my unit just begging to go to A-stan and they get passed over.  We can't be in all that much need of troops over there if that is the case.



Tanner....i'm in the same boat.  The task i described in my previous post are not the only ones i do.  I spend a large amount of time doing just the same as you: Training. How many times do you think i have actualy got to kill submarines ?  That is my purpose in the military.  I have never done an actual Over-the-horizon" tagetiting mission where an actual enemy ship was attacked.  But yet i train to do it because opne day it may be required and that capability keeps Canada secure.  You are an artilleryman....same applies to you.  You may never go to Afghanistan, but what if you get a callout to Shilo to replace an instructor that is going to the Sandbox......your training has enabled you to contribute to operations over there none the less......have they not ? You see what i am getting at ?


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## IN HOC SIGNO (6 Feb 2007)

I agree with cdnnavigator. Your time will come. Keep a positive attitude especially with those who see you in public in uniform. It's like the police....my brother in law drew his weapon twice in his 35 yr career with the OPP....but his role was vital in serving the public and his country.
Arty is playing a big role in the sand box right now....we're going to need more folks over there and we're there for the long haul me thinks......your time will come if you keep the faith and soldier on.


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## aesop081 (6 Feb 2007)

IN HOC SIGNO said:
			
		

> cdnnavigator.



I cant beleive you just called me a Navigator...........check again  :threat:


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## IN HOC SIGNO (6 Feb 2007)

cdnaviator said:
			
		

> I cant beleive you just called me a Navigator...........check again  :threat:



Sorry about that...my bad  :-X AVIATOR!!!!! AVIATOR AVIATOR!!!!  ;D


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## military granny (6 Feb 2007)

Gents and Ladies
I am grateful there are men and women that feel so much pride in not only their country but also in the jobs they do, for without you folks to stand up and pledge allegiance to the flag and country where would we be? Stand proud men and women of our forces no matter what job you do or if you have been sent to the sandbox. I as a military mom am damn proud of all of you.


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## tank recce (6 Feb 2007)

Tanner: I've been practicing my trade for over 20 years. I have never deployed - one reason or another, it just never happened. That said, I have trained - whether formally on course, or informally at the unit - almost every person my regiment has sent overseas in the past 15 years. Have I contributed? Quite honestly, some days I wonder...

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I sat down the other night, and had a heart-to-heart. With her blessing, I'll be putting my name in for the ResArmdTp for TF3-08. Time to see if a fat old tanker recce CC (dammit) can get in shape in time for work-up training...


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## GAP (6 Feb 2007)

IN HOC SIGNO said:
			
		

> Sorry about that...my bad  :-X AVIATOR!!!!! AVIATOR AVIATOR!!!!  ;D



uhhhh....isn't that just a failed navigator?  ;D


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## aesop081 (6 Feb 2007)

GAP said:
			
		

> uhhhh....isn't that just a failed navigator?  ;D



Back on track mister........


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## Command-Sense-Act 105 (7 Feb 2007)

x


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