@texasag1969 said:

I'm pretty close to Ft. Hood and from time to time get to meet today's volunteers. Plus, like I said elsewhere, my next door neighbor is about to retire from the Army. Quality people with more courage than me. When I came back from Vietnam I got out because I never wanted that experience again. A lot of these guys, including my younger cousin who just retired from the Marines, have had multiple deployments in various war zones. That spirit is still healthy where it counts, lives on the line for this country. I'm not worried at all. We still have a lot of real dedicated Americans. Always proud to shake their hands and thank them for their service to our country one vet to another.

Our friends' kids - so many are joining. It is alive and well.

They LOVE our country, and their courage goes on forever.

@mjp28 said:

Or am I just an old geezer who thinks like that?  Historically ever generation has always thought to some extent that the next generation is going straight to hell.  Like those damn hippies of the 1960s well that's us now we're the old ones.

Still " is this a great country or what!".   GO USA!

Yep, old geezers with the entitlement & liberty given freedom to say, "Get off my lawn you damn kids!" Great country this US of A!!???

@texasag1969 said:

I'm pretty close to Ft. Hood and from time to time get to meet today's volunteers. Plus, like I said elsewhere, my next door neighbor is about to retire from the Army. Quality people with more courage than me. When I came back from Vietnam I got out because I never wanted that experience again. A lot of these guys, including my younger cousin who just retired from the Marines, have had multiple deployments in various war zones. That spirit is still healthy where it counts, lives on the line for this country. I'm not worried at all. We still have a lot of real dedicated Americans. Always proud to shake their hands and thank them for their service to our country one vet to another.

Oh yes the American service men and women are among the best trained, best equipped, best people you could ever know our country is fortunate to have them.  My dad who was the nicest person you would ever want to meet was a decorated veteran of WWII and Korea.  I also worked with guys in the steel mills in Youngstown including my father-in-law who were WWII, Korea and later Vietnam vets and were tough as nails but decent people with  unquestionable character.

They were largely decendants of a hardy stock of people who settled and/or built this great country.  I'm just not sure being so far removed from that "can do" era how deep those American beliefs and values actually run.  The 6 and 11 pm news sometimes scares the crap out of me when you see what's going on in the USA and the world at large.  I believe sometimes we've tended to grow soft and some people just don't have the core values and principles of days gone by.

Or am I just an old geezer who thinks like that?  Historically ever generation has always thought to some extent that the next generation is going straight to hell.  Like those damn hippies of the 1960s well that's us now we're the old ones.

Still " is this a great country or what!".   GO USA!

@mjp28 said:

Americans throughout time have been risk takers, innovators and extremely brave and just plain tough in any situations.  This is part of what made this country a FREE and amazing democracy which was the envy of the world.

I'm not so sure that indomitable spirit is as healthy in this day and age and hope we don't have to find out for real. Are there some absolutely but I just don't know how deep it runs today.

indomitable adj. that cannot be subdued or overcome, as persons, will, or courage; unconquerable: an indomitable warrior.

I'm pretty close to Ft. Hood and from time to time get to meet today's volunteers. Plus, like I said elsewhere, my next door neighbor is about to retire from the Army. Quality people with more courage than me. When I came back from Vietnam I got out because I never wanted that experience again. A lot of these guys, including my younger cousin who just retired from the Marines, have had multiple deployments in various war zones. That spirit is still healthy where it counts, lives on the line for this country. I'm not worried at all. We still have a lot of real dedicated Americans. Always proud to shake their hands and thank them for their service to our country one vet to another.

@calfoxwc said:

There has been a mini-series of a few stories about the Revolutionary War. One was about a very brave 16 yr old girl who would walk through town, and gather up gunpowder stolen from British stockpils, and go back and give it to the American soldiers.

Another was about Dr. Warren. Their courage was off the charts. I believe it was Dr. Warren who sent Paul Revere on his famous ride.

Americans throughout time have been risk takers, innovators and extremely brave and just plain tough in any situations.  This is part of what made this country a FREE and amazing democracy which was the envy of the world.

I'm not so sure that indomitable spirit is as healthy in this day and age and hope we don't have to find out for real. Are there some absolutely but I just don't know how deep it runs today.

indomitable adj. that cannot be subdued or overcome, as persons, will, or courage; unconquerable: an indomitable warrior.

Another was about Dr. Warren. Their courage was off the charts. I believe it was Dr. Warren who sent Paul Revere on his famous ride.