Where is everyone

As a child I had one pair of new shoes every year, in odd years they were sandals and the toes were cut out when they grew too small. Most of the time I wore clogs but they were solid wooden clogs and very uncomfortable.

The reference to cardboard in soles struck a chord - the soles of shoes during the war were often compressed cardboard which is why we wore clogs in wet weather.

When I went to high school the uniform insisted on brown leather outdoor shoes, I didn't mind them at all. They were smart, not cut-down sandals, not clogs and not cardboard soled 'leather' ill-fitting shoes.

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher
Loading thread data ...

Don't start me going on that one. I am ashamed of how this government treats it servicemen and women. These young people are putting their lives on the line for this country and then treated like trash, by the government, when they need assistance. It's disgraceful. I think I better stop right there. Juno

Reply to
Juno

I remember being hungry but it was a permanent state since I didn't know anything else until the 1950s. My mother had a sweet tooth and couldn't drink tea without sugar. My godmother eschewed sweet tea but couldn't eat margarine so they swapped sugar and butter coupons from their ration books. I suppose there was a lot of that sort of thing going on.

The waste of food by and the pickiness of very many younger people is, I think, because they were never hungry :-(

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

Yes, I can't understand that. Surely today's invasions are no 'better' than what happened in Vietnam yet homecoming US soldiers are, I believe, hailed as heroes while Vietnam veterans were insulted.

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

That's the original riposte :-)

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

Mary, I don't think it has anything to do with the invasion as much as the fact that many people in this country has grown up enough to realize that the troops are there because they are sent there. They joined the armed services to defend this country and were sent into combat, they go because they made the commitment, not because it's what they really want to do. I think there is a large percentage of service people who are against this war and know they are caught in a trap. Again I could go forever about this subject but I think it's best not to start me on a bigger rant. Juno

Reply to
Juno

No doubt about that! On one hand, I am glad that my children have never gone to bed hungry, or filled up by whatever I was able to get hands on, regardless of nutrition or flavor. On the other, it would be better if they weren't so wasteful and picky about what they eat. But we live in a wasteful society - we have so much, and "disposable" is the word of the day. Perhaps it's better so with some things. I wouldn't want to go back to getting injections from my father's one syringe which was sterilized on the kitchen stove in a pot of boiling water. The needle was big enough to pass anything, but made a big hole. And it was dull!!!

Reply to
Pogonip

One of our sons in is the Royal Air Force. Last year he was sent for training for Afghanistan. He's quite high ranking (after 20+ years) and before he finished he was told that he'd be going to the Falklands instead, he's there now.

We were relieved but guilty too because our relief was at the expense of someone else's parents, wife, children ...

Best not to start me on that rant either.

But troops were in Vietnam because they were sent there ...

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

I don't know why you had injectioins but perhaps they saved your life - unlike daughters in earlier times ...

We don't allow our grandchildren to be picky. They are presented with dishes of food and what they take they must eat. They've learned to take very small tasters and if they don't like it they don't have more. If they do like it they have as much as they want. It works.

Our children never went to bed hungry but they didn't waste either.

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

Yes they were sent there to Vietnam but this country was in a lot of political turmoil at the time and didn't accept that fact. Now people are looking at the troops with a different perspective. They know these men and women are there because they were sent and not because it was of their choosing. The atmosphere in this country is a lot different now and more accepting of that.The war is an entirely different story. I'm sure you are very relieved that your son h as been sent to a different and hopefully safer posting. It's not easy to have family members in the military. Juno

Reply to
Juno

...

i> I'm sure you are very relieved that your son h as been sent to a

The Falklands tour of duty is 100% safe - well, at least as safe as being on an airbase in England :-)

A military presence is maintained since the invasion, mainly an airbase and they have to have some senior personnel on base. It's only for three months, unlike the first time he went nineteen years ago when his job was to mend aeroplanes. He wrote to say that it's very different now from then, there are a lot more people living on the islands - both British and Argentinean - and a tourist industry has developed. His wife and daughters are there this week, living in a holiday house he rented for their trip.

They loved the two years they spent in Germany too but that station has closed now so he'll never go back there. He's spent time in many other countries (including USA) but for much shorter periods.

I understand what you say about having military in the family but it's what he wanted to do from being at school. He pestered the recruiting office for a whole year before they gave in, he was seventeen at the time and has never wanted to leave - he just resents being at the beck and call of politicians (and not only British ones, sorry to say) when his oath of allegiance was made to the Queen and her subjects.

Ah well, that's living in a global village I suppose ...

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

Our dd, sil and dgd s have lived in the south of England for over four years now, sil in USAF. At present, dd is alone with the kids as sil is on a one-year remote in Korea. He is coming home on leave next month (although they found he has to pay his own airfare!!) and will then go back to serve the second six months.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans,

** Posted from
formatting link
**
Reply to
Olwyn Mary

...

There are many US military here - we even have 'secret' US military stations which are guarded against the locals!

That's awful!

WHAT?????

The fare to the Falklands for son's wife and two daughters to visit our son was £100. All three. No, I haven't missed off a couple of zeros! the time and date and route of the flight weren't guaranteed but they're rarely changed. They are civilians and it's not a 'mercy' visit, just a jolly.

I hope he enjoys his leave, the time apart can be very lonely for all the family ... :-(

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.