From what the last few comments suggest then, previous to Sept 11th, as long as the terrorists struck military people overseas, it doesn't count as an attack on the United States. It doesn't count because it doesn't effect only but a few people in the country and most certainly hardly any in this group.
Those people in the Berlin nightclub were targetted specifically by the terrorists. The USS Cole was targetted specifically. The embassies in Africa were targetted specifically. Why? Because of the number of US military or civilian personnel there.
It is easy to ignore something when it doesn't happen in New York City or Washington D.C. or doesn't happen to immediate family. But the above events happened to US citizens.
Was the outrage over Sept 11th only because the United States was struck at home? And now that outrage has dulled because no subsequent attacks have occurred thankfully.
I don't know if that is because of the lack of terrorist activity or our success in keeping the terrorists over in Iraq, but it is nice that there hasn't been any more attacks here on our soil for sure.
Years after Sept 11th this country is more fractured than ever before. We can no longer talk to one another across the aisle in a friendly manner. Growing up, my politic idol was Everett Dirksen of Illinois. I wasn't from his district, but I was proud to be from the state that he represented.
Today, almost every vote is along party lines, not if it is good or bad for the country. If there are cross over votes, then it is only because of the pork loaded into the bill to get those votes.
A point of order about his 22-year service. I don't believe he is collecting a pension but rather disability based on his injuries which occurred during his POW time. An officer can't collect both a military pension and Social Security. Only enlisted personnel are allowed to do that. Only disability benefits and Social Security could be collected simulataneously.
They have loosened some of the rules lately to allow collection of disability and pension for enlisted, but I haven't kept up to see if that applied to officers also.
Any retired military officers here?