JEFF WHITE
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 29, 2000
- Messages
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A Soldier's Letter
Dear Dad,
A funny thing happened to me yesterday at Camp
Bondsteel (Bosnia): A French army officer walked
up to me in the PX, and told me he thought we
(Americans) were a bunch of cowboys and were
going to provoke a war in Iraq. He said if such a
thing happens, we wouldn't be able to count on
the support of France.
I told him that it didn't surprise me. Since we
had come to France's rescue in World War I, World
War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War, their
ingratitude and jealousy was due to surface [yet
again] at some point in the near future anyway. I
also told him that is why France is a third-rate
military power with a socialist economy and a
bunch of pansies for soldiers.
I additionally told him that America, being a
nation of deeds and action, not words, would do
whatever it had to do, and France's support, if
it ever came, was only for show anyway. Just like
in ALL NATO exercises, the US would shoulder 85%
of the burden, and provide 85% of the support, as
evidenced by the fact that this French officer
was shopping in the American PX, and not the
other way around.
He began to get belligerent at that point, and I
told him if he would like to, I would meet him
outside in front of the Burger King and whip his
butt in front of the entire Multi-National
Brigade East, thus demonstrating that even the
smallest American had more fight in him than the
average Frenchman.
He called me a barbarian cowboy and walked away
in a huff. With friends like these, who needs
enemies?
Dad, tell Mom I love her,
Your loving daughter,
Mary Beth Johnson Lt. Col., USMC
Dear Dad,
A funny thing happened to me yesterday at Camp
Bondsteel (Bosnia): A French army officer walked
up to me in the PX, and told me he thought we
(Americans) were a bunch of cowboys and were
going to provoke a war in Iraq. He said if such a
thing happens, we wouldn't be able to count on
the support of France.
I told him that it didn't surprise me. Since we
had come to France's rescue in World War I, World
War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War, their
ingratitude and jealousy was due to surface [yet
again] at some point in the near future anyway. I
also told him that is why France is a third-rate
military power with a socialist economy and a
bunch of pansies for soldiers.
I additionally told him that America, being a
nation of deeds and action, not words, would do
whatever it had to do, and France's support, if
it ever came, was only for show anyway. Just like
in ALL NATO exercises, the US would shoulder 85%
of the burden, and provide 85% of the support, as
evidenced by the fact that this French officer
was shopping in the American PX, and not the
other way around.
He began to get belligerent at that point, and I
told him if he would like to, I would meet him
outside in front of the Burger King and whip his
butt in front of the entire Multi-National
Brigade East, thus demonstrating that even the
smallest American had more fight in him than the
average Frenchman.
He called me a barbarian cowboy and walked away
in a huff. With friends like these, who needs
enemies?
Dad, tell Mom I love her,
Your loving daughter,
Mary Beth Johnson Lt. Col., USMC
