Thank you Alan.

Alan:
 
Don't leave out that you courageously and successfully protected the Burkha King and brought that sweet Alembic safely home from Iraq!
 
Bill, tgo

Hi,  
I'm not a US Military Veteran but from Germany. But I have a question may be somebody here can help.  
I was playing with a drummer in the 1970s here in Bamberg who was an american in the army, based here in Bamberg. Later he went back to USA and we lost contact. With the internet comming up I was looking to find him via Facebook and http://www.military.com/.
No chance. Does may be anybody here knows another source for searching?
Thanks
Harald

Harald; one thing I do is run a search on the name followed by, or preceded by, the word drums.  That way, if he's played in a band that's posted a gig or CD to the net, it should show up in a search.

Thank you, Dave

Bill, what do you mean for reasons other than our defense?
I totally agree on the second part of your statement but the first part is not clear (to me).

Enzo:
 
I really don't think this is the forum to get too deeply into politics.  Suffice to say I lived through the Vietnam era and don't remember any North Vietnamese or Viet Cong landing on our shores or bombing Pearl Harbor.  Other examples include Panama and Manuel Noriega which never posed a threat.  Neither did Granada.  More recently, there was the  infamous excuse of weapons of mass destruction.  
 
The history of this nation is fraught with military actions for reasons other than self defense, starting at the beginning with Manifest Destiny as an excuse to steal land from the Native Americans and, later, Mexico.  Over the almost 250 year history of the U.S., this country has sent troops literally dozens of times for reasons other than self-defense.  
 
Bill, tgo

May I suggest we keep to the original topic, and revert to topical forums elsewhere on the interwebs for political and historical debate.

Btw, my question was not meant to be a criticism towards the statement, but a genuine interest in the topic. But like Adriaan says better stick to the original post, I don't want to raise animosity in anybody. Maybe in the next Chicago gathering we'll have the chance to chat some more.  
See? Another reason for a new get together in Chicago