I want to improve my English...

[Stanley]

Ed:

I did not call you a paquetero----------- I just said you were a great storyteller. I can never compare myself to you or even to my dad.

You folks belong to what Tom Brokaw called the greatest generation. If you indulge me-- I will tell you about my father:

My dad had an intact family until age 12 when his father died. He started elementary school at the age of eight because supposedly there was no room in 1st grade and had to wait for an opening. Soon afterwards his mother died and he had to live with several aunties and in a foster home. His older brother had enlisted in the US Army , but my dad had to wait till age 17 to join up. One of his sisters was adopted by another family.

During those days there was misery in PR and the children of the depresssion had to make the lines just to get something to eat. When my dad joined the US Army he only had a 9th-10th grade education, but was fluent en English thanks to his own interest in learning languages and the fact that the public education emphasized English. He was a mere 135 lbs and 67 inches tall. When he left the Armed forces six years later he was six feet and a 1/2 inches tall, 185 lbs, and all muscle. He told me he grew up like wildfire in the military due to the abundance of food. He was injured in his six years while stationed in France, but was not awarded a purple heart as you did.

When he came back to PR he was fluid in French----- he alaredy knew three langiages to near perfection. He inmediately went back to finnish high school where as a 23 year old he was like a Papotito to the 16-17 year old girls. As a scorpio I certainly envy that stage of his life---------- He was as much a lady's man as Papotito.

He used the GI bill and eventually became a lawyer. He tried private practice and soon found out he was not cut to be a shark or an ambulance chaser. So he became a public defendant for several years. He ended his career as a judge in el Centro Judicial de Hato Rey where he died of a massive stroke while pounding the mallet during a trial. My father was a passionate and rightous man and had the record of most broken mallets in el Centro Judicial. His personal marshall or body guard (each judge had one) told me during the wake that my dad was the only judge who treated him like a partner and friend. This guy cried on my shoulder during the funeral. There was another employee in the courthouse that was blind from birth. My dad would often have lunch with him and describe such things as colors, shapes, and forms. To the blind man this was precious and I was very gratified when he came to me with this story. In short--- I could never come close to match my dad-- he was my hero and inspiration and gave me all I ever needed as a child. I have respect for those of your generation and will never know whaat is like to struggle like that.

I could tell a thousand storries about my dad, but I will stop.

[El_Jibaro]

You just wrote that your beloved Soviet Armed Forces never lost a war (no wonder you are a traitor to the nation that fed you and gave you birth...), did you ever hear about how the Soviet Army came back from Afghanistan with its tail between its legs ?

How come the USA had it so easy ?

Perhaps you are being forgetful due to Alzheimers ...

[Suki]

Originally posted by Eddier1

Stan, I could not help notice that you still have doubts about what I said concerning my duties and experiences well over a half century ago. And that is alright, because you are human, and never as you said in your last post had to struggle in your life. My life was and is to the total opposite of your life; I had to struggle from day one, even as an infant who was mistakenly given whole milk, due to the fact that my Mom was taken ill soon after I was born. That whole milk gave me a colitis condition that has,intermittenly affected me all my life. Got to be extremely careful of what I eat as to roughage, etc.. But I am well enured to pain by now, and keep up with my agenda time-wise fairly well. Also, I told you that I am NOT a paquetero, and that is the truth. Sometimes, I say things that could be put more effectively in language, but, hey, language doesn't give us everthing; there are limits, irregardless of what the Sapir-Worf linguists may opine to the contrary. What you have done in not accepting that the truth in this world is often stranger than fiction is to make me go back to those days of yore in memory, and that is not a happy accident. Because those days were filled with horror for a young man, who was in Spain during the Civil War, and later was associated with the OSS of Wild Bill Donovan, the precursor to the present CIA. Hear this! that in all my missions, I had but one vessel that I could call my "ship", and it was the Intrepid, where I participated in the Gulf of Leyte Battle that had extended into the Coral Sea. In that mother of all sea battles we were introduced to the first real waves of Japanese suicide planes, the Kamakases. And later on, and immediately after that battle, we were evacuated from our crippled aircraft carrier, which now floats as a national museum in the harbor of New York City. Out of the "frying pan and into the fire" because we were sent, Marines and all, to the landings on the beaches of Iwo Jima. If you know anything about Iwo Jima, then you can appreciate what HELL IS ALL ABOUT! I would probably not like to do this, but to add a sober element to your doubts, and place them in historical perspective, that is trite anyhow, I will dust off my medals, and reflect as modestly as I can humanly do so, the DSC I received for my actions on the decks of the Intrepid, and my Order of Lenin, which I received for my assistance to the Soviet Union's Peoples Red Army (which BTW has never lost a war ever in its existence, from the days of defeating the American and British forces that backed the White Army, onwards to the defeat of the Wehrmact and Lutwaffe that had invaded Russia in Operation Barbarossa), and finally to Mao Tse Tung Badge of Socialist Labor for assisting the Peoples Red Army of China in it war against the Imperialist Japanese and anticommmunist Chinese Nationalists. Oh, before I forget, I also got the proverbial Purple Heart for wounds received on the burning decks of the Intrepid. Thanking you in advance, if you at least reconsider your suspicions of me being 'paquetero', because I have never been that...never!

THE LAMP IS LIT!
EddieR

______________________________________________________

Suki: Eddie, I knew that horrific war in Spain when you were so young was not something pleasant. You grew up way too fast I think. In so many respects. But, Eddie. You have such a fine sense of decency. Regardless of all the stuff you went through. And frankly you have contributed so much to all the nations you have served under. I can't help reiterating you are terribly hermoso. Lol. You really are. And if ever I need someone who is solid in all respects it would be you Eduardo.

Stanley: That story about your father is very lovely. I see how you loved and admired him in every line. He led an interesting and full life. And many Puerto Ricans of that generation struggled very much.

And Stanley, Papotito was not a ladies man. He did not use women. That is why all of the women still respected him and loved him so many years later. Because, he was always open and upfront with the women. All of them. He says his mother taught him that. And I am grateful to Angelica for that. I always will be. Men do not have to lie to women to get them to give them what they most desire. They just need to be honest and respect their feelings. Punto. Stanley, I think you like sex in general. Am I wrong? I don't think so. Lol.

That is okay too. It is such a beautiful act and so full of wonderful things when done correctly. Lol With the right attitude, thoughts and feelings. It is a lovely part of nature. One of many things Mother Nature gives us to know we are here for a short time, and have certain things to accomplish while we are here. Such power a husband has over his wife when he knows what he is doing in that arena. Truly. Lol.

Back to Iwo Jima. I would love to hear those stories about las batallas en la segunda guerra mundial. Someday hopefully I could hear about it. Eddie such a dynamic man. I truly would have loved to see some photos of you in your youth Eddie. I think you would be quite a sight for me to see. Such a dynamic person. I always knew it. But out of such struggle and pressures, the diamond has formed. And if it weren't for the pressures Eddie, and the CONCEPTS and principles of el comunismo within your particular historical circumstances and your intelligence in understanding said principles and concepts...you would not have been able to see your red dawn. I am getting to see some of it a bit now too. After two years it is finally easier for me to see how it comes together pa ti. I never thought you a paquetero ever. I think I always knew you tried to be as honest as possible about your beliefs always. But, OSS I did not know that about you Eddie. If you were a communist why would you have joined the intelligence community in the USA? A menos que hicistes trabajos para los internacionalistas. And if you did, now I understand a whole bunch about your life. Eres tremendamente interesante Eddie. I wish you would not restrict me anymore. But hey, I have resigned myself to your boundaries Handsome Eddie.

Suki. Lol. I have not had this much fun reading people's posts in many a week.

Stanley. You like women. It is so obvious.

[Eddier1]

Good morning Mi Gente, I just got up and saw that I had not edited my long post to Stan. My, but it is true that I am getting old, LOL. When I said DSC, I meant to type DSM, which is the Navy medal for distinguished service, and not "DSC", which is the Navy medal for distinguished service in aviation cross(DFC). So bear a bit with my typo, if you will. it was the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) that I got for my actions on the decks of my old girl Intrepid! Isn't she the most beautiful ship you guys have ever seen? Please go when in New York City to see my old gal. I'm sure you will love her, too.

The Lamp is Lit!
EddieR

[Eddier1]

Suki, a hearty good morning to you. You asked about the OSS, and since I will never write a detailed account of my tenure with that organization of "spooks", ha, ha, I will tell you though that we were already allied with the commies at the time of my invitation to associate with them. No problem at all, since anticommunism had not reared its ugly head yet; that came after WWII was over and the freaks like McCarthy and Parnell Thomas came out of the woodwork. True, even though way back in the latter part of the roaring Twenties, a series of raids called the Palmer raids took place against old commies that were in the US (like Trotsky once was)at a time when the Bolshevik revolution had been a success, and the old guard capitalists where beginning to have excrement fits over the success of the communist revolution in Russia. However, most Americans were having one hell-of-a- time enjoying the Roaring Twenties, and reading about Al Capone in Chicago, and didn't pay any real attention to that dude called Palmer and his squad of keystone cops. LOL!!!

The Lamp is Lit!
EddieR

[Stanley]

Suki said:

Stanley. You like women. It is so obvious.

Errr------------yeah! Did you think I was a duck? What do you mean?


What I was trying to say is that my dad lived a different lifestyle than me when he was in his 20s. I got married at 23 and had a child by age 24. OTOH, my dad got married at age 30 and had me at age 32.

Suki, as a 16 year old girl you liked guys in their early 20s (Papotito). Now you can see why my dad was a big hit with the female students in high school. He was a seasoned 23 year old veteran who had spent almost six years in Europe.

I think you and Papotito are Virgos.



[Edited by Stanley on 17th July 2003 at 21:01]

[Eddier1]

This one is aimed directly between the evil eyes of the Maitreya, who has butt into our conversations with the outrageous religionist-political agenda of conservatism. The Peoples Red Army of Russia and Vietnam and the P.R.C. have never lost a declared war! The Afghan action of the already slanted Yelsin persuasion in Russia, and pounded in by the Reaganites, was a POLICE ACTION by the Russian army, ala the type that the U.S. had used in the Korean war. It was a stupid imitation of the U.S. and western democracy towards which Russia was already moving helter-skelter. It was not engendered by scientific socialism at all. It was a decrepit form of social imperialism, of hegemony, and was doomed to failure. Therefore, I maintain that all the wars fought by the Peoples' Red Army based on the principles of scientific socialism throughout the world, NEVER knew defeat!!!

The Lamp is Lit!
EddieR