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If you've got a blog and a few readers you can be certain about one thing: someone reading your site will know more about any topic you write about than you do. I see that as a good thing, which is why I've made efforts to bring commenters and trackbacks onto the front page this past week and will continue to do so from here on. Best idea I ever had.

In response to this story on Vietnam veterans serving in Iraq, Jim Walker sends a link to an tale of two more such warriors

FORT DRUM, N.Y. This time will be different. When they cross into Maine Friday afternoon aboard a bus full of war-weary soldiers, Staff Sgt. Patrick Labrie and Sgt. 1st Class Herb Wiley will look at the young faces pressed against the glass and marvel at how times have changed.

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Meet two grandfathers of the 133rd. Labrie and Wiley are among the battalion's handful of gray-haired veterans who more than 30 years ago served in Vietnam and came home to a reception that was, in reality, no welcome home at all.

That's your must-read for today. Don't miss it.

In the comment thread from the original post I found a couple of my now all time favorite Mudville comments:

Greyhawk, there'd be a helluva lot more of us Vets of the Southeast Asian War Games if only the Corps needed 58 year old Lance Corporals in the Rifle Companies. I can't chase the bastards like I used to anymore but I'd bet I could still put an M-79 round within a couple of feet at 300 meters.

What we need are a few Old Fart Brigades to act as the anvil in the classic hammer and anvil operations. Truck us all someplace and have you youngsters chase 'em into us. We'd hold our positions because we don't have the legs or the wind to run away. We'd probably kill too many of the sumbitches, though, especially if they hit our anvil at nap time, we'd be pissed. I'm also pretty sure that making any prisoners listen to us complain would be considered torture by the Libs.

'Course they'd have to bring back C-Rations for the laxative effect and our piss calls would have to be three times as often and four times as long.
There's also the problem of having so many of us married for so long that there'd be too much competition to see who gets to throw himself on the grenades.

That was signed 'Peter' - he's been around here a while and always great to hear from him.

The comment thread earns the title of best of the year so far. Anyone know anything about this?:

I would like to hear more about the 50+year old woman who is 4'11. She is in the reserves and was called to active duty. One of the news shows on ABC,CBS or NBC was interviewing some of the guards that were reactivated. This woman was interviewed. She was anxious to serve and was going back through the basic training to get into shape (although she looked pretty fit to me). I didn't hear what her first tour of duty was. Anybody see the program? Have any info about her??

But for folks who know the blogosphere I should also point out this from the same thread:

For a real pilot, nothing beats air time. They're only alive when they're flying. Posted by Steven Den Beste at March 2, 2005 08:35 PM

Good to hear from you sir. And thank you for a lot of inspiration.