Please don't delete this until you send it on, Let's send it around the world.

This is a poem being sent from a Marine to his Dad. For those who take the time to read it, you'll see a letter from him to his dad at the bottom. It you truly thankful for not only the Marines, but ALL of our troops.

THE MARINE

We all came together, Both young and old
To fight for our freedom, To stand and be bold.
In the midst of all evil, We stand our ground,
And we protect our country From all terror around.
Peace and not war, Is what some people say.
But I'll give my life, So you can live the American way.
I give you the right To talk of your peace.
To stand in your groups, and protest in our streets.
But still I fight on, I don't bitch, I don't whine.
I'm just one of the people Who is doing your time.
I'm harder than nails, Stronger than any machine.
I'm the immortal soldier, I'm a U.S. MARINE!
So stand in my shoes, And leave from your home.
Fight for the people who hate you, With the protests they've shown.
Fight for the stranger, Fight for the young.
So they all may have, The greatest freedom you've won
Fight for the sick, Fight for the poor
Fight for the cripple, Who lives next door.
But when your time comes, Do what I've done.
For if you stand up for freedom, You'll stand when the fight's done

By: Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert, US Marine Corps USS SAIPAN, PERSIAN GULF March 23, 2003

HeyDad,

Do me a favor and label this 'The Marine' and send it to everybody on your email list. Even leave this letter in it. I want this rolling all over the US ; I want every home reading it. Every eye seeing it. And every heart to feel it. So can you please send this for me? I would but my email time isn't that long and I don't have much time anyway. You know what Dad? I wondered what it would be like to truly understand what JFK said in His inaugural speech. 'When the time comes to lay down my life for my country, I do not cower from this responsibility.. I welcome it.' Well, now I know. And I do. Dad, I welcome the opportunity to do what I do. Even though I have left behind a beautiful wife, and I will miss the birth of our first born child, I would do it 70 times over to fight for the place that God has made for my home. I love you all and I miss you very much. I wish I could be there when Sandi has our baby, but tell her that I love her, and Lord willing, I will be coming home soon. Give Mom a great big hug from me and give one to yourself too.
Aaron

Please let this marine (and all our military) know we care by passing his poem onto your friends even if you don't usually take time to forward mail...do it this time! Thanks,
Let's help Aaron's dad spread the word FREEDOM isn't FREE Someone pays for you and me.
God bless you!

"An Old Farmer's Advice"

Please submit your favorite inspirational storie=, pictures, quotes, or dog pictures to
RexBarker@Joke-Of-The-Day.com

* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
* You cannot unsay a cruel word.
* Every path has a few puddles.
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
* The best sermons are lived, not preached.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
* Always drink upstream from the herd.
* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.
* Live simply.
*Love generously.
*Care deeply.
*Speak kindly.
*Leave the rest to God.

Check out Take Me Back To The Fifties

http://oldfortyfives.com/TakeMeBackToTheFifties

If you ever feel stupid...

If you ever feel a little bit stupid, just dig this up and read it again; you'll begin to think you're a genius.

(On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.)

Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever," --Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.

"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff." --Mariah Carey

"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life," -- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign .

"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body," --Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.

"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country," --Mayor Marion Barry, Washington , DC .

"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it," --A congressional candidate in Texas ..

"Half this game is ninety percent mental." --Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." --Al Gore, Vice President

"I love California . I practically grew up in Phoenix ." -- Dan Quayle

"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?" --Lee Iacocca

"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." --Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.

"We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people." -- Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instructor.

"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances." --Department of Social Services, Greenville , South Carolina

"Traditionally, most of Australia 's imports come from overseas." --Keppel Enderbery

"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record." --Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman

Feeling smarter yet?
Send it on to your brilliant friends.
I just did !!

GM, Ford, & Chrysler

WORTH SENDING AROUND,
SINCE THEY ARE IN TROUBLE NOW.GM, Ford, & Chrysler
INTERESTING...maybe the country should consider bailing them out to some degree
Nothing needs to be said... Ford, Chrysler and GM's contributions after 9/11
An interesting commentary...You might find this of interest:

CNN Headline News did a short news listing regarding Ford and GM's Contributions to the relief and recovery efforts in New York and Washington.

The findings are as follows.....
1. Ford - $10 million to American Red Cross matching employee contributions Of the same number plus 10 Excursions to NY Fire Dept. The company also Offered ER response team services and office space to displaced government employees.
2. GM - $10 million to American Red Cross matching employee contributions Of the same number and a fleet of Vans, SUV's, and Trucks.
3. Daimler Chrysler - $10 million to support of the children and victims Of the Sept. 11 attack.
4. Harley Davidson motorcycles - $1 million and 30 newMotorcycles to the New York Police Dept.
5. Volkswagen - Employees and management created a Sept 11 Foundation, Funded initial with $2 million, for the assistance of the children and victims of the WTC.
6. Hyundai - $300,000 to the American Red Cross.
7. Audi - see VW
8. BMW - Nothing.
9. Daewoo - Nothing.
10. Fiat - Nothing.
11. Honda - Nothing despite boasting of second best sales month ever in August 2001
12. Isuzu - Nothing.
13. Mitsubishi - Nothing.
14.. Nissan - Nothing.
15. Porsche - Nothing. Press release with condolences via the Porsche website.
16. Subaru - Nothing.
17. Suzuki - Nothing.
18. Toyota - Nothing despite claims of high sales in July and August 2001. Condolences posted on the website .
Whenever the time may be for you to purchase a new vehicle, keep this information in mind. You might want to give more consideration to a car manufactured by an American-owned and / or American based company. Apart from Hyundai and Volkswagen, the foreign car companies contributed nothing at all to the citizens of the United States ... It's OK for these companies to take money out of this country, but it is apparently not acceptable to return some in a time of crisis. I believe we should not forget things like this. Say thank you in a way that gets their attention..
++++ Pass it on, I just did. ++++

ARLINGTON CEMETERY

This is very interesting.

ARLINGTON CEMETERY - Jeopardy Question

On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns ---- All three missed it --

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?

21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

3. Why are his gloves wet?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and if not, why not?

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path,he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

5. How often are the guards changed?

Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10' an d 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.'

Other requirements of the Guard:

• They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives.


• They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way..
  
• After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn.


• The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.


• The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet.


• There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.


• There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.


• The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV.


• All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery ..


• A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.


• Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame.
  
• Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington , DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, 'No way, Sir!' Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson.

The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930. God Bless and keep them.
IN GOD WE TRUST

You need to read the entire thing to fully understand it!

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ ALL OF THIS and FOR MOST OF YOU HAVE YOUR GRAND/GREAT GRAND CHILDREN READ IT TOO!

After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get on-line. She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213. She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message:
ByAngel213: Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird!GoTo123: LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you? Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
ByAngel213: Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.
GoTo123: Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?
Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.
GoTo123: Did you have a softball game after school today?ByAngel213:Yes and we won!!
GoTo123: That's great! Who did you play?
ByAngel213: We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees. LOLGoTo123: What is your team called?
ByAngel213: We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really cool.
GoTo1 23: Did you pitch?
ByAngel213:No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye!
GoTo123: Catch you later. ByeMeanwhile.......

GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.

Her name: Shannon Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985 Age: 13 State where she lived: North Carolina Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall.

Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon until her parents came home from work.. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the CantonCats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the eighth grade at the Canton Junior High School . She had told him all this in the conversations they had on- line. He had enough information to find her now.Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ballpark that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting and hers were the worst.. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her.Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely..He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the sudden fear she had felt.After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her.Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few blocks to Shannon 's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car.Now he had to wait.. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon 's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.

Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room. "Shannon, come here,"her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa."Sit down,"her father began,"this man has just told us a most interesting story about you."Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today!

"Do you know who I am, Shannon ?" the man asked..."No,"Shannon answered. "I am a police officer and your online friend,

GoTo123."Shannonwas stunned. "That's impossible!

GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14 And he lives in Michigan!" The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see, Shannon , there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to injure kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to talk to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. You named the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."

Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan ?"He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh . It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?" She nodded." I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line. Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it again..

Tell others about this so they will be safe too?""It's a promise!"

That night Shannon and her Dad and Mom all knelt down together and thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could have been a tragic situation.

*****NOW****EVEN FORWARD THIS TO PEOPLE WITHOUT KIDS SO THEY CAN SEND IT TO FRIENDS THAT DO HAVE CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN