Time Machine: Look what we've lost

[Fire Walk With Me]

From an email I received on Thu, 1 Nov 2001.

> PLEASE READ THE STORY BELOW THE PICTURE BEFORE YOU OPEN THE PICTURE.


> > This is an e-mail from a young ensign aboard USS Winston Churchill to
his
> > parents. (Churchill is an Arleigh Burke class AEGIS guided missile
> > destroyer, commissioned March 10, 2001, and is the only active US Navy
> > warship named after a foreign national)
> > "Dear Dad, We are still at sea. The remainder of our port visits have
all
> > been cancelled. We have spent every day since the attacks going back
and
> > forth within imaginary boxes drawn in the ocean, standing high-security
> > watches, and trying to make the best of it. We have seen the articles
and
> > the photographs, and they are sickening. Being isolated, I don't think
we
> > appreciate the full scope of what is happening back home, but we are
> > definitely feeling the effects.
> > About two hours ago, we were hailed by a German Navy destroyer, Lutjens,
> > requesting permission to pass close by our port side. Strange, since
> > we're in the middle of an empty ocean, but the captain acquiesced and we
> > prepared to render them honors from our bridgewing.
> > As they were making their approach, our conning officer used binoculars
> > and announced that Lutjens was flying not the German, but the American
> > flag.
> > As she came alongside us, we saw the American flag flying half-mast and
> > her entire crew topside standing at silent, rigid attention in their
dress
> > uniforms. They had made a sign that was displayed on her side that read
> > "We Stand By You."
> > There was not a dry eye on the bridge as they stayed alongside us for a
> > few minutes and saluted. It was the most powerful thing I have seen in
my
> > life.
> > The German Navy did an incredible thing for this crew, and it has truly
> > been the highest point in the days since the attacks.
> > It's amazing to think that only half-century ago things were quite
> > different. After Lutjens pulled away, the Officer of the Deck, who had
> > been planning to get out later this year, turned to me and said, "I'm
> > staying Navy." I'll write you when I know more about when I'll be home,
> > but this is it for now.
> > Love you guys."
> >
> > <<lutgenspic.jpg>>
>

[Kerrytravelers]

1. And the corporate media never covered it.

Let me put on my surprise face.

[beaconess]

7. Actually, they did cover it - I remember reading about it at the time

and being very moved. It was fairly well reported - even the Washington Times ran something on it.

I've thought about this a lot since and lamented how it will be a long time before we see this kind of respect from other nations again.

[Fire Walk With Me]

11. Wow... The ship has a website, and here is a longer version, more pics

http://www.churchill.navy.mil/lutjens.htm

[Kerrytravelers]

13. I completly missed that one! My head only has so much room for

information. Must have logged that out out.

My bad!

[neuvocat]

2. And they opposed us along with France in the UN.

That's how much we lost after pissing away all that goodwill.

[babylonsister]

3. Thank you for this, Peake. I have

tears in my eyes when I think of what could have been instead of what is thanks to this hell we're living in, run by a bunch of criminals.

[unhappycamper]

4. This story deserves to be kicked and nominated so our

evening contingent see this story. A picture is worth a thousand words.

[Sydnie]

5. There are no words -- I weep openly for my country. n/t

[ngGale]

16. (((Teary Echo))) n/t

[AzDar]

6. Made me cry.. God, I am so filled with hate and disgust for this

(Mal)Administration it shocks me,sometimes.

[understandinglife]

8. The neoconification of what was once "America" has been remarkably ...

.... efficient and comprehensive.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3688434

Peace.


www.missionnotaccomplished.us - Be it MNA Day 3 or 8 or 15 or .... the day will come when 10s of millions of Americans and others stop their typical activities for 24 hours and urge 10 times that many to join should another MNA Day be required. On that glorious day what we once called "America" will emerge.

[JNelson6563]

9. Glad to see others also teared up

*sniff*

These thugs have squandered the good will of the world.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. This is the PERFECT story and picture to e-mail to your confused RW

family and friends who pass around all that right wing crap .... like my aunt and uncle who send it to me incessantly.

No need to even make much of a commentary. The picture and the story are compelling and clear on their very face.

Will the subtle message be lost on them?

[jwirr]

12. Contrary to what the repugs say our tears are for the

lose of a country we love. May the bushies soon disappear. I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK.

[killbotfactory]

14. But King Bush needed his fucking war...

i hate these republican bastards.

[stevedeshazer]

15. They're old Europe, screw 'em

Pass the Freedom Fries, please. :sarcasm:

[frictionlessO]

17. What happened to us America???

If you find the true answer in your heart, you will hate all things neocon and bush.

[Hidden Stillness]

18. Now They Think We are All Like Bush

It all seems a lifetime ago, or maybe it didn't really happen at all. First the fear and incomprehension of it all, then the sense of tragedy on a historic scale, then the wonder of it all, as people around the world united with us, and expressed support and grief. Huge gatherings all over this continent and Europe--there was even a spontaneous gathering of support for us in Iran of all places, which the corporate mouthpiece censored, I didn't know why. Then all the stories about that most wonderful neighbor, Canada: allowing us to land all in-transit airlines at once on their land, and take care of stranded passengers for days, as the nature of the attack was sorted out; Canadians volunteering to help with Fire Depts., medical EMS crews, searchers, on and on; Canadians lining up in long lines to donate blood to go to the U.S., and so much more. In Britain, at the Changing of the Guard, they suddenly played our National Anthem as a show to all the world that we were all one, after this tragedy. I felt so moved by the goodness of the world, after the evil, and felt proud of America, that we must have built up some kind of good reputation around the world over the years, to have received such a beautiful response. It was such a singular feeling of time--so historic, so important, so horrible and so inspiring, a total display of both violent evil, and a spiritual heroic. Then suddenly about a week later, I learned that Bush had seized the opportunity to raid the Social Security trust fund, and that their corporate mouthpiece had totally censored that too, and I was enraged, and flabbergasted. How could anyone...?

Now we know, that all that once was and all that might have been, has been sucked into that deathly vortex of brainless mundane opportunism that is George Bush, and reworked so completely by Republican criminality and media production, that an entire era and its meaning has been made to vanish, and all that remains is Republican power-plays and character assassination. It couldn't have been possible before this current era of corporate takeover of what once was our own public square, so that now nothing of ourselves gets out, to be known by anyone. How different everything--every single thing--might have been, if we had had a leader during all of this: how brilliantly FDR handled a Depression and then a World War; I never appreciated, so much as now. I also never realized until that moment what a horrible, evil bastard Bush is--to have grabbed that moment of "distraction" and from then on--as an opportunity to be exploited. Now I only pray--and hope, and wish--that people around the world still know that we are not all like Bush. These Republican criminal bastards have made us the villian!

[Swamp Rat]

19. Good point... and THIS email is for real.

That email was sent to me by my cousin from Köln. It was as moving then as it is now, but as you said, "look what we've lost."

If anyone is interested, I checked it out at snopes.com. It's OK.

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/winston.htm

[beam me up scottie]

20. And for the folks who

weren't in the service, this is a BIG deal, an unprecedented honor, but also a glimpse of how things could have been if all Americans had remembered how the world stood with us before we let a weak and stupid man lead us into an illegal war.