Lawrence, if you find talking to civilians about fighting and war a waste to time, I suggest you desist. Judy Evans, Cardiff --- Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Judy, > > > > Your comments are so short and cryptic I can never > be quite sure what you > have in mind or mean; so I'll just say this: > members of the elite fighting > forces of the world are largely the same. They have > similar training and > they think in the same patterns about war and > fighting. There are > exceptions, but what I have said is by and large > true - true in regard to > most of the members of these forces. > > > > Also, what I said was that in boot camp we were told > that civilians had no > idea of what it was to be a Marine. They had a lot > of dumb ideas of what > that meant and what it meant to fight a war. We > were instructed not to pay > any attention to them. But that was boot camp. > Later on we went into the > world and dealt with civilians. Did we sit down to > tea with maiden aunts > and brandish knives and guns? Of course not. Were > we uncouth in social > settings. Not at all. > > > > Am I convinced that your having met a few SAS > members gives you insight into > their nature as fighting men? Or that John > McCreery's having a son-in-law > does that for him? No. I don't think either of you > can understand these men > from that sort of exposure. > > > > If you want a better understanding of what being in > the SAS is all about > then read Andy McNab's autobiographical Immediate > Action. > http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/055214276X/qid=1147193390/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1_ > 10/103-0690183-3594264?s=books > <http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/055214276X/qid=1147193390/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1 > _10/103-0690183-3594264?s=books&v=glance&n=283155/> > &v=glance&n=283155/ > This book was described as disclosing for the first > time what being in the > SAS was like. They were, and still are, a > semi-secret fighting > organization. Their name was originally intended to > hide what they did. > They weren't supposed to talk about what they did. > Andy McNab was > considered by some to have crossed the line with his > book. He describes > things he wasn't supposed to describe. If you were > in the SAS you weren't > supposed to talk about what you did. That is still > the case. Thus, for > someone to say they met some SAS soldiers and > learned what they were all > about doesn't seem convincing to me. > > > > In the Marines we were told it would be a waste of > time to about what it meant to be a > Marine. talk to civilians > about fighting and warIn the SAS they > were simply told don't talk about it. > > > > Lawrence > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] > On Behalf Of Judith Evans > Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 9:10 AM > To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Pacifistic expeditions in > the Garden > > > > I said > > > > I > > > have met > > > ex-SAS officers (ex- because SAS service is > short-term) > > > and they are not like that. > > > > and refuse to bow to your reading-McNab knowledge. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx> > > To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 2:52 PM > > Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Pacifistic expeditions in > the Garden > > > > > > > Read the bio of Andy McNab. They're exactly like > that. > > > > > > Lawrence > > > > > ___________________________________________________________ NEW - Yahoo! 360 ? Your one place to blog, create, publish and share! http://uk.360.yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html