Bringing some cheer to our troops in Iraq

**VikingMike** · 12-24-2008, 04:25 PM

My wife's niece works as the Traffic Reporter for WPIX 11 in New York. This year she she is accompanying reporter Marvin Scott, a film crew, and NY Governor David Paterson to Iraq to cheer up the troops. They have been doing daily reports with many of the troops sending their regards to loved ones at home. Here are some pictures that have been posted on the channels's website.

[size=13pt]PIX News Team in Iraq[/size]

[img width=450 height=337]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee217/mcmlvi88/JillandMarvinIraqDec2008.jpg[/img]

[img width=450 height=337]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee217/mcmlvi88/JillMarvinGovIraqDec2008.jpg[/img]

**ultravikingfan** · 12-24-2008, 04:41 PM

When I get to heaven
St. Peter's gonna say
"How'd you make your living"
"How'd you earn your pay"
And I'll reply with a little bit of anger
I earned my living as an Airborne Ranger
Lived a life of guts and danger
Nothin's too tough for an Airborne Ranger

**COJOMAY** · 12-24-2008, 05:03 PM

Too bad NY Governor David Paterson is so blind he can't see how good looking your wife's niece is.

**Vikes_King** · 12-25-2008, 12:24 PM

she'd bring me some cheer

lol

**gregair13** · 12-25-2008, 05:32 PM

My brother from USA who served in the war is joining us for xmas. Glad he is here

**ultravikingfan** · 12-25-2008, 08:28 PM

"gregair13" wrote:

My brother from USA who served in the war is joining us for xmas. Glad he is here

/Punch2

It's [size=10pt]Christ[/size]mas...not XMAS!

**Tad7** · 12-25-2008, 08:57 PM

+1 on Christmas

**erik5032** · 12-25-2008, 09:16 PM

"ultravikingfan" wrote:

"gregair13" wrote:

My brother from USA who served in the war is joining us for xmas. Glad he is here

/Punch2

It's [size=10pt]Christ[/size]mas...not XMAS!

Amen!

IT just depends on what he meant by the X:

The word "Christ" and its compounds, including "Christmas", have been abbreviated in English for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern "Xmas" was commonly used. "Christ" was often written as "XP" or "Xt"; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as AD 1021. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters ? and ?, used in ancient abbreviations for ??????? (Greek for "Christ"), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ. The labarum, an amalgamation of the two Greek letters rendered as ?, is a symbol often used to represent Christ in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas

Nevertheless, some believe that the term is part of an effort to "take Christ out of Christmas" or to literally "cross out Christ"; it is seen as evidence of the secularization of Christmas, as a symptom of the commercialization of the holiday (as the abbreviation has long been used by retailers). It may also be seen as a vehicle to be more inclusive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas

**jargomcfargo** · 12-25-2008, 09:22 PM

"ultravikingfan" wrote:

When I get to heaven
St. Peter's gonna say
"How'd you make your living"
"How'd you earn your pay"
And I'll reply with a little bit of anger
I earned my living as an Airborne Ranger
Lived a life of guts and danger
Nothin's too tough for an Airborne Ranger

There was blood upon the risers
there were brains upon his chute
intestines were a danglin' from his paratroopers boots
they picked him up, still in his chute
and poured him from his boots
and he aint going to jump no more
chorus
gory,gory,what a hell of a way to die
gory,gory,what a hell of a way to die
gory,gory,what a hell of a way to die
and he aint gonna jump no more

The blackhats had us singing that little ditty right before our first jump.
We were standing at parade rest waiting to board the planes. the planes were right there in plane site.
They were messing with us.
One guy fainted. The blackhats picked him up and dragged him into a hanger behind us.
five minutes later he came back out, soaked to the waist in water.His 'chute was dry.
He jumped with the rest of us.

I know that doesn't sound like a cheerful message to most.
But
anyone that has gone airborne is likely to smile.

I'm not proud of everything my government has ever done. But I'm extremely proud to have served my government in the armed forces.

And I am humbley honored to have the US troops in Iraq, Afganistan, and throughout the world risking everything, so I and mine can enjoy this holiday season in peace.

God bless them and their families for the sacrifices they have made for our freedom.

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah.

Many of us are thinking about you in that far off place this holiday season.

**Marrdro** · 12-26-2008, 10:04 AM

The young (and old) men and women in todays forcers serving our country are truly our nations finest.

Right behind them are some others who bare some thought at this time of year..........

EMT's
Fireman
Policemen
Doctors (especially the ER whacko's)

And anyone else who is a first responder to our nation.