Thanks for the post. That's a great reminder of the dedication of so many men in the past and in the present.

He thought it was his duty and still he wants a "thank you" for performing his... duty. Sounds pretty weird to me. If he had to do something that was against his principles then I'd understand.

frewurny glirt ptohtsm!

Did she say he was asking for a thank you or did she say he deserved one? Those like him deserved? It's easy to be an unappreciative git when you never looked into the business end of a gun trying to take away your freedom...and life. Those that did it...deserve a simple thanks at least. It would more seem it against his principles to sacrifice so much of himself for those that haven't the decency to thank him. Yet it seems it was part of him to do just that.. Many hundreds of thousands through time did that. You can't thank them for that?

***************
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it and them misapplying the wrong remedies." --Groucho Marx

I think the problems have been there ever since the end of WWII and it stems from one thing only selfishness, brough on by almost overnight freedom. Ever since WWII people have had it so easy. No-one in the civilised world has been under any real threat from direct invasion from hostile regimes since then. I can bet that as soon as there is a hostile superpower to be genuinely feared from and there's a real threat of invasion there will be instant thanks to those who go out and risk their lives. Also, the decline in compulsory National Service, certainly in the English speaking world, has made every child these days turn to weak minded self centred wimps with no self pride whatsoever, only care about image. During a typical rememberence day how many people below the age of, say 40 years old, do you see attending them? It's a sad time we live in when people don't even, at the very least, acknowledge that these people (who give their lives) even exist.

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

Don't they get a thanks? I mean, thanks is not a lot, but then it's the thought that counts.
Anyways, Next week again is celebrations here for the end of WW2 (in our area. There are always ceremonies then, where officials and others say 'thanks.' I guess that goes for many places, not only in Belgium.
Bigger thing in 'Flanders Fields', for WW1 (ended November 11) In Flanders, many people go to the grave of the unknown soldier.. And at the site of the battle (Menenpoort, Ieper mostly, and the Iron tower (peace monument), there are major celebrations, where also many Canadians, English, Australians and others get to. A few years ago, even the Canadian Indians came to call their losts souls home. Every day, at the Menenpoort, 'the last post' is blown.
Don't know if it's enough, but I think it's a bit odd to say that there are no 'thank yous'

Daar is de lente, daar is de zon bijna, maar ik denk dat ze weldra zal komen. De fallus impudicus staat al in bloei En de blaadjes krijgen bomen. M'n vrouw en m'n kat zijn allebei krols en de klokken vertrekken naar Rome

Lots of people deserve a thank you, but don't get it.

JOIN!!!

Minuscelsius Fast and Crazy!!!! Ready for it?

He never asked for thanks and never got it. He would wear Poppy's during Rememberance Day, but always said, nobody understands what a person really goes through for another's freedom. He never joined celebrations to say, "Hey look what I did and I survived."
It just balls me over when I see people leaving their family's and homes to try to help other country gain independence and freedom, then see these countries piss and moan that their there. (looking for the negatives)

When we resolve to hurt, this is when we resolve to fail.

The lack of gratitude is one of the reasons that I have become an isolationalist. Take WWII, unlike Russia who kept the territories that they liberated, the US not only returned their liberated areas to the rightful governments but developed the Marshall Plan which financed the rebuilding of Europe. Does Europe appreciate this ? The only reason Turkey did not become a Soviet sattelite was the US. Do they appreciate it?

Helping someone in need may seem noble but the people in need felt humilated that someone else was able to do what they were not for themselves and resent the helper.

Still talking about WW2, or is it about many other issues?
There have been many thank yous for WW2. And WW2 wasn't as much about winning liberty for others, but sure also about keeping the own.

@Joby...
And it's not 'America' that liberated Western Europe alone. In the East, it was (Soviet) Russia, with British support mostly and partizans. In the West, it was US, Canada, UK and its colonies, the armies of the Western countries, Poles... Which gave the Russians much more authority in the areas they conquered.

Daar is de lente, daar is de zon bijna, maar ik denk dat ze weldra zal komen. De fallus impudicus staat al in bloei En de blaadjes krijgen bomen. M'n vrouw en m'n kat zijn allebei krols en de klokken vertrekken naar Rome

Deng,check outhow much of the support flowing from britain through the murmansk was in fact provided by american farmers..for how many years after that war was amrica providing wheat cheap to russia to keep them alive??Comeon man this isn't propaganda,,,this is checking russian figures,and american figures grain sales!! forget it Deng,lets go check out some of those figures,the blonde is yours..

And because most US people are so full of them selves, they try to take credit for the WW2 victory alone.

You need to be a bit more realistic. Of course did US sell wheat to USSR, but solely to be kind? Yeah right. Over production in the agricultural industry in the wester world was and is no secret. So some money for it is better than no money. The aid was both to USSR and to broke US farmers.

I am thankful for the Allies in WW2 to crush Nazi-Germany (Austria was part of it). And I do not hesitate to tell this to a person who may have been with them.
And I am thankful for the resistance to the Soviet Union the Allied showed in Cold War.

ان شاء الله

these arguements are not to the point..britain had sooooo much extra food capacity it could provide huge capacity to the russians,and then one fine day in the middle of the night the war was over and brits had to endure 5 years of food rationing..this is checkable,ask gran..so fanatiguru,,yes you faguru today feg whatever without the american food stalingrad and russia would have been today germany..Your hatred runs so deep that you can see only bad..I had a friend,who went one day to a tatooist,,he came home with his grandmothers number tatooed on his arm too..you are pathetic,you think that what was will not be again,,,until YOU are the victim and you will be ..man is man ,sometimes in this form sometimes in that

My nick is ferieguru, can't be that hard to write, or what Mr. pietro della?

No, hardly any food were supplied to Murmansk (and Arkhangelsk) during WW2. It was mostly military equipment. Something like 4 million tons were shipped there. In the Norwegian fjords were battleships like Tirpitz and Scharnhorst, and heavy cruisers like Admiral Scheer, Lützow, Admiral Hipper and Prinz Eugen with others. USSR wanted this equipment to be shipped by Norwegian vessels, but it was not accepted by Breat Britain and USA.
Well, just tell me about it, I'd gladly listen. Funny thing is, I know what happened on the Norwegian coast and from Reykjavik, Iceland during WW2.

The sooooo much extra British food capacity in the 30's? Interesting. Also, me being patetic, just by disagreeing with you.....

And you are so blinded by jealousy you can't be honest? Where do you see MOST taking credit for it alone? Where do you see ANY taking credit for it alone?

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"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it and them misapplying the wrong remedies." --Groucho Marx

@pietro... my point is that America wouldn't have had the power to colonise western Europe, the way Russia colonised the east. Even Russia gave up some parts (Austria and and Finland) and later couldn't keep Romania and Albania in line.
I'm not saying that America was any bad in or after ww2 (though every country did some naughty naughty back then) Post war redevelopement did bring economic power to the states. Marshall plan was in that way good that it was profitable for everyone. An investment that maybe should be repeated now in other parts of the world, by US and Europe.

Daar is de lente, daar is de zon bijna, maar ik denk dat ze weldra zal komen. De fallus impudicus staat al in bloei En de blaadjes krijgen bomen. M'n vrouw en m'n kat zijn allebei krols en de klokken vertrekken naar Rome

Anyone who makes such a sweeping statement should probably expect to be challenged on it.

In so doing, any involved parties should be mindful of the need to keep it civil. Personal insults and name calling are inappropriate and will be deleted. If they continue, they may result in a ban.

"What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms." --Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787.

It is sort of interesting, the old man did not get any thanks was said. I find that strange, because military people seems to enjoy medals, in any color or shape. And I know, after WW2 there were given tons of them. I really find it strange that your father didn't receive any medals after that war... From who does people expect to get a thanks from?

Russia did not give up anything in Finland. They took Karelia, and never gave it back.

Maybe some military people enjoy medals, but to the majority that served in any war, medals are meaningless. This doesn't bring back fathers, mothers, friends that lost their lives beside you. The only reason I brought up my dad, is because this issue kind of hits home.
So many people gripe about peacekeeping missions, how bad these allied forces are and how they always inflict war. These are real people with families and are called by their country to answer the call of help. They go whether they want to or not.

They are considered by many as the lowest form of life, until they are needed.
Any sign of respect would be great especially from the people they are defending. Some countries show it and others couldn't give a dam, in the media and even here.

When we resolve to hurt, this is when we resolve to fail.

Leaa,i think i have caught the wavelength and may i offer the word "ingrate" it about sums it up..
icht bin ein Berliner ( JFK ) the people went crazy with joy,all germany rocked,,the airlift saved them from the yoke of communism,they DO know how to say thanks..
And they aren't the only ones,ever heard maybe of park CANADA here in israel..In the desert a shade tree can be the difference between you and agonising death,the park has a zillion trees and piped water for picnicing,to all canadians,Trees are a symbol of life,may the lord bless all your boys and girls in uniform..

Certainly, the US and USSR were not the only countries. The UK and its commonwealth brethren and as well as a limited number of Free French and resistance fighters from the occupied countries were actively involved. My point is that only the US and USSR were capable of taking control of Europe. The US was certainly capable of holding on to most of Europe for as long as they chose to do so and could have bleed the occupied countries dry as the USSR did if they chose.

Most US soldiers are not professional soldiers. They are citizens who take time away from their careers and family to fight for what they believe. Medals are important to professional soldiers but not much so to the citizen soldier. My father had 3 Bronze Stars and other medals, my step-father 5 and a Purple Heart. They were kept back in a drawer and only brought out after their deaths.

US... just to let you know: Germany was split in 4. In Belgium, the US troops were concentrated in the south, the unpopulaced area, so that they could throw their bombs instead of loosing too many troops, Poland took the whole north (France, Belgium, Netherlands) for its account, The Canadians a little more south (they together did most of Belgium) Russians and Poles were in Italy... no: US did not have the power to occupy much.

Daar is de lente, daar is de zon bijna, maar ik denk dat ze weldra zal komen. De fallus impudicus staat al in bloei En de blaadjes krijgen bomen. M'n vrouw en m'n kat zijn allebei krols en de klokken vertrekken naar Rome

oh what happened to the topic!
Thanks pietro for naming some situations which can be interpreted as thankfullness
Anti-americanism is still widespread with German academics - but politics in Germany showed at least a certain ammount of thanks

ان شاء الله

That is like me saying the majority of Norwegians were quislings?

Feel free!

I'll give it a pass. Some aren't as ignorant as others.

I'm sorry, but I have never encountered this. I would love for you to give documentation of your findings.

When we resolve to hurt, this is when we resolve to fail.

I think a lot of people in Norway liked the German soldiers. They behaved better there than in other occupied countries and were considered good catches for the women.