US Marine with VERY good taste
Duke of URL
rock this city, an unexpected sound rises over the front line - bagpipes.
Dressed in Marine fatigues with his gun at his side, 1st Sgt Dwayne Farr
(36) blows into his set of pipes. The plaintive wail is carried by the wind
that whips across this dust-blown, war-torn town.
"Playing on the battlefield - I never thought that would happen," Farr said.
Farr, an African-American from Detroit, was inspired to learn when he saw
another player who didn't match the Scotsman stereotype.
"I was at a funeral and I saw a Marine playing the bagpipes, and I thought,
this isn't a big, burly, redheaded guy with a ponytail and a big stomach.
He's a small Hispanic Marine. I said if he can learn to play the bagpipes, I
can learn," he said, chuckling.
When he is not on the front-line, Farr wears a kilt when playing, and some
Marines have been skeptical about a member of one of the toughest fighting
forces in the world donning what looks like a skirt. But Farr is unfazed.
He's looking for a desert camouflage kilt he can wear in operations like
these.
"Kilts are something that fighting men wore many years ago, and we know that
the Marines are fighting men. So real men wear kilts. And they are pretty
comfortable too," he said.
Among his admittedly limited repertoire is "taps," the tune traditionally
played by the military when a service member is killed. Farr has played it
several times over the past days in Fallujah.
Marines say the sound of the bagpipes is a morale booster.
"It's something to hear besides the rockets and gunfire," said Master Sgt
Salinas. "It's something that soothes the mind."
--
The One-and-only Holy Moses
Robert Peffers
"Duke of URL" <MacB...@kdsi.net> wrote in message
news:107vlh4...@corp.supernews.com...
Good God! Are all your fighting forces so very ignorant of their own
fighting history. Are these marines not aware that when the combined forces
of the liberating armies, including those of the USA, charged up the beaches
of Normandy the very first foot up that beach was not a USA trouser wearing
USA Marines with a gun but a kilted Scottish Piper playing his pipes?
Scottish pipers were leading men into battle long before the USA even
existed.
--
Aefauldlie, (Scots word for Honestly),
Robert, (Auld Bob), Peffers,
Kelty,
Fife,
Scotland, (UK).
Web Site, "The Eck's Files":- http://www.peffers50.freeserve.co.uk
E-Mail:- b...@weedugpeffers50.freeserve.co.uk
(Tak oot the wee dug tae send e-mail).
---
Aa ootgannin screivings maun hae nae wee beasties wi thaim..
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Duke of URL
news:c60ei7$q17$1...@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk...
Bob, your conditioned reflex of condemning everything American has caused
you to leap to unwarranted conclusions. There is nothing in that article to
give credence to your idea that those Marines are unaware of history,
bagpipes included.
Robert Peffers
Frae Auld Bob Peffers:
I don't have a conditioned response. I din't hate Americans and there was a
certainly indications that the USA marines were ignorant.
Now as to Americans. The Canadians are wonderful people and they are North
Americans. The Mexicans and all right and they live in the Americas and I
don't know too many cCntral Americans but those I have know were nice
people. This also goes for South Americans. Now as to USA americans I very
much like the vast majorit I have met. Now if you mean I don't like your
present leaders then you are right you are also just as stupid as The Shrub
if you subscribe to his stated theory that if anyone in the entire Universe
is not with him personally then they are anti-Americam and against America.
So read what I responded to again and you will see reference to the USA
Marines befief that the person was wearing a skirt and was thus somewhat
efeminate. Now to sum up - awa an bile yir heid.
Duke of URL
Ah good. Right up to the end, I was afraid you'd lost your
cantankerousness...
The misunderstanding is cultural. I'd estimate that over 90% of the people
here have no idea what a kilt is. If they see a man wearing one, it looks
like a skirt to them. So, I think the reporter was clarifying things. No big
deal...
THE Old Man
<b...@peffers50.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>Frae Auld Bob Peffers:
>Good God! Are all your fighting forces so very ignorant of their own
>fighting history. Are these marines not aware that when the combined forces
>of the liberating armies, including those of the USA, charged up the beaches
>of Normandy the very first foot up that beach was not a USA trouser wearing
>USA Marines with a gun but a kilted Scottish Piper playing his pipes?
>Scottish pipers were leading men into battle long before the USA even
>existed.
Re-read it, Bob:
>> > "Kilts are something that fighting men wore many years ago, and we know
>> that
>> > the Marines are fighting men. So real men wear kilts.
This Marine paid a tribute to the history of the Kilts. And went on
to say "So real men wear kilts". I wouldn't think that should get you
upsot with the man. He seems to be an "adopted" Scotsman.
Donald from Mississippi
South of Canada and 300 Yards North Of Gulf Of Mexico!
Robert Peffers
Aye! It is cultural right enough. We, though, on this side of the Lochan,
are taught about our fellow human beings and we do seem far less insular in
many other ways, (That is not meant to be insulting BTW). Perhaps it has
something to do with the fact we are more dependent upon other nations while
the USA has most of her need filled from within her own borders. We seem
more aware of other countries national dress, language and habits than many
USA Americans. We know, for example, that the Swiss Guards who guard the
Pope in Vatican City wear a kilt like uniform too. We know the Welsh
national dress and the Irish national dress. We usually understand American,
Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and other English speaking countries with
their slight differences of speech and most of their slang expressions. Our
grasp of Geography also seems more realistic than many USA citizens with
some tourist having a very unrealistic idea of the size, and complexity, of
Europe.
Ian Morrison
> Our
> grasp of Geography also seems more realistic than many USA citizens with
> some tourist having a very unrealistic idea of the size, and complexity, of
> Europe.
More critical at the moment, I think, is that some Americans, especially
those in very high places, seem to have a very poor grasp of the size
and complexity of the Middle East.
------
Ian O.
--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
Duke of URL
> Aye! It is cultural right enough. We, though, on this side of the Lochan,
> are taught about our fellow human beings and we do seem far less insular
in
> many other ways, (That is not meant to be insulting BTW). Perhaps it has
> something to do with the fact we are more dependent upon other nations
while
> the USA has most of her need filled from within her own borders. We seem
> more aware of other countries national dress, language and habits than
many
> USA Americans. We know, for example, that the Swiss Guards who guard the
> Pope in Vatican City wear a kilt like uniform too. We know the Welsh
> national dress and the Irish national dress. We usually understand
American,
> Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and other English speaking countries
with
> their slight differences of speech and most of their slang expressions.
Our
> grasp of Geography also seems more realistic than many USA citizens with
> some tourist having a very unrealistic idea of the size, and complexity,
of
> Europe.
Fair enough; I've witnessed first-hand how Yurpeans have unrealistic ideas
of the same for the USA.
I do think, though, that the USA is (slightly) more homogenous than Yurp.
The fact that up until recently you were a whole bunch of different
countries with different styles of gummint (hoo-BOY different!), different
histories ekcetra had a lot to do with your realizing variety.
That's one important thing we lost when the Draft went away. Young men spent
time in totally different cultures they'd most likely never have seen
otherwise and brought home knowledge and experience and souvenirs ... and
brides.
Robert Peffers
Not convincing though. Hell ! Even yet every state has its own state law.
Have ye not got a bit of a stramash going on just now about homosexual
marriages,? One state accepting and another rejecting. I am not homophobic
but I resent them hijacking such a nice little word as, "gay", so I refuse
to misuse that nice wee word.
Duke of URL
> Not convincing though.
Well, I did say "slightly"...
> Hell ! Even yet every state has its own state law.
> Have ye not got a bit of a stramash going on just now about homosexual
> marriages,? One state accepting and another rejecting. I am not homophobic
> but I resent them hijacking such a nice little word as, "gay", so I refuse
> to misuse that nice wee word.
A "bit" is insufficient to describe this battle. It strikes right to the
deepest hearts of all parties on all sides. I honestly have no idea how it's
all going to turn out - it does frustrate me that it has become such a
high-priority issue.
BTW: I've run across "gay" as a synonym for "homosexual" in the 17thC. I
wish I had $200 to spare - then I could buy the OED CD-ROM and be able to
quote references.
JackieMulheron
>I am not homophobic
>but I resent them hijacking such a nice little word as, "gay", so I refuse
>to misuse that nice wee word.
Gay is not a nice word. It's gay for a start.
And how does one hijack a word? Can you declare a war on terrorism for such
actions?
Glenallan
"Robert Peffers" <b...@peffers50.freeserve.co.uk> wrote
> "Duke of URL" <MacB...@kdsi.net> wrote in message
> Frae Auld Bob Peffers:
> Not convincing though. Hell ! Even yet every state has its own state law.
> Have ye not got a bit of a stramash going on just now about homosexual
> marriages,? One state accepting and another rejecting. I am not homophobic
> but I resent them hijacking such a nice little word as, "gay", so I refuse
> to misuse that nice wee word.
I know. It is a real shame.
I used to clap my hands and say "Poof!!" loudly
to describe an explosion.
I was told to stop saying it.
G
--
neepy
>
> So read what I responded to again and you will see reference to the USA
> Marines befief that the person was wearing a skirt
Except that, technically, the kilt IS a skirt... Try looking "kilt" up
in any dictionary; the definition will be something along the lines
of:
kilt ( P ) Pronunciation Key (klt)
n.
1. A knee-length skirt with deep pleats, usually of a tartan wool,
worn as part of the dress for men in the Scottish Highlands.
2. A similar skirt worn by women, girls, and boys.
from http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=kilt
The only thing that differentiates a "kilt" from a "skirt" is that the
former is pleated.
JackieMulheron
It's a bit of a poofy explosion if you think they make that noise.
>I was told to stop saying it.
That's because it's poofy.
Glenallan
"JackieMulheron" <jackiem...@aol.com> wrote
> >I know. It is a real shame. I used to clap my hands and say "Poof!!"
loudly
> to
> >describe an explosion.
>
> It's a bit of a poofy explosion if you think they make that noise.
>
> >I was told to stop saying it.
>
> That's because it's poofy.
Maybe. It's French for Bang.
I was in France at the time.
G
--
JackieMulheron
Well that explains everything. Maybe they thought you were saying small seating
sack for resting one's legs on.
Garlic smelling cowards that they are.
MacRobert
paused to reflect but wrote anyway:
anyone who pronounces a dog bark as "ouaou, ouaou" bears careful
scrutiny.
THE Old Man
Adam Whyte-Settlar
"JackieMulheron" <jackiem...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040426134818...@mb-m07.aol.com...
Isn't that the Italians?
A W-S