Ty Ziegel, the Wounded Marine

[Teflon_Mcgee]

Says the man whos only read about war .

1)I don't think you understand what the definition of fascination is

*Fascination: to transfix and hold spellbound by an irresistible power

Thats a powerful word.

2)I'm actually interested in history, battles, wars, and leaders, which has led me to take two unnecessary classes related to history at college. But I am not fascinated by war and its outcome.

3)That's a lame ass attempt to try and ridicule me.

All men are fascinated by war
You are not fascinated by war
You are not a REAL man.

4)What exactly is fascinating about war?




*http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascinate

I'm no stranger to war. Been there and done that. Still fascinated by it even after experiencing it (BTW, in my personal life I'm retty pacifistic.)

1. It's a powerful word but the instinct of man is even more powerful.

Look at that new video game (Call of Duty?) that sold like $300 million the first week.

Why do you think guys buy these games? Why do you think every male gamer has a collection of war games?

Because men are fascinated by war.

They should be.

Being a warrior is the ABSOLUTE last refuge for manhood. What do I mean?
I mean it is the last place left that women can't penetrate. It is the last place left where weak (not physically) men are seperated from strong men.

Men wanting to be warriors is as natural as women wanting to be princesses.

That's why it is weird when a man is not fascinated by war.



2. Well why are you interested in studying battles, leaders, and wars if you are not interested in war?


3. How is that even an attempt to ridicule you? All I'm saying is that I find it odd when a man is not fascinated by war.

I'm not saying it makes you gay or a p*ssy or anything. I just find it contradictory to the male condition.

But some recent research shows the possibility of a "warrior" gene. So it's possible some men are naturally inclined to have interest in war while others are not.


4. Everything is fascinating about war.
-The weapons (from swords to airplanes)
-The tactics
-The strategy
-The commraderie
-"Two men enter, one man leaves"
-The adrenaline
-The challenge
-The forced realization of the fragility of the human body
-The expression of the belief in cause in such a way that you would die for it
-The warrior-warrior relationship (jump on the grenade to save you buddies)
-The fact that war is the most primal thing a person can do, even more than sex
-The stakes of war (lifes, nations, empires, generations of people)
-The reasons for war (peace, love, honor, because I'm bigger than you, freedom)




Tell me honestly you've never wandered if you had what it takes to survive a war.
Tell me you've never wandered if you could survive the misery and the danger of war to lead (or even be lead) men into battle and engage and destroy your enemy.
Tell me you've never heard of the man jumping on the grenade and wandering if you would be strong enough to do that in the same circumstance.
Tell me you've never watched "Blackhawk Down" and felt a surge of adrenaline.

 

[Julius_Seizeher]

I was First Marine Division, Kandahar

For those not in the know (everyone who wasn't there), Kandahar was nasty. It was the worst fighting the Marines have seen in the whole war, and we saw quite a bit of it.

War is a reflection of life itself. Like life, it cannot be pigeonholed into one descriptive form; war is at once depressing and uplifting, miserable and joyous, exhilarating and boring. It is humanity at both its best and its worst at the same time; how else could the story end, but in death and destruction?

Looking back, the thing I take away is that I have never felt as ALIVE as I did when I was in the sh!t. It's very true, you are the most alive when you brush the wings of death. I love to skydive and push the envelope, as I do with life itself, but I'm forever chasing that feeling.

 

[Ricky]

War in defense of my family and community is something I will gladly lay my life down for.

I'm not going to open pandora's box and make this into a political thread so I'll just leave it at that.

Thats kind of an ironic viewpoint to take in light of your screenname. You might want to consider a different screenname!

 

[WaterTiger]

The point of the fact is she HAD to marry him. She had no choice in the matter. Had she refused, she'd forever be known as the "Girl Who Dumped The Hero Because Of Scars."

The media would be looking her up 10 years from now "...best remembered as the woman who dumped her fiance because he returned from the war with scars..."

She TRIED! Give her points for TRYING.

 

[FairShake]

I love military history but hate war. You can't understand history without it.

Talking about how killing makes you feel alive is pretty sick. I don't think you're alone but to hold that up as the paragon of manhood isn't understanding LIFE in my opinion.

Maybe because I grew up rough and saw alot of death when I was young I feel differently. But I get jazzed by helping, creating, and living rather than killing, burning, and dying.

/hippie rant.

 

[Poonani Maker]

Looking back, the thing I take away is that I have never felt as ALIVE as I did when I was in the sh!t. It's very true, you are the most alive when you brush the wings of death. I love to skydive and push the envelope, as I do with life itself, but I'm forever chasing that feeling.

Me too. I feel alive when death is at stake, which is basically everyday for me. Other people just sleepwalk.

The truth is, life in the army is so different from civvie life that most grunts(marines) have a hard time relating to civilians. In society it's every man for himself, selfishness. In the army it's all about selflessness and protecting the guys beside you.

So true. I was shy before, but forced niceness for social interaction purposes taught by my school, parents. Afterward, doing what I do, the physical danger, the reliance on buddies to complete the mission, and to get out, I no longer see everyday civilian smiling deskworkers, accountants, lawyers, doctors, professionals, the same. I kind of hate not being able to be all cheery happy acting, putting on a show, but at the same time, I'm alive, they're not. I still have somewhat trustworthy comrades, they don't necessarily. I don't waste time, they do sometimes. We getter done predominantly physically, whereas they get it done on paper and with chirping birds outside their window, mostly.

 

[Julian]

double

 

[Julian]

If I was born in a past life, I would have been a devastating warrior they would have talked about for generations.

LOL buuuulllllsh1t girl

If you were such a bad ass you would be in some elite law enforcement or military outfit or an American Gladiator at least.

 

[CarlitosWay]

That really is ****ed up for that soldier Ty. We don't know this couple so it could have been more to it this his mutilated body. I imagine he suffered great depression and his personality changed constantly. Not many people can deal with that for to long, looks and all that aside.

My younger brother (20) is considering joining the Marines (When he's really set on something he'll do it to). Am I going to say no don't do it? Nope I'm going to encourage him. He very well knows the dangers. Yes it would greatly sadden me if something happened to him. Yet hey each one of us can be touched at any time by the grim hands of death.

My other younger brother is doing jack **** with his life and I'm trying to talk him into joining the Army. People can say this or that about the Military. Yet the way I see it it's a great opportunity for those who are lost or have no real purpose in life.

War and battling is a way of life for many animals and us humans, has been for thousands and thousands of years. It's not going anywhere.

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.
H. L. Mencken

 

[Julian]

Mad respect to any and all who serve/have served. To the keyboard warriors, FUKK YOU.

I was in the Marine Corps 0300 Infantry MOS son. That sh1t is NO JOKE. You are trained to kill. Bottomline. You truly realize the worth of life and your freedoms after you join the military. I personally thought it sucked nuts. i got injured an got out.

To those considering joining the Marines...go big or go home. Its not a game and its not for fun. War is NOT something to be glorified. As much as we'd like to believe we're Spartans, we're freaking not. Believe that.

Ive had Drill Instructors tell us how they wake up with nightmares from the sh2t they have done and seen. Its not something to take lightly and I would not recommend it to anybody.

That is all.

Yeah the Marine Corps is bad ass and needed but still yo...You wanna go live

 

[Poonani Maker]

The greatest Marine that ever lived, and dare I say, Man, that ever lived (next to Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Copernicus) was Chesty Puller..."We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things."

 

[MetalFortress]

I used to live next to a former Marine and his wife and kids. He didn't even go through the physical trauma that this guy did, yet his psychological and emotional demons have had a major negative effect on his marriage. We can't judge the girl without knowing anything about the marriage itself.