CREED

What is a Vet?
by Bob Jack

I copied the following passage from the Korean War Veterans Website. I believe it has a lot of validity in these trying times. Enjoy ~ Tom Clark; U.S. Army Veteran

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing
limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye.

Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone
together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg ~ or perhaps another
sort of inner steel... the soul's ally forged in the refinery of
adversity.

Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept
America safe wear no badge or emblem.

You can't tell a vet just by looking.

What is a vet?

He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia
sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel
carriers didn't run out of fuel.

He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks,
whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times
in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the
38th parallel.

She ~ or he ~ is the nurse who fought against futility and went
to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.

He is the POW who went away one person and came back another ~ or
didn't come back AT ALL.

He is the Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat,
but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account
rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to
watch each other's backs.

He is the parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and
medals with a prosthetic hand.

He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals
pass him by.

He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns,
whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever
preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies
unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's
sunless deep.

He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket ~palsied
now and aggravatingly slow ~ who helped liberate a Nazi death
camp and who wished all day long that his wife were still alive
to hold him when the nightmares come.

He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being, a person
who offered some of this life's most vital years in the service
of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would
not have to sacrifice theirs.

He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness,
and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on
behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.

So remember, each time you see someone who has served our
country, just lean over and say, "Thank you!" That's all most
people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals
they could have been awarded or were awarded.

Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU."

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A Biker's Creed

Live it the only way we can

I ride because I enjoy the freedom I feel from being exposed to the elements and the vulnerability to the danger that is intrinsic to riding.

I do not ride because it is fashionable to do so.

I ride my machine, not wear it. My machine is not a symbol of status. It exists simply for me. And me alone.

My machine is not a toy. It is an extension of my being, and I will treat it accordingly, with the same respect as I have for myself.

I strive to understand the inner-working of my machine, from the most basic to the most complex. I learn everything I can about my machine so that I am reliant upon no one but myself for it's health and well-being.

I strive to constantly better my skill of control over my machine. I will know it's limits, and use my skill to become one with my machine so that we may keep each other alive. I am the master; It is the servant. Working together in harmony, we become an invincible team.

I do not fear death. I will, however, do all possible to avoid death prematurely. Fear is the enemy, not death. Fear on the highway leads to death. Therefore, I will not let fear be my master. I will master it.

My machine will outlive me, therefore, it is my legacy. I will care for it for future bikers to cherish as I have cherished it.

I do not ride to gain attention, respect, or fear from those who do not ride., nor do I wish to annoy or intimidate them. For those that desire not to know me, all I ask from them is to ignore me. For those that desire to know me, I will share with them the truth of myself, so that they might understand me and to ease their fear toward others like me.

I will never be the aggressor on the highway, however, should others mess with me, their aggression will be dealt with accordingly.

I will show respect to other bikers more experienced or knowledgeable than I and will learn from them all I can. However, if my respect is not acknowledged or appreciated, it will end.

I will not show disrespect to other bikers less experienced or less knowledgeable than I and will teach them what I can. It will be my task to mentor new riders, that so desire, into the lifestyle so that the breed shall continue. I shall instruct them, as I have been instructed by those before me. I shall honor and preserve the traditions of bikers before me, and I shall pass them on unaltered.

I will not judge other bikers on their choice of machine, their appearance, or profession. I will judge them on their conduct as bikers. I am proud of my accomplishment as a biker, though I will not flaunt them to others. If they ask, I will share them.

I will stand ready to help any other biker that truly needs help. I will never ask another biker to do for me what I can do myself. I am not a part-time biker. I am a biker when and wherever I go. I am proud to be a biker and hide my chosen lifestyle from no one . I ride because I love freedom, independence, and the movement of the ground beneath me. But most of all, I ride to better understand myself, my machine, the land in which I ride, and to seek out fellow bikers like myself.

Author Unknown

Modified by Squirts

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Thoughts to Ponder

by Mad Jack... Posted on Outsider's Message Board... Outsider's News is THE BEST source for 1%r news on the net! Check him out!

Don't Take Any Shit: Be kind to women, children and animals, but don't take any shit. This is an essential part of being a biker. It has to do with respect and honor. Anyone can be a brash, quick-tempered lout. Be cool, stand tall and backup what you say with action.
Never Lie, Cheat or Steal: Another way of saying this is to always tell the truth. Bikers are always the greasy bad guys in the movies, but every real biker knows that his word is his bond. Your word is all you have in life that is truly yours. Guard it carefully and be about something noble, for you are a true knight of the road.
Don't Snitch: If you see a wrong, fight it yourself. If you are about anything, you'll take care of problems yourself and never feel the need to snitch someone off. Snitches are the lowest life forms on earth, right up there with biker thieves. This rule goes hand in hand with the next one.
Don't Snivel: Absolutely no one likes or respects a sniveler. Another way to say this is hold your mud. Still another way to think of it is, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Most of life's little inconveniences work themselves out whether you snivel or not. Keep your chin up, dammit! You're a biker, not some lowly mollusk.
Never Say Die and Never Give Up: Whether it's in a fight, a debate, or a business deal, no matter how bad it gets, a biker never gives up. That's why you see a lot of wealthy bikers these days, 'cause they don't know how to quit in an element of their lives. In the biker world of rugged individualists, only the strong survive.
Help Others: When a brother or sister is broken down by the side of the road, stop and help them. Even moral support, if that is all you can give, is better than riding on by. Remember life is about the journey, the ride; it's not just about getting there. You are already there. And don't just help bikers, show the world that we are better than our image portrays us. Courtesy costs you nothing and gives you everything.
Stick to Your Guns: Do what you say you'll do, be there when you say you will. This is called integrity. This also goes back to standing for something. Like the song says, "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything."
Life is Not a Drill: Yeah, this ain't no dress rehearsal. This is life ~ go out and take big bites of it. You've got no time to lose and bikers don't stand around waiting for the party to come to them. You only go around once. Tomorrow you could be road kill, thanks to a chain smoker asleep at the wheel of his Caddy. Live life now, make the most of each moment. This is not a drill.

All right, now let's review. You are a biker, a modern-day knight
of the road. Protect the weak, walk tall and stand proud. Your
word is your bond. Stick to your guns. Don't take any shit. Life is
not a drill. Now go forth and ride. When in doubt, ride. That's
what we do...ride. If you want to ride around in a Day-Glo
Hawaiian shirt and sandals, go for it, but if you intend to look
like a goof, at least don't act like a goof. These commandments
are just a few of the broad strokes. There is a lot more to being a
biker than buying a bike. If you just buy a bike, you are a motorcyclist.

Being a biker is a way of life , a proud way of life we hold in high regard and

A Biker's Creed

"Thoughts to Ponder"

"The Brotherhood"