Staff Sgt. John Beale comes home.
9 replies
Staff Sgt. John Beal. What words I could add would only takeaway from the message of this show of respect to one of our own. It is fairly long.

This is the only thing I’ve learned: There’s only us. There’s no them. Despots and authoritarians need to make a “them” to have a straw man whom you are against. If you need to make an enemy of “them,” you’ve lost the spirit of us. - Ken Burns of PBS

I have been a part of too many of those.
Thanks for sharing. Is that from your area of Georgia?
OHIOPHINPHAN
Witness to the first ever practice of the Miami Dolphins, 1966.
No it's from the Northern part, outside of Atlanta, and I heard from my cousin that the turnout was overwhelming. When I saw the video I just had to post. Broke my heart, it seems that the older I get the more this effects me and brings back things I'd thought I'd moved on from long ago. So sad yet so very moving.
Thanks.

This is the only thing I’ve learned: There’s only us. There’s no them. Despots and authoritarians need to make a “them” to have a straw man whom you are against. If you need to make an enemy of “them,” you’ve lost the spirit of us. - Ken Burns of PBS

"gafinfan wrote:
No it's from the Northern part, outside of Atlanta, and I heard from my cousin that the turnout was overwhelming. When I saw the video I just had to post. Broke my heart, it seems that the older I get the more this effects me and brings back things I'd thought I'd moved on from long ago. So sad yet so very moving.
Thanks.
Just proof, we never get "over" anything. We just learn better ways of dealing with stuff. Sometimes though, the old wounds still jump up and bite us! Best wishes.
OHIOPHINPHAN
Witness to the first ever practice of the Miami Dolphins, 1966.
"gafinfan wrote:
No it's from the Northern part, outside of Atlanta, and I heard from my cousin that the turnout was overwhelming. When I saw the video I just had to post. Broke my heart, it seems that the older I get the more this effects me and brings back things I'd thought I'd moved on from long ago. So sad yet so very moving.
Thanks.
God bless you brother and thanks for sharing.
As for the emotional aspect, I think it just goes to show that we get smarter as time goes on.....
"gafinfan wrote:
Staff Sgt. John Beal. What words I could add would only takeaway from the message of this show of respect to one of our own. It is fairly long.
Wow....
It's a terrible tradgedy to have lost any of our soldiers.
Having said that, that video helped restore a wee bit of my hope in the human race.
Good to see people will still rally around and show up to pay respects to real hero's.
People being so caught up in TMZ type stuff where people seem to care about worthless issues and tacky tidbits of private lives.
All the talk is about news of John and Kate plus 8 reality stars getting a divorce...... who the hell cares!
The world stops spinning when a singer like Michael Jackson dies but true heros seem to be brushed off as uninteresting stories. It's pathetic.
The turnout for this real person who sacrificed his life for our country's defense is heartwarming.
RIP Jetssuck
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Staff Sargent John Beale is a prime example of what America stands for. America serves the world. As our great President Ronald Reagan stated so aptly, we are a beacon on the hill. He was another of our new "greatest generation." I'm so sorry for his family but so proud of the tribute given to him. The lines of people along the way from Falcon Field to McDonough remind me of the tribute to our greatest president, (the Military's President) President Ronald Reagan. Semper Fi from a greatful Metro Atlanta and nation. I'm sure Jesus has already told you "Well done, good and faithful servant."
BDH -
"To me, there are three things we all should do every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy.
"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."
Jimmy V. (Mar '93)
One of the things I've noticied in taking part in services like this one is that you can think Ronald Reagan was the greatest president or a monumental failure, you can declare Jesus special love for veterans or declare Jesus hates the violence that passes for solutions and STILL each of us stand out on the street and pay respect for a person, an American, who paid the ultimate price for each of us.
OHIOPHINPHAN
Witness to the first ever practice of the Miami Dolphins, 1966.
Thank you so much for sharing this, GA, you might never know how much watching this video help restore a part of me that I felt was slightly lost. I renewal of my faith in the people of this Country.

"USArmyFinFan wrote:
Thank you so much for sharing this, GA, you might never know how much watching this video help restore a part of me that I felt was slightly lost. I renewal of my faith in the people of this Country.
I know just how you feel. As a side note I've since found out that Staff Sgt. Beale's youngest Brother is in management for the Company I retired from. The Owner and several others went to his funeral and I was told the Church had about 2000 there for Sgt. Beale. What a wonderful statement to this man's courage and sacrifice. God bless him and his family.

This is the only thing I’ve learned: There’s only us. There’s no them. Despots and authoritarians need to make a “them” to have a straw man whom you are against. If you need to make an enemy of “them,” you’ve lost the spirit of us. - Ken Burns of PBS

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