An Adorable Guy

[AGBF]

I was laboring at trying to resize pictures of some stones in another area of this forum on the 4th of July. I had to stop what I was doing to go pick up a houseguest at the bus station. I wrote in that thread:

"I have to go pick up an adorable young man at the bus station. (He is *gorgeous*!!!) I can't keep him waiting. See you all later!!"

I just thought I'd share a picture of him with all of you. He is, alas, my great nephew . The young woman in the picture with him is his sister. She is also a soldier in the Israeli army right now and I have some other photos of her in uniform with a rifle .

My great nephew, who spent three years on active duty in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) as a medic is now free to pursue his studies, which he is doing here in the United States. He has dual Israeli and Italian citizenship and was lucky enough to get a student visa. He says that they are very hard to obtain in Israel now (post 9/11).

 

[AGBF]

As you may have noticed, there is no photo in this thread, thus rendering it incomprehensible. I am having a *great deal* of trouble with photos here lately. I am unsure why *this* one won't post!!

 

[Kamuelamom]

AGBF, this is the same problem I have had when I tried to re-post your stones that day. I sent an email to Leonid but haven't yet heard back. Do you think he's still out partying for the 4th of July??

I'll let you know if/when I hear back from him.

You & me, technically challenged today.

I guess that's part of the sisterhood thing.

 

[AGBF]

I am trying again!

 

[winyan]

Deb

You are right, you have a very attractive family!

win

 

[mike04456]

----------------
On 7/7/2003 12

8:23 PM AGBF wrote:

The young woman in the picture with him is his sister. She is also a soldier in the Israeli army right now and I have some other photos of her in uniform with a rifle .
----------------

I think you should post those pictures too.

 

[AGBF]

On 7/8/2003 3:12:56 PM LawGem wrote:

"I think you should post those pictures too."

Don't mess with her, LawGem. She's some kind of army *instructor* .

 

[mike04456]

----------------
On 7/8/2003 7

0:57 PM Furthermore wrote:
I used to be a firearms instructor. But I don`t look like that. Damn. ))))))

----------------

I suspect your fiancee is glad of that fact, actually. I don't suppose dress-wearing by men goes over well with Russian women...

 

[Kamuelamom]

The are *both* adorable. And wow, both of them are service people. Wow.

 

[AGBF]

On 7/8/2003 10:37:18 PM Kamuelamom wrote:

"The are *both* adorable. And wow, both of them are service people. Wow."

They're Israelis, K-mom. Military service is obligatory in Israel for *all* men and women (except those exempt for religious reasons or family or health reasons).

Men serve for three years after high school and women serve for two. I have two great nieces in the army: this lovely young lady and her first cousin. My great nephew is finished with his miltary service and must just serve in the reserves like all ablebodied men of a certain age.

Since he is now living and studying in the United States, however, he will not be doing any more soldiering for a while. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the current "Peace Initiative" actually worked and everyone lay down his arms?

As I have said elsewhere: I was stunned into patriotism by the events of 9/11, but my parents are Quakers and, thus, pacifists. I am never enthusiastic about war .

 

[Kamuelamom]

----------------
On 7/8/2003 10:57:45 PM AGBF wrote:

On 7/8/2003 10:37:18 PM Kamuelamom wrote:

"The are *both* adorable. And wow, both of them are service people. Wow."

They're Israelis, K-mom. Military service is obligatory in Israel for *all* men and women (except those exempt for religious reasons or family or health reasons).

Men serve for three years after high school and women serve for two. I have two great nieces in the army: this lovely young lady and her first cousin. My great nephew is finished with his miltary service and must just serve in the reserves like all ablebodied men of a certain age.

----------------

Wow AGBF, I never even realized that. I guess I take my freedom of choice too much for granted. Obligatory or mandatory? Is that like being born into a draft? Wow.

 

[mike04456]

----------------
On 7/9/2003 3:10:24 AM Kamuelamom wrote:
Wow AGBF, I never even realized that. I guess I take my freedom of choice too much for granted. Obligatory or mandatory? Is that like being born into a draft? Wow.

----------------

It's compulsory in Israel and a lot of Western countries, particularly those with small populations that can't rely on getting enough recruits through volunteers. Some allow you to opt out of military service if you want to work in some non-violent government service job for religious reasons, etc.

There are good and bad elements to both systems, but personally I prefer all-volunteer armed forces because the morale and professionalism tends to be higher (spoken as a former volunteer

).

 

[AGBF]

My mother gave my nephew this T-shirt. (She may not be Jewish, but she knows where to shop!)

 

[AGBF]

There is actually a story behind this plane. My mother didn't know the story, but my nephew told it to me. Do any of you know it? Hmmm?

America, Don't Worry
Israel is Behind You!

 

[dancingmelimel]

I don't know it! You're going to tell us, right?

 

[AGBF]

On 7/19/2003 2:20

0 AM dancingmelimel wrote:

"I don't know it! You're going to tell us, right?

"

Nope. Not unless the Pricescope members let me down!

I have great confidence that LawGem or some other people who have had military experience will know it or be able to find it out within a few minutes on the 'net .

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Thanks for sharing such warm personal photos AGBF. It's nice to share and let people look into a little window of the people which surround you and mean the most to you in your family.

-Josh

 

[mike04456]

----------------
On 7/19/2003 10

5:32 AM AGBF wrote:
On 7/19/2003 2:20

0 AM dancingmelimel wrote:

"I don't know it! You're going to tell us, right?

"

Nope. Not unless the Pricescope members let me down!

I have great confidence that LawGem or some other people who have had military experience will know it or be able to find it out within a few minutes on the 'net .

----------------

I'm not sure whether you mean the plane or the T-shirt, but here goes. I believe the t-shirt is a wry play on words, reflecting the fact that Israel was and is 100% behind the so-called "war on terror" but because of the need to enlist Arab assistance in said struggle, the US needs Israel to maintain a low profile. Thus, they're "behind" the US in the sense of support but also in the sense of staying out of sight.

As for the plane, I can't make it out too well, but I believe it's the only home-built Israeli fighter in service (the Kfir?), which Israel developed instead of buying more F-16s in order to nurture a local aerospace industry. There was a long-running saga between the IDF, the Pentagon, and various US defense contractors and their supporters in Congress (e.g., the representatives in whose district F-16s are built) over this project and there were some hurt feelings over how it played out. I'm not sure why it's on the t-shirt but it may or may not have anything to do the above.

 

[AGBF]

Very good, LawGem! I see that my confidence in you was not misplaced!

As for the slogan on the T...I wasn't referring to that. You may be right, but I didn't analyze the slogan as much as you did . To me the slogan was amusing because the United States does not really need the help of Israel. The US is the *ONLY* world superpower. But the Israelis are feisty. I felt it was self-deprecating *humor* on the part of Israelis to pretend that their assistance might be necessary to the US. At the same time I think the slogan reflects genuine Israeli loyalty to the US.

Now..the *plane*. It was to that which I was referring. Yes. The Israelis modified it, improved it, and atagonized the US in so doing. The US told them to cease and desist if they wished to continue to buy planes...and they did. At least that is what my nephew told me . I have not verified what he said. I became embroiled in reading about the relative abilities and deficits of F-15s and F-16s and forgot what I was supposed to be researching . I sure learned a lot about F-15s and F-16s, though!