Dear Dad,

A funny thing happened to me yesterday at
Camp Bondsteel(Bosnia): A French army
officer walked up to me in the PX, and told
me he thought we (Americans) were a bunch of
cowboys and were going to provoke a war in
Iraq. He said if such a thing happens, we
wouldn't be able to count on the support of
France. I told him that it didn't surprise
me. Since we had come to France's rescue in
World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the
Cold War, their ingratitude and jealousy was
due to surface at some point in the near
future anyway. I also told him that is why
France is a third-rate military power with
a socialist economy and a bunch of ninnys
for soldiers. I additionally told him that
America, being a nation of deeds and action,
not words, would do whatever it had to do,
and France's support was only for show
anyway. Just like in ALL NATO exercises,
the U.S. would shoulder 85% of the burden,
as evidenced by the fact that this French
officer was shopping in the American PX,
and not the other way round. He began to
get belligerent at that point, and I told
him if he would like to, I would meet him
outside in front of the Burger King and
whip his ass in front of the entire Multi-
National Brigade East, thus demonstrating
that even the smallest American had more
fight in him than the average Frenchman. He
called me a barbarian cowboy and walked
away in a huff. With friends like these,
who needs enemies?

Tell Mom I love her.
Your loving daughter, Mary Beth , Lt.Col.,
USMC

HA !