BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Wow, pretty…..scary if you’ve ever spent a year or more in a combat zone.

I can’t watch much of this without remembering the Tet Offensive and more. Fun for civilians, but I can’t watch fireworks displays much even after 44 years.

If you haven’t been there, you’ll never get it.

@RevZafod:
Fireworks seems quite cruel and insensitive in an ironic way to many veterans.

My dad (who was caught in the middle, not soldier in the Korean war) never enjoyed fireworks and banned me from owning capguns as a kid in large part for the same reason as you feel about fireworks.

The city of Louisville holds one of these shows every year to kick off the Kentucky Derby Festival. It’s called Thunder Over Louisville and has developed into a hyper pro-military, flag waving extravaganza drawing crowds of half a million. Like all good things in life it has corporate sponsorship. The military pitches in with an extensive air show featuring all the latest hardware, while recruiters are available and happy to sign up those overcome with patriotic fervor. After all, what could be more American than blowing up 60 tons (8 trailers full) of explosives?

Sandy Eggo runs a coordinated fireworks show along five or six waterfront locations every year. From my hillock, I can usually see four of them.

But best-ever belongs to the NFL, the year the Super Bowl game to town. Jesus Fucking Christ: It was like a visual demonstration of the Crash of 2008.

@Dave H: The more I see these chest-beating military exercises, the more I’m reminded of the Soviet May Day parades of my youth.

Yes to all. 4th of July party triggers aunt’s PTSD from the bombing of Germany (she was a kid and not Hitler Youth or any of that shit. Die-hard Liberal, well, except for The Turks…).

They bombed Bremen day and night. Try to go to school, school gaw-on and nothing but rubble.

One of her kids lives in Vallejo, CA. From their deck, you can see all sorts of coordinated fireworks. Hercules, Novato, other places I can’t remember–like five displays, and you can see the very top of a tower of the Golden Gate.

Aunt: [IPfW], we leave soon?

Me: Of course.

Aunt: Goot. We go drink wine.

Me: Yes.

All day long she has anxiety about what everyone else considers the best part of the party. We take a pass.

John Lee Hooker, “Boom Boom”

@redmanlaw: :-)

BOOM goes the DYNAMITE!

Reality Hits You Hard, Bro! (Yes, there’s a boom.)