Fun & Games Most liked posts in thread: Did you serve?

:cornut: I remember coming back from Desert Storm to the cheering crowds but I wasn't laughing and cheering. I was deeply ashamed and wanted to scream at the crowds and say, "where the hell were y'all when the Viet Nam veterans returned?" But of course these weren't the same people and didn't deserve that but I still feel a little guilty. I was able to do something for the Viet Nam vets when we really stuck it to the Russians in Pakistan/Afghanistan in 1987-88(Charlie Wilson's war, You ought to see that movie). Now I'm at peace with myself.

Jason

 

Well Jim I am glad you and all the other Nam vets are home and safe. You are all vets in my eyes.

 

:cornut: I feel that my highest award is the Combat Medical Badge, awarded only to medical personnel assigned to an Infantry or Special Forces unit. I feel that it's from the Mothers of the USA for training and caring for their children. Just me.

Jason

 

Definitely something to be proud of! I never served, but have a tremendous amount of respect for those that have. I had the privilege of working at the VA during residency, and the stories from all the Vets were priceless. Makes you appreciate what you have, and what haven't had to do, that much more.

Family members who have: Grandfather, WWII mechanic, stationed at Pearl Harbor after the attack. Great Grandfather, fought as a fighter pilot in WWI--those who had a life expectancy of 20 minutes--but he made it through unscathed; he actually volunteered overseas before the U.S. was in the war. We have pictures of him with his unit and plane, but it's been frustrating getting more info about him--he apparently didn't talk much about it after the war, we have pictures, but that's about it. One of those things I really want to find out more about some day.

 

Got to love the peanut butter ball they give you in the ass with a horse needle! Amassing how the biggest strongest looking guys are the only ones who hit the floor after that one...

 

I serve at the pleasure of the IRS... I report every April 15th! (I joke!)

My brother is currently active Air Force.

I keep a memento of the kindest and most generous spirit I've ever known on my book shelf... a photo of him from the last time I saw him (he passed a few years ago) and a ribbon he gave me when I got him through the chemistry classes that were blocking him from applying to nursing school. After leaving the service, he spent time in a facility, trying to repair the mental damage done to him. After getting out, he wanted to help others as he had been helped. He failed chemistry twice before a professor sent him to me for tutoring because I had helped several other students figure it out. I got him through 2 years of chem (plus a few battles with alcoholism and the legacy of his mental demons) and he got himself into nursing school... becoming a counselor for troubled / addicted teens when he graduated.

A funny story: He had just gotten out of a bad relationship and had a few drinks (or 10) too many. I got a call from the local police who found him staggering the streets of town wearing the medal around his neck that matches the ribbon. The cops were ex-military, knew what it was and couldn't bring themselves to lock him up, so they called every phone number in his wallet until someone answered. I was #5 on the list. We had a great conversation that evening (none of which he remembered the next morning ).

 

After returning home from an eight week all expense paid '"summer vacation" at
Fort Riley, my Dad asked me what I thought of the "adventure" and the letters FTA immediately came to mind. When asked what I had learned I said "ain't never gonna live in Kansas you can't get no drink nowhere without joining a club." (that was uttered in my then just acquired Kansas accent) I've eaten that crow medium well once a year since then. Pulling KP and guard duty back to back the second day convinced me too that a terrible mistake had been made. But it all worked out-seven years later.

 

I know that you are right Justa Jim. they had us in the movie theatre explaining about these shots we were to be given for Iraq and I as a young SSG asked the LTC (female) that was giving the brief if they had done any research on any of this medicine. She replied no and I told her to her dismay that they were using us for guinea pigs to see if it would work or not. I was soon told to at ease and sit down!

 

My wife is a contractor to Army Medical Research and Development Command. I remember her telling me about this while it was happening to you folks. At first, you were to be told the status and allowed to take it or refuse. Then the changed. Then order was passed and you had no choice.

I am positive, now, this happened to us too, but we had no idea at all. We got way more shots, during basic in 1968, then there were known diseases.

 

I was on a Huey in Nam. We use to joke that a pilot needed a college education to fly one, but a mechanic only needed a high school diploma to fix it. :lol:

 

Navy '84-'88
VS32
USS America .....(since retired, sent to the bottom)

was an experience; flying on/off the farm was badass, but going to GQ for real definitely raises the pucker factor when you're on a target that big


found out that the military runs in the family for a long time now.....mom sent me a copy of an old tin-type/daggaurre (sp?) type photo of a greatx2 grandfather in the 47th and Argyll Highlanders in WWI, supposedly his father & grandfather served; grandfather was a WWII tincan sailor, my dad was a Navy Diver for 27 years and now my son graduates in April, gonna be a SeaBee!

 

Your are right Friskie. I knew that and it is exactly why I did NOT join the Marines. :lol:

There was a questionnaire we had to complete in basic, with sneaky questions scattered through it, like "were you a Boy Scout", "do you like to go hiking", "do you like to camp out". I'm not stupid, so I said NO to everyone of them.

 

I wish I had that switch, I think it was removed after my second enlistment. :cryin: I have had a hard time getting out of that Senior SNCO frame of mind. I still work around Jarheads, an MOS producing school so I am still around the stuff. It has taken me a while, but for the most part I don’t get to worked up anymore, I am starting to learn just to shake my head.

 

Yes, was a bartender in college

Seriously, thanks for those who have or a currently protecting our rights to have our own opinions and religious freedoms!

 

US Army 1986 - 2006.
Berlin Brigade
Ft Carson CO (with a side trip to Somalia)
Seoul and Pusan Korea
Ft Campbell KY
Brussels Belgium
Ft Jackson SC

 

:cornut: Berlin Brigade Patch, a unit to be very proud of. For the uninformed, this was a small unit(relatively speaking) who was a very thin line standing between us and the Soviet steam roller(how many swarms are there in a hoard :lol. Also, due to treaty considerations, half of the soldiers were 'sheep dipped' meaning that on paper they were clerks etc. but in reality they were spooks and combat soldiers. If an MP, you had a soviet sniper trained on you any time that you were out with your bright white helmet and boot laces. I knew that rum4 would never say this about himself so I 'broke silence' for him. Berlin Brigade, good bunch of troops with a suicide mission.:yikes::yikes:

Jason

 

I have parents that served and I have the utmost respect for your service.

 

For the record my Father served and so did my 4 older brothers.

 

Sure did...

From 2002-2005 I was Infantry in 1st Brigade 101st Airborne division (D.co 1/327)
Got out for about a year and a half, and went back into the reserves in 2007. Chose to be a heavy equipment operator, and have been there since.

Did 2 years in Iraq, 2003-2004 and 2009-2010, and loved every bit of it! Met a lot of people that will always be family, but the army as a whole has changed so much that I will not be reenlisting and am down to only a couple months left.