Veterans roll call

[Trappist]

Spc 5, Chaplain's Assistant, 4th Infantry Division, 1969-70 Central Highlands.

 

[Jackcatscal]

It’s a Marine base now I believe... I left SD in 1979. It was a Navy fighter base then. Played golf next to touch-and-goes by F-14s and the rest. They used to cruise out to sea right over Torrey Pines at low altitude too.

You’re right. Instead of NAS, I should have written MCAS. In any event, I have F-18s blowing overhead a good part of the day. And I’m starting to see F-35s every once in a while. Even after 20 years here, it’s still exciting to see and hear these aircraft.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I live near Miramar NAS. I was surprised to learn that the Miramar golf course is open to the public.
[/QUOT

That was my tavorite story. Blowing up a train on a night mission.....

I live less than 10 miles from the museum. It has been closed since early spring because of the pandemic.

 

[TWG236]

As elegantly stated earlier by Mr McFly, I also don't consider myself a true Veteran as I never served in a combat zone. Drafted in 1970 (only lottery I ever won), became an MP and reenlisted. Assigned to the White House, Executive Flight Detachment (Army Presidential Helicopter Until) and the 57th MP'S, West Point, New York. Hello to all of the Zoomies (WP Band Members) who appear to be UCONN fans.

 

[UpstateNY]

I have a signed copies of two books, "It Doesn't Take a Hero, and My American Journey", by General's Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell. They are currently packed away with almost 1,000 books that have yet to unpack from my last move to my current home.

I served under Schwarzkopf in Vietnam - he was my battalion commander 1/6 BN 198th Br Americal Div - Powell served at division level during my tour July 69 - July 70 - My son saw Powell on the Acela between NYC and DC and mentioned my service and he thanked me for my service via my son

 

[veryolddog]

As elegantly stated earlier by Mr McFly, I also don't consider myself a true Veteran as I never served in a combat zone. Drafted in 1970 (only lottery I ever won), became an MP and reenlisted. Assigned to the White House, Executive Flight Detachment (Army Presidential Helicopter Until) and the 57th MP'S, West Point, New York. Hello to all of the Zoomies (WP Band Members) who appear to be UCONN fans.

DON'T EVER SAY THAT YOU ARE NOT A VETERAN AGAIN! 99 per cent of Americans stand on the side lines doing nothing and are nothing but "takers". They rely on you to do the dirty work because they do not want to get their hands dirty. At least you put the uniform on and served. That IS more than most.

 

[MSGRET]

Signal Corps, '62 - '65. Never considered myself a real veteran; to me, only combat veterans are true veterans.
I share my name with a cousin who was career Army. He spent a number of years as a golf pro in Germany. Apparently, generals like to have golf partners who can play the game.

Anyone that put the uniform on and left the service with any discharge above dishonorable IS and ALWAYS WILL BE a REAL VETERAN. Combat troops need the support to do their jobs, be it Signal, Quartermaster, Medical, Transportation, or any of the other support troops. McFly I want to thank you for your service.

 

[cancontent]

Anyone that put the uniform on and left the service with any discharge above dishonorable IS and ALWAYS WILL BE a REAL VETERAN. Combat troops need the support to do their jobs, be it Signal, Quartermaster, Medical, Transportation, or any of the other support troops. McFly I want to thank you for your service.

I agree 100%. Being part of the military, regardless of country is a sacrifice most won't take on. A belated Veterans' Day (or Remembrance Day for us Canadians) to all that have served.

 

[MSGRET]

I agree 100%. Being part of the military, regardless of country is a sacrifice most won't take on. A belated Veterans' Day (or Remembrance Day for us Canadians) to all that have served.

When I was stationed in the Netherlands, I was assigned to Schinnen, the Netherlands from 93 to 96. We supported Northern Germany and U.S. Forces in the Netherlands, including AFCENT in Brunssum. Got to know many of Canadian and British forces that were stationed there. They cased the colors and closed down Schinnen in 2012 and moved the civilian support staff to Brunssum. Schinnen was the best kept secret in the U.S. Army and to me the best assignment I ever had in my 24 years in the Army. Supporting multi-national forces was a great honor and camaraderie among allied forces was great in such a small setting.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I served for more than 22 years. The closest I ever got to a combat zone was 2 weeks TDY assignment with the Armed Forces Police in NYC.
I am a veteran.

 

[BlueandOG]

DON'T EVER SAY THAT YOU ARE NOT A VETERAN AGAIN! 99 per cent of Americans stand on the side lines doing nothing and are nothing but "takers". They rely on you to do the dirty work because they do not want to get their hands dirty. At least you put the uniform on and served. That IS more than most.

Thank you for writing this.

 

[BlueandOG]

Anyone currently serving or recent vets? Seems like most of us are late 40's or older.

 

[cayenne]

USA Army 3rd Inf. Div. 1964-1967

 

[Styxx]

DON'T EVER SAY THAT YOU ARE NOT A VETERAN AGAIN! 99 per cent of Americans stand on the side lines doing nothing and are nothing but "takers". They rely on you to do the dirty work because they do not want to get their hands dirty. At least you put the uniform on and served. That IS more than most.

When anyone put on that uniform, they wrote a blank check to Uncle Sugar and he could have sent them anywhere to do anything. Everyone that wore the uniform is my brother or sister. Period.

 

[Styxx]

As elegantly stated earlier by Mr McFly, I also don't consider myself a true Veteran as I never served in a combat zone. Drafted in 1970 (only lottery I ever won), became an MP and reenlisted. Assigned to the White House, Executive Flight Detachment (Army Presidential Helicopter Until) and the 57th MP'S, West Point, New York. Hello to all of the Zoomies (WP Band Members) who appear to be UCONN fans.

I have already said this elsewhere, but it bears repeating. When you put on the uniform, you wrote a blank check to Uncle Sugar. He could have sent you anywhere to do anything. Far too many times in far too many places a long way from home, Uncle Sugar has cashed far too many checks to the last full measure. Anyone who put on the uniform and served honorably anywhere in any capacity is my brother or sister. Period. Thank you for your service.

 

[64Zcode]

Active Army 1973-1976
Spent 2 summers TDY at Camp Buckner, West Point in Summer Support role for Cadet training

Army Reserve 1978 (nothing exciting there)

Vermont and NY Army Guard during a few years of the 80s.
Did some cool stuff during my Guard time:
Graduated OCS
Graduated Ranger School (after 2 attempts).
Graduated Army Mountain Warfare School in Jericho, VT.
2 trips to Italy to train with the Alpini troops.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I forgot to add that there was some combat involved during my short stint in NYC. I took a beer bottle to the head from a drunk deserter we were trying to detain. NYC cops handled it well. And I took a knee to the thigh (it was aimed else where) while trying to separate a drunk sailor from a hooker. Said hooker also tossed her drink in my face, glass included, when she realized she was losing a john. No Purple Heart, although my thigh was purple, and black and green for a couple of weeks. I suppose it could have been worse.

 

[CTyankee]

CTyankee, the first US KIA in Vietnam, James Davis, was in the 3rd RRU, wasn't he?

Yes, he was. He died less than a month before I got there. After I left they renamed the unit location after him.

There were lots of "back stories" about those very early days of VN which will never be told as none of us were officially there.

When I applied for VA benefits, after a good bit of pressure from our Kibitzer, I was told I could not be prioritized because my DD214 never showed my duty station had been in Viet Nam.

Since then the DoD has backdated all the documentation on the war to include the earlier period.

 

[Rixxx]

Thank you all who served in whatever capacity for this nation. God Bless those of you who were blessed to return from combat.
My Dad served in WW2 as a 20 year old in Pearl Harbor. He never spoke about the war.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Many post about a relative's war service and most comment that their relative never talked about it. Just curious - did you ever ask?

 

[Lee]

US Army
Ft Dix Basic
Ft Leonard Wood
Passaic Germany
169 Armored Engineers
11th Armored Calvary
Morse Code Operator

 

[EdSaid]

I read through it for the second time. I was not in the military, so I will not attempt to know what any of you went through, nor will I try to thank you, because it is only words. What I can say is after reading your posts I am proud to be an American.

As for talking about the war with my father (WWII) it just never happened. He died when I was 21, so I wasn't really an adult with him. My father worked for American Airlines, so we traveled a lot when I was a kid. On a sidewalk in downtown Dallas in the early '70s, my father ran into a man I did not know. They talked for a bit, then hugged and said goodbye. I asked who the man was, and he said a friend from the war. My father never hugged me and I don't recall him ever hugging anyone, including my mother. Somehow that answers questions I may have.

For the past few years, I have been working on family history. I have uncovered quite a bit of military history. I received my father's military records (about 2") from St. Louis, In addition (some I knew, some I didn't) I have a cousin KIA in Viet Nam, mother's two brothers wounded in Korea, an uncle wounded WWII, two great uncles KIA WWI, maternal grandfather WWI/Career Naval Officer, great, great uncle killed on July 3, 1863, at Gettysburg. The flag he was carrying is in storage at the Massachusetts State House. He is buried about 100' from where President Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address.

To make this more complicated, my two sons' grandfathers fought in WWII on opposite sides. My father-in-law turned 16 in July of 1944 and went right in the German Army and went to Berlin where he became a POW for the remainder of the war. My wife's grandfathers, one KIA, one wounded POW, another uncle KIA. In 1956 my inlaws, a young German couple came to Massachusetts. They were sponsored by and lived in the home of a Jewish family.

 

[LesMis89]

Many post about a relative's war service and most comment that their relative never talked about it. Just curious - did you ever ask?

My mother was raised with her four first cousins whom she considered brothers. Three served in WWII, two came home.

I love history and often asked her about her life growing up. She was happy to discuss it with me.

BUT she made it crystal clear that I was NEVER to ask them about their service and their brother's death. It was a closed subject.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I read through it for the second time. I was not in the military, so I will not attempt to know what any of you went through, nor will I try to thank you, because it is only words. What I can say is after reading your posts I am proud to be an American.

As for talking about the war with my father (WWII) it just never happened. He died when I was 21, so I wasn't really an adult with him. My father worked for American Airlines, so we traveled a lot when I was a kid. On a sidewalk in downtown Dallas in the early '70s, my father ran into a man I did not know. They talked for a bit, then hugged and said goodbye. I asked who the man was, and he said a friend from the war. My father never hugged me and I don't recall him ever hugging anyone, including my mother. Somehow that answers questions I may have.

For the past few years, I have been working on family history. I have uncovered quite a bit of military history. I received my father's military records (about 2") from St. Louis, In addition (some I knew, some I didn't) I have a cousin KIA in Viet Nam, mother's two brothers wounded in Korea, an uncle wounded WWII, two great uncles KIA WWI, maternal grandfather WWI/Career Naval Officer, great, great uncle killed on July 3, 1863, at Gettysburg. The flag he was carrying is in storage at the Massachusetts State House. He is buried about 100' from where President Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address.

To make this more complicated, my two sons' grandfathers fought in WWII on opposite sides. My father-in-law turned 16 in July of 1944 and went right in the German Army and went to Berlin where he became a POW for the remainder of the war. My wife's grandfathers, one KIA, one wounded POW, another uncle KIA. In 1956 my inlaws, a young German couple came to Massachusetts. They were sponsored by and lived in the home of a Jewish family.

I'm sorry you were not able to talk with your father in the presence of other WWII veterans, as in my experience is the most likely time that they will actually talk about their mutual war experiences.
My Dad's father came over from Germany in 1909 as the German war machine was in the up-swing, and he was sponsored by a cousin who was already established in the industrial construction business near Waterloo, IA, and was assigned in a "share-cropper/indentured servant" agreement with a reasonable farmer.

The cousin was able to get more of the relatives to the Northeast Iowa region. When my grandpa went back [in 1972] to visit his relatives that were left behind before WWI (the war to end all wars - not so well titled....) and did not get out before WWII, he was unable to find any trace of them. Apparently, there were no survivors from WWII, when there were hundreds to thousands of his relatives before 1936 in southwest Germany [before Krystalnacht]. My Dad's two older brothers were drafted into the Army for the Battle of the Bulge in Europe which possibly would have been cousin versus cousin at that point...
My Dad {paratrooper between WWII and Korea conflict} was always very appreciative to his Dad's cousin and all that he did to preserve the family, even though being of German ancestry during WWI by the residents in NE Iowa was offensive.

 

[itsasport]

Vietnam Sept 69 to Sept 70
Infantryman, Company C, 1/502 Inf= 101st Airborne Division

After discharge at Ft, Lewis (I think) Washington, I flew to Hartford. It was the only time I was in uniform after Vietnam.

The only two reactions I got (I was expecting more) were a couple of older vets shook my hand,

And as I was walking in the airport, a young women with two small children were coming towards me. When she saw me in my dress greens, she got a frightened look on her face and held her kids close as we passed, It is hard to describe all the emotions that I felt, because I had just had to honor of serving with the purest souls that I have ever met.

I was one of the many replacements for a battalion that had gone through horrendous fighting, including a two month long fight in the jungle (the A Shau) outside of Hue. They had suffered 200% casualties and defeated (with huge air and artillery support) three NVA regiments. They would later be awarded a unit citation for valor for that action.

I was the last of 6 recent replacements to a squad. The four we joined were all men(middle twenties in age) and all were from the deep, I mean, deep South-Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia.

I was this college grad, Connecticut Yankee (remember this was 1970) They were nothing but kind to me from the start. None of that macho bullshit, They were way beyond that.

All they wanted was for you to carry your weight and not complain. They expected, and practiced, incredible tactical discipline, But despite that, had seen most of their friends killed or wounded because they were fighting much larger, dug-in enemy forces.

The daily life in the jungle was horrible, even with no combat.

Fast forward to a few months later. We are in the rear at a mess hall being entertained by a couple of "Donut Dollies"( young women who had volunteered to work for the Red Cross to entertain the troops).

We got no donuts, unfortunately. They had divided my squad into two teams and were doing a quiz game. We were all sitting on benches except for one of our guys, who was siting on top of a table.
He got a question wrong and blurted out, "OH, Shit." Pretty harmless, Nothing the girls cared about.

BUT NO!

There was a stony silence, as everyone, particularly the Southerners, glared at him with daggers in their eyes. He had besmirched young American Womanhood.

The look of shame on the poor offender's face, sitting above us on
the table, was priceless. I wish that young mother at the airport had been there.

I will also add that those Southerners did not show any hint of prejudice toward the Black soldiers in our squad. And I was in their close presence, literally 24 hours a day for months.

 

[ETSA]

Yes, he was. He died less than a month before I got there. After I left they renamed the unit location after him.

There were lots of "back stories" about those very early days of VN which will never be told as none of us were officially there.

When I applied for VA benefits, after a good bit of pressure from our Kibitzer, I was told I could not be prioritized because my DD214 never showed my duty station had been in Viet Nam.

Since then the DoD has backdated all the documentation on the war to include the earlier period.

CTyankee, Just to clarify: You say the "DoD has backdated all the documentation on the war to include the earlier period." The VA designation of a Vietnam Era veteran is a bit odd. If I understand it everyone who served August 5, 1964 to on May 7, 1975 whether they went to Vietnam or not is considered "Vietnam Era", but if you actually served in Vietnam back as far as Feb 1961, that's also "Vietnam Era". I'm wondering if that earlier time frame was tacked on after the 64-75 time period was established. Or were you referring to the practice of pretending that ASA was not in Vietnam, so you being ASA didn't have Vietnam service on your DD-214. And where were you supposed to have been during that time frame? Were there any non ASA guys in the RRU's, like Signal Corps or whatever, whose DD-214's did show they were in Vietnam? I don't know who they were they trying to fool. When I got off the overnight duty train from Frankfurt in Berlin for TDY and showed my orders for the ASA Field Station there, the MP told me to take off my name tag (I was in Class A's). My fatigues that I wore the rest of the time in Berlin all had my name on them. "The Army way" I guess.

 

[ETSA]

US Army
Ft Dix Basic
Ft Leonard Wood
Passaic Germany
169 Armored Engineers
11th Armored Calvary
Morse Code Operator

Lee, Passaic Germany?? or do you mean Passau - beautiful little city at the confluence of three rivers. I know that for a long while the 11th Cav. covered that area and the Czech border all the way up to about Waidhaus.