Topic: Military Time and Branch Served Will You Post Yours?

[Bob Wessner]

A nice bit of history. Thanks for sharing.

[cb750k7]

US Navy 1968-1974
  4 years active 1968 - 1972

Glenview NAS  (Boot)
Memphis NATTC
Lemoore NAS
USS Kittyhawk

Sad times now

http://www.kittyhawk.navy.mil/welcome/decom.html

[my78k]

Actually....I mentioned this in an earlier thread and I don't remember which as it was so long ago but I am lucky enough to have had my grandfather do up a memoirs of sort....a couple of years before he passed he knew his time was coming. He had enlisted in the Army in WWII and had been a POW for several months in a German camp. Within his memoirs he shared quite a bit about his time there...from his arrival on French soil to the night he was  ambushed and captured. It then went on to talk about what he had to endure....so even though I am fortunate enough to never have had to serve I guess I have a different perspective than most when it comes to being a civilian.

Thanks,
Dennis

[bill440cars]

Actually....I mentioned this in an earlier thread and I don't remember which as it was so long ago but I am lucky enough to have had my grandfather do up a memoirs of sort....a couple of years before he passed he knew his time was coming. He had enlisted in the Army in WWII and had been a POW for several months in a German camp. Within his memoirs he shared quite a bit about his time there...from his arrival on French soil to the night he was  ambushed and captured. It then went on to talk about what he had to endure....so even though I am fortunate enough to never have had to serve I guess I have a different perspective than most when it comes to being a civilian.

Thanks,
Dennis

           Dennis, I remember you posting it, but don't remember where or when. Irregardless, I appreciated you posting it then and now! Like you said, something like that HAS to give you a different perspective.

[gerhed]

U.S. Navy--'68--'71
Seabees

Red Beach--DaNang, S. Vietnam 68-69
Naval Air Facility-Sigonella, Sicily, Italy 69-71

A couple people spoke of the quiet and reverence
which used to be the character of The Wall.
I think the loud party-like atmosphere of "Rolling Thunder"
has done a major disservice to that character.
I may be in a minority here.

[Snowdigger69]

6 years in the Canoe Club.. USN 4/19/71-2/5/77 Nuclear Power School Bainbridge MD, USS WASP CVS-18, USS Compass Island AG-153, USS Sierra AD-18.

[500K2Kitch]

USAF active (84-93) USAF Reserve (93-today). Avionic Instrument / Autopilot Tech on mostly a wide variety of C-130's. Retiring later this year 
-Kitch

[BobbyR]

U.S. Navy--'68--'71
Seabees

Red Beach--DaNang, S. Vietnam 68-69
Naval Air Facility-Sigonella, Sicily, Italy 69-71

A couple people spoke of the quiet and reverence
which used to be the character of The Wall.
I think the loud party-like atmosphere of "Rolling Thunder"
has done a major disservice to that character.
I may be in a minority here.

Well when a Shrine becomes the focal point of an event, it was bound to happen. We have the same situation here in NY at Ground Zero. In the beginning, people came to leave flowers, messages or just gaze. Now it is a tourist attraction with T-Shirt vendors and people selling picture sets which include bodies falling through the air.
       

[bill440cars]

U.S. Navy--'68--'71
Seabees

Red Beach--DaNang, S. Vietnam 68-69
Naval Air Facility-Sigonella, Sicily, Italy 69-71

A couple people spoke of the quiet and reverence
which used to be the character of The Wall.
I think the loud party-like atmosphere of "Rolling Thunder"
has done a major disservice to that character.
I may be in a minority here.

Well when a Shrine becomes the focal point of an event, it was bound to happen. We have the same situation here in NY at Ground Zero. In the beginning, people came to leave flowers, messages or just gaze. Now it is a tourist attraction with T-Shirt vendors and people selling picture sets which include bodies falling through the air.
       

            Man, I hate to hear things like that.
                 Human values, right out the window!     

[troppo]

U.S. Navy--'68--'71
Seabees

Red Beach--DaNang, S. Vietnam 68-69
Naval Air Facility-Sigonella, Sicily, Italy 69-71

A couple people spoke of the quiet and reverence
which used to be the character of The Wall.
I think the loud party-like atmosphere of "Rolling Thunder"
has done a major disservice to that character.
I may be in a minority here.

Well when a Shrine becomes the focal point of an event, it was bound to happen. We have the same situation here in NY at Ground Zero. In the beginning, people came to leave flowers, messages or just gaze. Now it is a tourist attraction with T-Shirt vendors and people selling picture sets which include bodies falling through the air.
       

            Man, I hate to hear things like that.
                 Human values, right out the window!     

The basics like "respect for the dead" and "common courtesy" (really NOT so common) have dissapeared by and large in todays society, its a shame really.
I can still remember seeing people in the streets stopping and removing their hats (if they wore one) when a funeral procession passed by, yesterday i saw some young punk in his car blowing his  horn because he was stuck behind one in traffic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I may not be as old as some of you but i was raised with country values, respect for others being one of the foremost of them

[Terry in Australia]

Israeli Navy 8 years active duty.
20 years active reserve.  (Got a key chain and a Thank You letter at discharge...  ;)

Lucky bastaard, I didn't get a key chain.................

That's because they still can't get rid of you! 

Only because I want a free military funeral, ha ha! (Well you all know how much I love free stuff.........)

[my78k]

Troppo, I have to agree with you on that one!

Although I will say that it does warm my heart when I see people stopping and paying respect on the over passes of the 401 when a soldier is being brought home to be laid to rest. They have named this particular section of one of our biggest highways "The Highway of Heroes" because it is a path that all of our fallen Men and Women take being brought home via aircraft into CFB Trenton and then transported to Toronto to the Centre of Forensic Sciences before being released to their families. Thousand will gather on these over passes including the local Fire Departments, Police and civilians alike. I believe the gesture of respect and thanks is the absolute least people can do! Admittedly, I have only been able to attend a few and lord knows there have been FAR TOO MANY opportunities to take part.

Dennis

Edit: to reflect Men and Women...you guys are right...my oversight.

[Demon67]

My 78k I agree with what you said except that if they're old enough to die for their country, they are men not boys, girls whatever.
Bill the demon

[okie]

Funny, you would mention that.  Yes, I distinctly remember that after completing basic training, I really hated it when someone referred to me as being a 'boy'.  I was 18 years and 2 months old, but I sure as heck didn't think of myself as being a boy any more.  A few months later I was wishing I could go back to being a 'boy'. 

[mmtsquid]

USNR, 2 years active, no reserve (The sweetest enlistment deal on the planet!)
At the end of Gulf I, they needed warm bodies so badly that they would let you sign for 2 years and still get the GI bill.
The drawback?  No "A" school - just deck apes.
It was a valuable experience!  After 2 years of sweeping, mopping, scraping, and painting I learned the value of hard work.
And that I REALLY needed to go to college!

[Hope]

La. Army National Guard June 1993 to June 1999

Activated Dec 1995 to Aug 1996.  Went to Kaiserslautern, Germany - Operation Joint Endeavor

[BobbyR]

My 78k I agree with what you said except that if they're old enough to die for their country, they are men not boys, girls whatever.
Bill the demon

You make a good point. During the the Vietnam era and 18 year old was not an adult. In NY we could legally drink and get drafted at 18. That's about it. Other than that you were a minor. Now you are an Adult at 18 but you can't buy a Beer. What's up with that? 

[dusterdude]

USMC 3 & 3.also ichiban,myself and every other marine out there salute you and every corpsman.

[Demon67]

Hey Bobby that boy thing has bothered me since boot camp, I'm old enough to die for this country ( Canada) but I'm not old enough to vote, drink, and be responsible, ergo I'm still a boy, that is BS.
Bill the demon

[bill440cars]

Hey Bobby that boy thing has bothered me since boot camp, I'm old enough to die for this country ( Canada) but I'm not old enough to vote, drink, and be responsible, ergo I'm still a boy, that is BS.
Bill the demon

         Yeah, I have always thought that that was so unreal. Being able to be in the position where you could end up going into combat to fight for your country yet NOT old enough to vote. That NEVER did make sense to me either.

[bill440cars]

        Something that I'd like to throw out there is that at least one site I know of, recognizes those who have served and those who are serving in the military. There is a forum for them to be recognized and share their experiences or what ever about the military.
http://www.chargerforumz.com/ does this and encourages participation. I thought that was a pretty decent thing to do. Now I know that some folks might have served and might not want to go there and I fully understand that too. It is just a thought since we are collecting a fair number of prior & present duty folks ourselves. Of course the final decision would be up to Glenn, Bob and Steve. Any input from the members would be appreciated. BTW, I'm definitely not trying to separate anyone or cause any ill feelings here. It is just a thought and nothing more. If is is something that you all would rather not do, then so be it.
 

[burmashave]

Hey Bobby that boy thing has bothered me since boot camp, I'm old enough to die for this country ( Canada) but I'm not old enough to vote, drink, and be responsible, ergo I'm still a boy, that is BS.
Bill the demon

         Yeah, I have always thought that that was so unreal. Being able to be in the position where you could end up going into combat to fight for your country yet NOT old enough to vote. That NEVER did make sense to me either.

I think you both hit it. When you receive the responsibilities for being an adult, you should also receive the rights thereof.

[BobbyR]

Yeah when I was 18 we could buy a drink and not vote. Now you can vote, sign a contract etc, but you can't buy a drink. When the surrounding States told NY to raise their age to 21 to keep their kids on their side of the border. Our Governor (a  good Irishman) told them to lower theirs, since NY "boys" were old enough to get drafted and fight. Are these 18 year olds children or Adults?