Veterans Day fast approaching

[DLG-17]

I am so proud to have serve in the best military country in the world. Other country service people were not that lucky. We got more benefits than they got to bad we had to fight. All the best to veterans world wide. :thumbsup:

 

[patrick_g]

It's strange. Two kids get out of high school, one goes in the service, comes out with an Honorable Discharge, the other kid goes to college, comes out with a degree.

The veteran, hardly hears more than a welcome home, if that, while the college grad. is congratulated at parties and celebrations, in his honor.

Done both, college thing several times. I never ever hung any of my diplomas and am not quite sure where to lay my hands on any of them but I could grab a copy of my DD form 214 in under 30 seconds!

I'm probably an anachronism, being a cold warrior from the bad old days of nuclear mutual assured destruction and the Viet Nam era. (mid 60's)

Anyway, thanks to all the other guys who wore a uniform for our country and thanks to all taxpayers for the Viet Nam vet GI bill that helped me go to school to get the diplomas I probably couldn't find.

I was in England a few years back and just happened by accident to be at the site of the Remembrance Day ceremony (Veteran's Day here in the states) and stayed to watch. The Brits take this stuff seriously. There were no protesters or detractors just serious and enthusiastic and respectful participation. There were a huge number of citizens mostly in civilian garb but wearing their military ribbons marching in an orderly parade after the passage of uniformed military on parade.

I have been privileged to have had several friends who served in WWII and made it abundantly clear to them how thankful I was that they answered the call. Three were Navy and one was Air Force (Army Air Corp then.) Only two are still with us and getting along in years but still 100% American (as were the others.) Lenny drove a landing craft three times to the beach on D Day to deliver another poster's Ranger father to Point Du Hoc. Jack survived three sinkings in the South Pacific, Jim flew nearly twice the combat missions required to rotate out with the 8th AF over France and Germany as a tail gunner in B-17.

I was never personally in combat but served to prepare pilots who were and lost two friends who volunteered for the Dragon ships in Nam.

There are three kinds of kids at the playground (or adults in life): 1. some kids push the merry-go-round for all to enjoy, others sit passively and enjoy the ride but don't push, and then there are those who drag there feet. If you are a foot dragger or free rider don;t you think you should think those doing the work?

Patrick

 

[OldMcDonald]

I was perturbed to read about the bad treatment of Vietnam veterans. I hope I am not posting out of line, or involving myself in something I should not, but was this common? Did it happen to veterans from other wars that the US is/was involved in? Were the perpetrators of these attacks ever charged with an offence or punished?

I cannot imagine anyone treating their protectors in such a manner.

 

[patrick_g]

I was perturbed to read about the bad treatment of Vietnam veterans. I hope I am not posting out of line, or involving myself in something I should not, but was this common? Did it happen to veterans from other wars that the US is/was involved in? Were the perpetrators of these attacks ever charged with an offence or punished?

I cannot imagine anyone treating their protectors in such a manner.

Unfortunately true and not infrequent. Zealots of any ilk demonstrate excessive behavior. Flower children, peace and love generation... Reality oft differs from myth.

Pat

 

[mx842]

I agree with your comments 100%...Vietnam was my era, so I saw quite a bit of what you wrote about.
First, the government wanted to fight a war, but didn't want anyone hurt (figuratively speaking). The media, for the most part, had their own agenda....BTW, this is also the beginning of the news media degenarating into entertainment...we all know where that went.
One of the worst things about the Vietnam war (and how it was mishandled by the adminstrations of the time) is it really energized the left wing fruitcakes that spawned some of our "leaders" today.

After that debacle, I came to the opinion that government should send no troops anywhere unless war is declared.

And i might add we go to win and then get out. I never did understand why we would spend millions of dollars blowing up sh** and then spending billions to build it back better than it was before so they can talk badly about us anyway.

And don't get me started about the left sided media and their agenda. :laughing:

 

[OldMcDonald]

Thank you very much gentlemen, and especially mx842 for that very eloquent posting at #65. I have to agree with your sentiments at #67 too. I often asked myself why Germany and Japan were funded and helped to prosper so much in the aftermath of what should have been their "Waterloo". I use that word because eventually the French did recover from it, but they did it over a very long time and by their own efforts.

I hope nobody wants to turn this into a political dialogue because I believe it would detract from the intent of the OP. Thank you all again for what you have done for me and millions of other free people around the world.

 

[QRTRHRS]

A friend had emailed me on Veterans day to thank me for my service. I replied by saying, I really had not done much compared to others such as her father. I bow to them.

Her father who had passed a year or so ago had been on Iwo. While he never allowed much about his memories, I had been told by some of his friends that he was one of the bravest men that they had ever known.

Anyway, my friend wrote me back that she appreciated that I still thought of him and all. She told me a story that came out after his death. His brother was in town for the funeral and stayed a few days so there was time to talk.

He said that the two of them were doing something in the attic one day and the brother found a little tin box. Handing it to my friends father, he asked what was in the box. "Oh, that's my Silver Star" then tossed it aside. That was the end of it, no more to be said.

No one in the family had even known that he had it. I suppose he thought that there were others more worthy.