Much respect for the military

[wgflatliner]

I know i have been missing in action as of late, due to life circumstances and so-on, however one thing has really been eating at me and i just can't hold it back any longer.

I write this with a very somber and humble and proud spirit, and hope you all can bear with my rambling.

I have had the privilege to live in a military town and meet those who are serving, and/or who have already served. My father was a marine and also transferred to army and retired E7 out of Ft. Carson, Colorado - in which i reside now. Growing up here, i got to witness the thundering F4 phantoms, F16s, F15s and smaller trainer craft like the T38 flying around. Since i was a kid, i wanted to join the air force and be a pilot. I got to watch the blue angels in person, see the stealth fighter as it was unveiled, and walked through a massive C5 galaxy. My room was littered with posters of modern jets. I had the ultimate military plane library in my room.

You can only imagine the disappointment, sadness and depression i had when i had reached MEPS to find out that my blood pressure was extremely high and I was medically declined (i won't share the drama as to WHY it was as high as it was).

Time moved on and i have grown from wanting to be that fighter pilot for the thrills and excitement, and have matured into the mindset that it's more than the thrills that the pilots and other military personnel are after. In fact, it's a lot more than that. In my line of work i talk to thousands of people monthly, and have talked to a fair share of folks who serve(d).

A story that i heard from an elderly man about how he was a tail gunner in world war 2 really touched me. He was talking about how he was enlisted, and 2 weeks later, him and his high school buddies were on planes over the pacific. All of his friends but one had been killed in action. The captain had tasked him and his buddy to be the escorts for their fallen friends, to take them home. When they arrived, the whole town was waiting, cheering and saluting the fallen. The two men did not understand why the town was happy instead of sad over their losses, until after the war had ended. It wasn't mourning their losses, it was the celebration of their life, and what they stood for.

I have asked myself why people would volunteer to put their lives on the line and get shot at. I cannot think of any other answer other than for our freedom. Without them, where would our country be? Yeah there may be some stuff that we don't like here in America, but i still love this country.

i would like to take this time to thank all of you who have served, and those who are serving now, and those who plan on serving in the future. The things you have done for our countries (and i am including any other countries represented here) are immeasurable and words cannot express how much respect and gratitude i have for you and your families.

If you have lost any close friends or family that have served, please take a moment of silence in their remembrance and honor, and as a community lets try to remember and thank your military friends/family.

thank you

RIP: Shawn Vigil, Marines (you will never be forgotten)

[The Modeling Hermit]

It is a totally different world from the war that I served in. When I came back from my "all expenses paid vacation" to the jungles of Viet Nam, I was treated like a criminal. At an airport in New York, my Mother and Father were there to greet me. Just as my Mother reached up to kiss me, some woman walked by and spit in my face, and called me a murderer. When I got home, there were, what I thought were old friend, that refused to speak to me.

Thank goodness today's military people are treated with respect. I have 2 sons serving in the Navy, one of which is deployed someplace in the gulf. On behalf of them, I thank you for your concern and acknowledgment of their service.

[trogdor]

Very well said Mark.

[Bowtienutz]

I'm a vet. I never saw any action. I'm glad that some people in our country still respect those that have served and respect those that fallen. As Doug mentioned I had a similiar experience when my brother came home from Nam. Freedom isn't free. Sad to see that another generation of these idiots protesting the funerals of our fallen.

MAY GOD PROTECT AND BLESS OUR FIGHTING MEN AND WOMEN! yes I'm shouting it out loud!

[txdieseldog]

With honor and dignity......YOUR WELCOME. My pleasure.

Thank You for the acknowledgment.

TSGT Barry Bond E6 USAF Reserves.

10 yrs active duty then became a Peace Officer

past 11 yrs AF Res/Police

21 yrs total federal military service

[gunner]

Thanks for the kind words to the Military. I got out as an E-6 after 14 yrs in the Navy, I have done many good things all over the world and felt ###### proud when I wore the uniform in a foreign port. I knew that I was likely to be the only American that some of these people saw in their lives and I did my damnedest to treat everyone with respect and give them a positive view of Americans. Myself and fellow shipmates did a variety of things from giving out books and cookies at a refugee camp in Hong Kong to repainting an orphans school in Latvia. I won't gloss the other side of coin though either, it was a lot of hard work and many many many days away from my family. The military life is not for everyone, it did help me grow up and I've seen things I would never have seen had I stayed on the farm.

To all the Vets here in this forum I want to add my heartfelt THANK YOU for all that you did and know that you did HAS made a difference. For those that have given their all for this country all I can do is Salute you as tears fall.

Thanks again for letting an old Vet rant and having this forum here so we can all enjoy the small things in life

GMG1 (SW) Gavin

'81 - '95 US Navy

[ewaskew]

Thanks to all that served and will serve.

I REGRET not serving.I tried but thats another story and that's not important.

As for those who protest against the military people and what they do.

Here's a thought.

If a war takes place on our ground right here in the U.S.A.

and you and your family is about to get killed you will be begging for one of them to save you.

If you don't like it,take it up with the Government not the soldier.

I shed tears every time I see where one has fallen.

God Bless all of you past,present and future.

God Bless and be with the families of the fallen ones.

[crazyjim]

A friend (USS Forrestal Veteran) uses the following signature on his email "If you're not willing to stand behind our troops, feel free to stand in front of them".

I am a Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War. I can say that now. Back in the 1970's we weren't very popular people and too many of us tried to hide the fact that we served in Vietnam. I worked with a guy for over 10 years before we confessed to each other that we were Vietnam Veterans and that was only because of an event. I let it be known that I was going to attend the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC in November 1982. Dedication weekend brought back too much and I spent the next 5 years as an outpatient in the mental health section of the local VA. I was suffereing from PTSD. And I had my name of "Crazy" long before that - and earned it.

God Bless our Veterans and God Bless the USA.

[Greg Myers]

Not all is bad. Both my brother and I served in the Navy during the Viet Nam crisis, I spent my time on Okinawa, he was in country twice,first on a DE on the gun line then as a cook at a PBR base.Best part of this story is his return. He flew into the Tucson airport and was met by my Mom and Dad ( WWII vet). They were having something to eat at the airport restaurant when my Mom said" Look, isn't that John Wayne?" Sure enough it was. Mom scooted my brother over to talk to the Duke John Wayne was very gracious until my brother ask for an autograph. . . The Duke says: "Do you have a pen?" When my brother answers in the negative, John Wayn says "here, give me your arm, We'll cut it, and write it in blood" My brother still has the napkin with John Wayne's autograph and a good memory of returning home from battle. By the way, the PBR base was over run by VC the week after he left.

[imatt88]

Just retired with 24 years of Federal service.

8 Active USAF, 15 with the Army Guard and two deployments.

Vietnam vets got a raw deal. Its nice to see that the attitide toward them has, and still is changing.

I salute all Active, Guard, and retired military everywhere

Cheers, Ian

[Blake Rogers]

mark well said man... i was in the Canadian military and had the honor of fighting along side both men and women of the America army for 2 years in Afghanistan and enjoyed every minute of it.

[imatt88]

Uh, Blake, when were you in Aghanistan?

My unit turned over control of the PRT in Kandahar City in late 2005, to a unit of Canadian army troops from Alberta.

I don't remember which one though..

[Agent G]

My father served in the US Army in WWII.

My older brother,a Marine, was at Khe Sahn.

My baby sister was an Army MP, ODS.

My oldest son was a Navy Corpsman ODS, then an EMT/Paramedic with the St Louis FD. He's now a St Louis Police Officer.

My middle son will be commissioned as a Navy psychiatric nurse in 18 months.

Baby daughter is still in High School.

Me, USMC, 0331, Machine Gunner.

VietNam

Cambodia

Lebanon

Grenada, as a reservist.

Retired Sergeant of Police, SLMPD 28 years.

Kinda runs in the family.

Semper Fidelis

G

Edited January 23, 2011 by AgentG

[Clay]

I say thank you to all of you because I am still serving, got roughly 9 more years left. I also say thank you to all of you that have served or tried to serve.

[Blake Rogers]

Uh, Blake, when were you in Aghanistan?

My unit turned over control of the PRT in Kandahar City in late 2005, to a unit of Canadian army troops from Alberta.

I don't remember which one though..

from the middle of 2007 to the begging of 2009 i was with The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) 1st Battalion (CFB Petawawa Ontario) Mechanized Infantry.

Now for Alberta Theres

The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry

1st Battalion (CFB Edmonton) - Mechanized Infantry

2nd Battalion (CFB Shilo) - Mechanized Infantry

3rd Battalion (CFB Edmonton) - Light Infantry + Parachute Company

Edited January 24, 2011 by Blake Rogers

[Clay]

Uh, Blake, when were you in Aghanistan?

My unit turned over control of the PRT in Kandahar City in late 2005, to a unit of Canadian army troops from Alberta.

I don't remember which one though..

I was in Kandahar from Dec 2004 to June 2005. Was a part of one of the only Marine units there. We had the radar on the other side for the runway