Thank you Veterans for your service.
USN 1971-1992
USN 1971-1992
Happy Veterans Day
- Thread starter mfinkelstein3
- Start date
U.S. Army 1966-1972, mostly as a reservist during the Vietnam era. I sweated our unit being sent to Nam the entire six years.
Navy 1972-1996
I was in the Army infantry at the tail end of Viet Nam.
Instead of sending me there they sent me to the Austrian Alps to learn combat skiing with me having no prior experience whatsoever. The skis they issued to us had no breakaway bindings so when you fell (me, often) they wouldn't come off. The idea behind that was if you were in a real combat situation and a ski popped off you'd be a helpless target. Fyi, even the bunny hills in the Alps were freakin scary.
I was stationed in Weisbaden Germany and got to go to an Oktoberfest in Munich. Four observations from that experience:
1. I didn't know there were that many buses on planet earth.
2. The waitresses at The Hofbrau Haus were able to carry more huge, heavy mugs of beer than I could by a lot.
3. The girls, just like the guys, would pee on the sidewalks and curbs, unashamedly.
4. At that time, if you were able to get together with German girls, they weren't shaving anything. I mean their underarms had more hair than mine.
But after enduring all that, I know my service assignments were easy peasy compared to what many endured.
Have a good day fellow vets.
SGT Chicken
4th Inf Div
Ft Carson, CO & Weisbaden, FRG
Instead of sending me there they sent me to the Austrian Alps to learn combat skiing with me having no prior experience whatsoever. The skis they issued to us had no breakaway bindings so when you fell (me, often) they wouldn't come off. The idea behind that was if you were in a real combat situation and a ski popped off you'd be a helpless target. Fyi, even the bunny hills in the Alps were freakin scary.
I was stationed in Weisbaden Germany and got to go to an Oktoberfest in Munich. Four observations from that experience:
1. I didn't know there were that many buses on planet earth.
2. The waitresses at The Hofbrau Haus were able to carry more huge, heavy mugs of beer than I could by a lot.
3. The girls, just like the guys, would pee on the sidewalks and curbs, unashamedly.
4. At that time, if you were able to get together with German girls, they weren't shaving anything. I mean their underarms had more hair than mine.
But after enduring all that, I know my service assignments were easy peasy compared to what many endured.
Have a good day fellow vets.
SGT Chicken
4th Inf Div
Ft Carson, CO & Weisbaden, FRG
Thx. Nice to be remembered. Just read somewhere that we're about one-percent of the population, which figures out to be about three and 1/2 million of us and diminishing annually.
Arnaldo ~ US Army sergeant (infantry/ordnance), Korean War era.
Biloxi Boy
Man With A Golden Arm
Thank you, and your families, for all you sacrificed to make and keep this country free.
Our country stands on the backs of many, but none nearly so great as our veterans'.
Our country stands on the backs of many, but none nearly so great as our veterans'.
Marine Corps 1965 to 1969
Was in country for the TET offensive.
Was pounded that night with rockets and mortars, the bomb dump was hit sending a fireball a 1000 feet in the air just 500 yds or so from me and then had to fight off a ground assault.
It was a hell of a night.
Was in country for the TET offensive.
Was pounded that night with rockets and mortars, the bomb dump was hit sending a fireball a 1000 feet in the air just 500 yds or so from me and then had to fight off a ground assault.
It was a hell of a night.
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I come from a family of survivors….a big family, both sides….everybody fought, WW I and II…everybody came back.
So there I am, a 19 year old Canuck, waiting for a work permit to Ohio, which would make me eligible for the draft…1963.
I was gonna be a harness horse driver, I was pretty good at it.…would have a 25 horse stable waiting for me after 6 months.
The owner thought he could get me over in three weeks…two months later I was still waiting…..and bored.
My mother found out about it and talked me into applying at GM….didn’t matter, normal two year wait ..got my call in two weeks….she didn’t tell me I had a great uncle who had a lot of say in GM.…not the only time a woman fooled me.
I think a lot of youngsters are like me….we want some fighting experience….maybe not in retrospect.
So there I am, a 19 year old Canuck, waiting for a work permit to Ohio, which would make me eligible for the draft…1963.
I was gonna be a harness horse driver, I was pretty good at it.…would have a 25 horse stable waiting for me after 6 months.
The owner thought he could get me over in three weeks…two months later I was still waiting…..and bored.
My mother found out about it and talked me into applying at GM….didn’t matter, normal two year wait ..got my call in two weeks….she didn’t tell me I had a great uncle who had a lot of say in GM.…not the only time a woman fooled me.
I think a lot of youngsters are like me….we want some fighting experience….maybe not in retrospect.
RT Ford
Well-known member
I arrived in Vietnam in 1969 so I missed TET. I've always admired the Marines for the job you guys did. My regards.