It has been a long time since I felt proud, and then I ran into this from the past

[DeepseekerADS]

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

And another:

 

[DeepseekerADS]

And another:

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Shouldn't we always have that? There were times we forgot. We need that again.

 

[Terry Soloman]

I cry when I see these. When I mustered out at Ft. Jackson, SC, in 1976, times were very different. We were taken by military bus to Columbia Metropolitan Airport, attired in our Class A uniforms, festooned with our hard earned Combat Infantry Badges, service ribbons and various medals. The first stop for almost everybody off the bus was the airport men's room. When I walked inside, there were Class A uniforms piled high in the trash cans, in the corners and on the floor. I kept mine on. After running the gauntlet of college kids and bored housewives shouting "Baby Killer," "Corporate Assassin," "Piece of #$%!," and getting spit at by some of them I understood why a lot of the guys just put on their jeans and went home.

Thank you Jesus times have changed. Sort of.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I think this needs to be bumped up, maybe repeatedly. We need to believe again.!

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I cry when I see these.

Terry, I do too. I did Ft. Jackson for basic in '67, I was really just a child. I had no idea what I believed in then. Life became an experience, many of them, for such a child was I.

When I came home I didn't believe in anything, and trusted no one. I view these videos again when our nation cared, and they bring me to tears. Those tears aren't for me, they're for our kids now.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Guys & Gals, and kids, we have to find this again, it completes us as a nation.

 

[Unclebuck257]

Deep,

I believe AS A NATION we have found this again and I Thank God we have for the troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and especially for those who are serving now. There are, and always will be, a certain percentage of the US population who, due to ignorance, political views or stupidity, who will never appreciate those who served and/or are serving now. I know that when I walk through a Wal-Mart or any other store with my "Proud Veteran, US Air Force" ball cap on, I have people from teenagers to my age (70) coming up and thanking me for my service. It's a really good feeling considering what it was back in the 60's when I was in and when I got out. Heck, back then, aside from punching a few nasty protesters in the mouth, I never mentioned I was a vet to anyone hardly. Now, I'm damn proud of it and wear a ball cap stating that fact!

 

[CoilyGirl]

My heart swells when I saw this. I always make it a point to thank servicemen for their duty to our country. Thank you everyone who served.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Deep, I believe AS A NATION we have found this again and I Thank God we have for the troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and especially for those who are serving now.

Thanks Buck, yes we do have it now - at least among the population, and thank heavens for that. I ETS'd straight from Vietnam, and of course had to wear the uniform all the way till I was home. About the worst reception that I saw was when parents didn't want me dating their daughters. I didn't advertise.

Now, I did go with the auto license plate, and at least 3 times it has saved me from speeding tickets. My brother talked me into the plate.

 

[TheRingFinder]

My eyes started to swell up - I'll admit it. <-- To all our Military Service member's out there!!!!!!!

 

[Unclebuck257]

Deep,

That ball cap has saved me from a ticket or three, as recently as just a couple weeks ago. I know what you mean about that. It's strange but it seems that many of the police officers out there today are vets themselves or sons and daughters of vets. They see my ball cap, my white hair, and they almost always ask if I was in Nam. I've had one apologize for the way we were treated and say that not only was he a vet, but his Dad was a Vietnam vet too so because of that he knew first hand how things had changed. Strange, but it seems that those who serve/served, instill that same sense of serving in their/our children and families, just from their/our actions a lot of times.

You know Deep, as you said, we were all just kids when we went in. Heck, I had just turned 17 four months earlier after graduating HS. I was still way too wild to go to college at that age and I had visions of that blue Air Force uniform, the women who'd be chasing after me, and the whole world in front of me. Besides, I was a kid from Philly and I had all the answers, or so I thought at that time! LOL! About the third morning at 430AM in basic training with my TI, a MSgt from Mississippi screaming at me "Come Cheer Boy", I realized that I might have been slightly over zealous in my anticipation of my upcoming lifestyle!! LMBO!! I grew up, I learned many, many things, and I wouldn't trade those four years of active duty and its experiences for anything. However, at the end of my first four years, I just didn't feel the need to donate anymore of my time to that project!

 

[VERDE]

Hey ADS!! AMERICA!! GOD BLESS THEM ALL!! HOORAH!! Anyway, GOOD LUCK and GOOD HUNTING!! VERDE!!

 

[TerryC]

My first personal thank you came in '93, 23 years after getting out. From a fellow that was not yet born when I got out. At The Wall. Moving to say the least! TTC

 

[fmrUSMC_0844]

In my personal opinion, America should hang its head in shame for how the Veterans from Vietnam were treated when they came home. OK, not America, but the Americans that treated the Vets poorly. I make it a point to go out of my way to thank someone wearing a Veteran hat. I myself am a Veteran but I am a Vet because all the brave men and women before me. Without them, we would not have what we have now. And to them I am forever in their debt. Semper Fi. USMC 1999 - 2007, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Battle for An Nasiriya, Iraq 2003.