To Veterans

[Kace]

I just watched the movie Hanoi Hilton again. I had seen it and read a couple books about POW's before...one of my uncles was a POW in Germany.

It just made me want to tell you guys who are veterans how much I Respect and Thank You for All You Sacrificed.

I can't imagine what you went through during combat, I can't imagine how you leave that behind and come home again.

For a very long time my Dad (WW2) wouldn't talk to me about it and neither would my uncles. They said it was just something you don't talk about. I said how can anyone know the truth if nobody that was there tells the stories...good and bad?

I guess he thought about that because The Last Quail Season we had together, he did tell me some things.. Evidently at a family reunion he gave my Uncles and GUncles the okay to answer any questions I asked...they did. They all gave me access to know as much as I could possibly know unfiltered without being there and without them feeling like they had to hold back and being able to see them through new eyes. I'm blessed for that. I see all vets through those eyes since then.

I watched Band of Brothers and after hearing some of the stories before...it wasn't just a show. It hit me like a ton of bricks.

Men I've worked with have talked to me about their time in combat and two even brought me envelopes full of pictures of things that I Can't Get Out Of MY Head from their time in the Vietnam War. The Tet Offensive aftermath was in some of the pics.

I don't believe our Vietnam Vets were given the same respect from some people as was due them. I don't get that.

I'm Sorry For The Ramble....Please Know Though...I Sincerely Respect, Admire and Thank You All From The Bottom of My Heart. Heroes In My Eyes.

Kace

 

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[Red James Cash]

My brother made friends with a guy when he moved up north.I wish I had met my brothers friend.I bet he had stories that would fill a couple of books.To late though,he passed away.This guy was a vet from WW1 and WW2 fighting for Germany.Think about it,he fought in the battle of Verdun(If you don't know it look it up and read)The bulge and the battle for berlin.Think of what he saw,experienced.We will never know.

 

[dirtlooter]

I had a relative by marriage, a little quiet guy, he never talked about much except maybe deer hunting. after he died, I found out he was highly decorated, sole survivor of an island overran by the ****. never knew. A friend died last year,94, also a Pacific Vet, he shared a little bit and cried when he spoke of friends. world travelers from a nowhere place like so many and they managed to survive somehow. a little old old granny, a nurse in the Pacific but you wouldn't have ever guessed and still proud to have served. yeah, so many that have been forgotten and the price paid!

 

[Duckshot]

I went fishing on a head boat just the other day. One of the other fishermen was Vietnam veteran, a helicopter pilot. Those helicopter pilots, half of them never came home. Not as dangerous as being a on a german u-boat in WWII but pretty freaking dangerous. This guy was responsible not only for his aircraft but also the soldiers he carried. Heroes all of them.

When we got back to the dock I fillet some of the catch for him, porgies and snapper. Turned out the guy never cut a fish before. As he watched me cut I explained to him that it's real easy. Just cut off the parts you don't want to eat. He took some home whole to practice on. Heck this guy risked it all to try and give freedom and liberty to strange folks in another nation. I should have offered to cook them for him too.

 

[mikefromIllinois]

James Stockdale who was in the show was born and raised in the same town I live in.

 

[devldog]

I am a veteran from the Marine Corps who was lucky enough to serve during peace time, just after Vietnam. I have the utmost respect for all combat veterans who served during war time and sacrificed much. One of my favorite chiefs that I served under in the Fire Service was a Vietnam Vet. He was a door gunner on an air ship (Huey) that was shot down. All were killed in the crash except for John, the co pilot and a few others on board. A patrol of VC began an attempt to surround the downed Huey and capture the survivors. John removed the M60 machine gun from the mount and set up a defensive position. He killed many of the patrol and held the rest at bay until another ship could land and evacuate the wounded survivors. John like most never talked about his war experiences. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions. One of the nicest most humble Chiefs I ever worked for. As said, All heroes in my book. God Bless them all.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

For you members who never served in combat, It's just not something veterans talk about. If you've some talkative people around you, it's likely they didn't actually serve.

Everybody wants to be somebody.

 

[old digger]

Thanks to all you veterans for service to this the United States of America. Thank You!

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Seems the thread stopped. I'll jump back in for a bit.

I lost friends Father bless them. A man, A Person never forgets, it just doesn't happen. Never to date comes that way. Father forgive all of us

 

[Kace]

It was not my intent to bring up horrible memories... only to say Thank You, You Are Appreciated and Have Undying Respect In My Heart.

Deep..My family was exactly like you said about not talking about their service. I do get that now. At the time, and still it did and does help me to hear the truth about things I could of had no idea about. A couple of my gUncles cried when talking about their friends who were lost. That was the worst for me to hear.

After my father talked to me some about it...His conversations with me I'm sure weren't totally unfiltered, but it did show me why he was so insistent that I took self sufficiency seriously, which included guns of course. He never felt that it couldn't hit the fan here again too. Obviously he was right after 911, he was gone by then, but his legacy, beliefs and values live on.

My father, in his stories to me, kept talking about this buddy of his...I knew he didn't talk to anyone about his time in the service but anyway I was able to find this guy and I called him...come to find out he had been looking for my dad for years. I didn't know how my father would feel about it, but I thought here's a guy that he trusted and cared for more than anyone else during that time and the man really wanted to see him, so I arranged for that to happen after talking to my Mother about it...She said he used to talk about this guy all the time. My father was shocked to say the least but that didn't last long, they were like young men again telling funny stories that only they knew.

Dad took him to the lake for a couple days... just the two of them for some fishing and reminiscing I suppose. After he had left, my dad seemed to have some kind of peace about him. He died not long after and his buddy passed the next year...His widow said he came home with more of a peacefulness in him and kept talking about what a great time they had.

I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories for anyone.

I just didn't want to wait till the next Veterans Day or Memorial Day to Say You Guys Are Heroes To Me....Cause You Are Everyday.

Kace

 

[sprailroad]

You're a good guy Kace.

 

[Duckshot]

For you members who never served in combat, It's just not something veterans talk about. If you've some talkative people around you, it's likely they didn't actually serve.

Everybody wants to be somebody.

I know a few that served in Iraq, the one I know best suffers from the ptsd. He only described it to me once, and only after I bought him a lot of drinks. The way he described his role in the war, he says it was like trying to recscue the mentally deficient from a burning building. Our men pulled the women and children out of the flaming buildings, then after rescue the women and children would run back into the flames.

It was difficult to hear and I don't want to hear it again. I shed tears. We both did.

 

[devldog]

Kace, God Bless you for getting your Dad and his buddy back together again after all those years. It sounds like after rejoining, the two veterans were able to come to grips with a lot of what they had seen years younger as young soldiers during the war. It sounds like they were able to have found some peace that was lacking for some time. I'm sorry that they have both since passed, but you were able to get them together once again and I'm sure this was time well spent and time treasured between the two Vet's and Friends. What a great gift you gave them.

 

[JoeVal]

I’m a non combat vet USAF ‘69-‘73. My father was a wounded combat vet from WWII. He never talked to me or any of my four other brothers about his experiences, and we all respected that, knowing that he saw and experienced things that none of us could comprehend or empathize with. The quiet ones dealt with their deamons in their own way, and took them to their graves with them.

After our father died, his Purple Heart and shrapnel from his body went to my eldest brother who never served. I was the only one of five who served, and served voluntarily. It’s something that’s always bothered me, but not something I ever felt worth alienating him to possess for myself. Combat or non combat, veterans are all brothers in arms...something my biological brothers could never understand, nor could I ever explain. I quietly deal with.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

PTSD? That came along after my time. We didn't have PTSD, we were just F'd up in our heads.

 

[Kace]

I’m a non combat vet USAF ‘69-‘73. My father was a wounded combat vet from WWII. He never talked to me or any of my four other brothers about his experiences, and we all respected that, knowing that he saw and experienced things that none of us could comprehend or empathize with. The quiet ones dealt with their deamons in their own way, and took them to their graves with them.

After our father died, his Purple Heart and shrapnel from his body went to my eldest brother who never served. I was the only one of five who served, and served voluntarily. It’s something that’s always bothered me, but not something I ever felt worth alienating him to possess for myself. Combat or non combat, veterans are all brothers in arms...something my biological brothers could never understand, nor could I ever explain. I quietly deal with.

Thank You for sharing your family story Joe....That seems so strange to me that you wouldn't of been the one to inherit your fathers military medals...since you were the only one who served and followed in his footsteps. Or that your brother wouldn't have given them to you.

I'm sure your dad was proud of you for serving.

My father had a lot of friends and extended family... After he passed, I gave each of these guys something that belonged to him that was specific to that relationship they had.

A brother of his, that he wasn't close to got mad about me doing that, saying that since he was his brother... he should of had first right on these things. I disagreed since they weren't close and never did anything together or had any of the same interests. I did give him something but he didn't like that I gave other things to extended family and friends.

Kace

 

[Kace]

Kace, God Bless you for getting your Dad and his buddy back together again after all those years. It sounds like after rejoining, the two veterans were able to come to grips with a lot of what they had seen years younger as young soldiers during the war. It sounds like they were able to have found some peace that was lacking for some time. I'm sorry that they have both since passed, but you were able to get them together once again and I'm sure this was time well spent and time treasured between the two Vet's and Friends. What a great gift you gave them.

Devl...That means so much for you to say that...Thank You! I really debated if that was the right thing to do or if we should just let it go. If Mom hadn't said that he talked about his buddy a lot for a few years after coming home and he hadn't said the things he did to me specifically about him...I probably wouldn't of made contact.

Afterwards, I'm sure it was the right thing to do and was great for both of them. I'm definitely glad my Mother was there to nudge me a bit...I know it meant a lot to both of them to meet again under much different circumstances and be able to talk freely about things that nobody else in their lives could know about.

Kace

 

[uglymailman]

Thanks to all Vets.
My Dad was a WW2 Navy vet.. He talked openly about his service. His ship got credit for sinking a German U boat. He felt somewhat badly about that but his attitude was "If they could have killed me they would have."
He had contact post war with one shipmate across the state and that was it. Years later, I took my lunch once a week at a Public Housing location. In the Community area were donated magazines. I don't remember if it was a V.F.W. mag. or Am. Legion but in the back, in the classified section, was a list of Ship's Reunions and reunions for different Armed Service's. There is a clearing house for those in Jefferson City,MO.. Anyway, I contacted the clearing house and got info for Dad's ship's reunions. I called him that night and asked if he remembered "so and so" (Dad served on the Gustafson DE 182, a small ship with 125 or so compliment, not like a big ship with a couple of thousand). No, he couldn't remember. I told him "Well, he's the guy in charge of your ships reunion." Dad thought a min. & said "Oh hell, Chief so and so!" I told him I'd found the number so give him a call. Mom said he sat for a half an hour (I'm sure screwing up his courage) then called the Chief. They talked for the best part of an hour. Dad was too late to attend that year, but went to every one after that until he died. Mom & Dad even hosted one at Branson,MO., where several went to have their memory's recorded for the National Archive. They really roll out the Red Carpet for Vets in Branson.
I know those reunions were a good thing for my Dad. I went to the one the Folks hosted and those old men and their wives were transported back in time 40 years. Good luck.

 

[pulltabfelix]

I don't believe our Vietnam Vets were given the same respect from some people as was due them. I don't get that.

lots of factors. It was basically an undeclared war. Drafting young men who didn't want to go. No clear objectives. Our troops were hand tied by politicians. Never start a war in a country that borders China (we should have learned that in Korea).
did not give our draftees good training. Our troops who now fight in the middle east are 1000% better trained and equipped than those sent off to Vietnam with minimal training. National guard and reservists were not called up to fight, they were truly weekend warriors (not trying to diss them, it just the way it was. Today Our NG are the best trained in the world). Media was showing pictures of young dead American soldiers by the hundreds every single week. Corrupt allies in South Vietnam. Somehow all this SH**t flowed down to the innocent American soldier who was just trying to do their duty and come out the end alive and all in one piece.

I served during that time period of 1965-67. But fortunately the luck of the draw kept me out of Vietnam during my Army service. I have tremendous respect for those who did serve in Vietnam. They were put in an unwinnable situation by the politicians and then dumped the blame on the common soldier. Some of the higher ups like Lyndon Johnson (who broke up the black family homes by requiring no male can live in the home with women and children receiving welfare in his great society), his secretary of defense who was good with numbers and logistics but couldn't fight his way out of a girl scout pack and finally General William Westmoreland who lied, and lied about how we were winning the war while we were getting our asses kicked). I know this for a fact because in my Army MOS I saw all the top secret Vietnam battle reports and enemy estimates that they totally contradicted Westmoreland's statement to the press resulting in more dead American boys. Sorry for the soap box speech but that period of our Army history just pi**es me off big time. So sorry for all the wounded and dead veterans who suffered needlessly.

 

[RustyGold]

Thank you to all veterans and all that you gave for your country and it’s people. Thank you especially for our Freedom.