My husband was in the military and my dad worked as a civilian for the Army AIr Force Exchange Service, aka as AAFES. We moved like military, 20 times before I was 21. On Veteran’s day every year, I like to share the YouTube link for a band, Madison Rising. It is made up of military men who sing the most passionate rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. I don’t remember how I found them, but it became my favorite quickly and that type of music isn’t my #1 genre. I don’t know if it is the pictures involved in the video, or their passion, but it makes me grateful for their service and the service of others every time I see the video. If you served, thank you. In their “God Bless America” video their is a little old guy I wish I could give a hug. Watch it too. You will thank me later I promise.
I joined the USAF in 1979, right after graduation from San Diego State University. I served for a bit more than 10 years. I resigned my commission when my wife was in her PhD program at the University of Oklahoma and didn't want to move yet again.
During my tenure I was a software developer for the Space Transportation System, a program officer for the Ground Launched Cruise Missile, a student at the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a software engineer for the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).
While with AWACS I spent 30 days in Saudi Arabia during the Iran-Iraq war. I was fortunate in that was the closest I ever got to a battle zone.
I’m sitting here respecting the reading material. It’s good stuff to start the day.
It jumps at me like thrown peebles and stones.
Taking me back on a few mental journeys and good reads.
My immediate family has five (5) US Army Veterans with beginnings in home State of Hawai’i.
My late Uncle Eti leads the batch.
The Chinese overan his Infantry unit in the Korean War. It was hand to hand combat as ammo ran out. Most of his unit was wiped out. He survived miraculously with horrific physical and mental wounds.
My Mom tells me I was the only one who could talk to him about the War. He’d never lasted a long conversation on a tough topic of war and dying.
My older brother arrived in Vietnam during the bloody Tet Offensive. I got a few stories but not much details.
My Dad was activated to go to Nam. We waited for the news.
That was the time my Mom’s hair turned from black to white. I think she was worried about my brother and Dad.
Several decades followed and my Uncle’s three nephews (my two brothers and myself) served in South Korea.
Seeds were planted. So I went to the toughest training out of curiosity—US Army Ranger School. I survived a broken ankle and near jungle rot. I credit running marathons and ultra marathons and martial arts for my stamina (and craziness).
More importantly, I had a model to follow. My Commander was the most decorated soldier from the Vietnam War. He had the Medal of Honor and he was nominated several times for bravery.
He never left a man behind, going deep into enemy territory to retrieve wounded team mates.
With him, you don’t quit.
You pick up the slack and drive on.
There are more stories but I’ll stop here.
P.S. - I did meet two of CPT Dick Winter’s men (while on R&R from Afghanistan) and had a conversation with them in Normandy, France. Facinating bravery.
So it’s Veteran’s Day. I’ll go to Catholic Mass instead and launch prayers into eternity.
As a 20 yr old Navy Corpsman with a platoon of Marines in 1970 what surprised me was how young everyone was. I had 18 yr old squad leaders. Like the story in the Lord of the Flies. I watched these young men become savages.
That's interesting. That's when I was there also, went through two tours. I had a childhood friend who was an Army corpsman die in Laos that year. His baby daughter never met her daddy. God bless you Army and Navy corpsman, as brave as any soldiers.
Yes, we were pretty young. I was 20 when I got there, seemingly old for the average age.
I served in the Air Force in the 1980's. I was one of the lucky ones. I never served in combat. The closest thing I saw to combat ended with a chuckle. I was stationed at a small airbase in Belgium called Florennes working as an SP. One night we got a call that shots were being fired along the east fence area. Were we under attack? Several fire teams responded to the area and began a search for anything that moved. Then we heard it. Boom. Then boom again. Further investigation determined that the "attack" was actually a local farmer shooting at rabbits that were eating his lettuce plants. We had a good laugh and went back to work.
Served nearly 7 years from 99 - 06 in the Army JAG Corps with the 101st Airborne, USALSA, and V Corps. Like so many people, 9/11 changed the trajectory of my time in the service, culminating in my being a part of the prosecution team for the Abu Ghraib abuses. Met a guy by the name of Bill Murphy, who introduced me to a literary friend who in turn helped to memorialize that experience in a book. Thank you again for your support and encouragement, Bill!
My dad was 30 years old, the father of two, and working in the San Pedro shipyards when he was drafted in April 1945. After completing basic training at Camp Roberts in San Luis Obispo County, He was set to ship out to the Pacific when the war came to an abrupt end following the dropping of the atomic bombs. My dad spent the next year in Japan as part of the occupation force. My family never second-guessed Truman's decision to use the bombs to end the war. There has been a lot of revisionist history on this subject in the years since.
I joined the Air Force in 1976 out of anger when the bank I worked at didn't give me a raise with a minor promotion. "I'll show them", I thought. I may not have raised my right hand out of a deep sense of patriotism initially, and I couldn't remember the last person in my family who served -- WWII maybe? But, I ended up serving a full career in Security Forces including five overseas assignments. I served with incredible people and had experiences I never expected -- some terrifying (getting shot at), some comical (back to the incredible people), many just exciting or mundane. But I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything else. I met my wife of 35 years because of the military -- she was an Air Force civilian employee and I got a much better deal than she did! Our kids basically grew up on Air Force bases -- our son is now an Army warrant officer and our daughter married an Army combat vet. Our son was born in the father's waiting room at the Wright-Patterson AFB medical center, and our daughter was born in a deployable medical conex in the parking lot of the 121 Evac Hospital in Seoul. We have talked about them growing up as military "brats" and moving every few years. They both said it was terrific and they wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I salute all veterans and those currently serving, thank them for their sacrifices, and pray for their health and wellness.
I served in the Air Force for 30 years. The toughest days were (1) leaving my young wife to serve in Thailand during the Vietnam War and (2) leaving on my son's 13th birthday to deploy to the Persian Gulf War. It was a very tough time for him, my wife and daughter. When Veterans are honored it's important to remember military families make huge sacrifices too. God Bless them...and God Bless America.
I felt, and still feel, truly blessed to have been born the USA. However, the US military academies, at the time I graduated from high school, were not yet accepting women. I went on with my life, getting my nursing education and working. Roughly 10 years into my career I came upon an editorial in the Association of Operating Room Nurses journal with a call for OR nurses to join the military. I answered that call with a patriotic heart… The age limit was increased to 30, I think, to specifically recruit these experienced nurses. I made it just under the wire, age-wise. When I interviewed for a reserve medical unit, just newly being formed, I was told that the only reason the Air Force would take me as a nurse officer was because of my specialty- but that unless I got my Bachelors degree (I had an Associate Degree) I could only be promoted to Captain. I immediately returned to school to get that done. As an AF Reservist I moved around the country serving in NM, 2 different bases in AZ, then retired from Barksdale AFB In Louisiana (although I lived in TX). During my time in AZ I was deployed to Europe during Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1991.
I feel blessed and honored to have taken the opportunity to serve my country 🇺🇸
I joined the U.S. Army in February 1976-Delayed Entry Program. I was happy to finally leave the confines of Jamaica NY on 1 July 1976 (Bicentennial Soldier) before the ink on my H.S. Diploma was dry, to start my new life. I would attend the final Women's Army Corp Basic Training. I had both a male and female Drill Sergeant. The female Drill Sergeant changed my life one day by telling me that "I had a funky attitude" and needed to get it together. She had no idea that I had escaped a physically and verbally abusive upbringing-but those words reminded me that I didn't want to become a person who was mean, nasty, and guarded because of it. From that day forward I learned to be who I was at the core kind and friendly. Although, I experienced the ups and downs of military life as a woman, I learned a lot of life lessons in my 20 years of service that helped me to be intentionally forgiving, kind, and friendly in spite of the hardships of life.
Thanks Bill to devoting this day to veterans & thanks to all who took time to comment. Thank you all& your loved ones for your service
I graduated from high school in ‘68 - there were a lot of guys who came back from Viet Nam & wouldn’t talk about it…
One of the bravest guys I think I personally know is a scuba diving friend & he served as a combat medic during Nam
I wasn’t married to my current husband at the time but he served in intelligence & not in combat but in agent orange areas. He later developed a brain tumor resulting in surgery not expected to walk but at the time he has sole custody of his daughter so knew he had to work hard… now yrs later after we’ve met we’re dancing lots!!!
My husband was in the military and my dad worked as a civilian for the Army AIr Force Exchange Service, aka as AAFES. We moved like military, 20 times before I was 21. On Veteran’s day every year, I like to share the YouTube link for a band, Madison Rising. It is made up of military men who sing the most passionate rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. I don’t remember how I found them, but it became my favorite quickly and that type of music isn’t my #1 genre. I don’t know if it is the pictures involved in the video, or their passion, but it makes me grateful for their service and the service of others every time I see the video. If you served, thank you. In their “God Bless America” video their is a little old guy I wish I could give a hug. Watch it too. You will thank me later I promise.
https://youtu.be/o7lTry9FO3Y
I joined the USAF in 1979, right after graduation from San Diego State University. I served for a bit more than 10 years. I resigned my commission when my wife was in her PhD program at the University of Oklahoma and didn't want to move yet again.
During my tenure I was a software developer for the Space Transportation System, a program officer for the Ground Launched Cruise Missile, a student at the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a software engineer for the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).
While with AWACS I spent 30 days in Saudi Arabia during the Iran-Iraq war. I was fortunate in that was the closest I ever got to a battle zone.
I’m sitting here respecting the reading material. It’s good stuff to start the day.
It jumps at me like thrown peebles and stones.
Taking me back on a few mental journeys and good reads.
My immediate family has five (5) US Army Veterans with beginnings in home State of Hawai’i.
My late Uncle Eti leads the batch.
The Chinese overan his Infantry unit in the Korean War. It was hand to hand combat as ammo ran out. Most of his unit was wiped out. He survived miraculously with horrific physical and mental wounds.
My Mom tells me I was the only one who could talk to him about the War. He’d never lasted a long conversation on a tough topic of war and dying.
My older brother arrived in Vietnam during the bloody Tet Offensive. I got a few stories but not much details.
My Dad was activated to go to Nam. We waited for the news.
That was the time my Mom’s hair turned from black to white. I think she was worried about my brother and Dad.
Several decades followed and my Uncle’s three nephews (my two brothers and myself) served in South Korea.
Seeds were planted. So I went to the toughest training out of curiosity—US Army Ranger School. I survived a broken ankle and near jungle rot. I credit running marathons and ultra marathons and martial arts for my stamina (and craziness).
More importantly, I had a model to follow. My Commander was the most decorated soldier from the Vietnam War. He had the Medal of Honor and he was nominated several times for bravery.
He never left a man behind, going deep into enemy territory to retrieve wounded team mates.
With him, you don’t quit.
You pick up the slack and drive on.
There are more stories but I’ll stop here.
P.S. - I did meet two of CPT Dick Winter’s men (while on R&R from Afghanistan) and had a conversation with them in Normandy, France. Facinating bravery.
So it’s Veteran’s Day. I’ll go to Catholic Mass instead and launch prayers into eternity.
The election is history, let’s move on.
That’s my giveback.
As a 20 yr old Navy Corpsman with a platoon of Marines in 1970 what surprised me was how young everyone was. I had 18 yr old squad leaders. Like the story in the Lord of the Flies. I watched these young men become savages.
That's interesting. That's when I was there also, went through two tours. I had a childhood friend who was an Army corpsman die in Laos that year. His baby daughter never met her daddy. God bless you Army and Navy corpsman, as brave as any soldiers.
Yes, we were pretty young. I was 20 when I got there, seemingly old for the average age.
I served in the Air Force in the 1980's. I was one of the lucky ones. I never served in combat. The closest thing I saw to combat ended with a chuckle. I was stationed at a small airbase in Belgium called Florennes working as an SP. One night we got a call that shots were being fired along the east fence area. Were we under attack? Several fire teams responded to the area and began a search for anything that moved. Then we heard it. Boom. Then boom again. Further investigation determined that the "attack" was actually a local farmer shooting at rabbits that were eating his lettuce plants. We had a good laugh and went back to work.
😅thanks for sharing. And for serving. 🇺🇸👊
Served nearly 7 years from 99 - 06 in the Army JAG Corps with the 101st Airborne, USALSA, and V Corps. Like so many people, 9/11 changed the trajectory of my time in the service, culminating in my being a part of the prosecution team for the Abu Ghraib abuses. Met a guy by the name of Bill Murphy, who introduced me to a literary friend who in turn helped to memorialize that experience in a book. Thank you again for your support and encouragement, Bill!
My dad was 30 years old, the father of two, and working in the San Pedro shipyards when he was drafted in April 1945. After completing basic training at Camp Roberts in San Luis Obispo County, He was set to ship out to the Pacific when the war came to an abrupt end following the dropping of the atomic bombs. My dad spent the next year in Japan as part of the occupation force. My family never second-guessed Truman's decision to use the bombs to end the war. There has been a lot of revisionist history on this subject in the years since.
The memories of the Port Chicago incident seem to be fading.
Very few people actually know about it. Subtle racism?
More of a subject for Memorial Day.
Richard Rime
Interesting. If never heard of it, but your brief post prompted me to look it up. Subtle racism? Perhaps. We may never know.
I joined the Air Force in 1976 out of anger when the bank I worked at didn't give me a raise with a minor promotion. "I'll show them", I thought. I may not have raised my right hand out of a deep sense of patriotism initially, and I couldn't remember the last person in my family who served -- WWII maybe? But, I ended up serving a full career in Security Forces including five overseas assignments. I served with incredible people and had experiences I never expected -- some terrifying (getting shot at), some comical (back to the incredible people), many just exciting or mundane. But I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything else. I met my wife of 35 years because of the military -- she was an Air Force civilian employee and I got a much better deal than she did! Our kids basically grew up on Air Force bases -- our son is now an Army warrant officer and our daughter married an Army combat vet. Our son was born in the father's waiting room at the Wright-Patterson AFB medical center, and our daughter was born in a deployable medical conex in the parking lot of the 121 Evac Hospital in Seoul. We have talked about them growing up as military "brats" and moving every few years. They both said it was terrific and they wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I salute all veterans and those currently serving, thank them for their sacrifices, and pray for their health and wellness.
I served in the Air Force for 30 years. The toughest days were (1) leaving my young wife to serve in Thailand during the Vietnam War and (2) leaving on my son's 13th birthday to deploy to the Persian Gulf War. It was a very tough time for him, my wife and daughter. When Veterans are honored it's important to remember military families make huge sacrifices too. God Bless them...and God Bless America.
I had always wanted to be in the military.
I felt, and still feel, truly blessed to have been born the USA. However, the US military academies, at the time I graduated from high school, were not yet accepting women. I went on with my life, getting my nursing education and working. Roughly 10 years into my career I came upon an editorial in the Association of Operating Room Nurses journal with a call for OR nurses to join the military. I answered that call with a patriotic heart… The age limit was increased to 30, I think, to specifically recruit these experienced nurses. I made it just under the wire, age-wise. When I interviewed for a reserve medical unit, just newly being formed, I was told that the only reason the Air Force would take me as a nurse officer was because of my specialty- but that unless I got my Bachelors degree (I had an Associate Degree) I could only be promoted to Captain. I immediately returned to school to get that done. As an AF Reservist I moved around the country serving in NM, 2 different bases in AZ, then retired from Barksdale AFB In Louisiana (although I lived in TX). During my time in AZ I was deployed to Europe during Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1991.
I feel blessed and honored to have taken the opportunity to serve my country 🇺🇸
Perhaps this country was also blessed with your life here. Thank you for sharing and your service.
There are three members of my family that served in wars:
1. My dad served in the army in WWI in France.
2. An older stepbrother (his mom passed away; my dad remarried) served in the marines in Korea.
3. I served in the marines in Vietnam.
None of us ever talked about it with family, except for my dad talking about the Germans using mustard gas. We all lost comrades and friends there.
To me, those who didn't come back (Ron and Bob among others,) you are my heroes.
Thank you for noting that the oath is to defend the Constitution. Most civilians are not aware of that.
I joined the U.S. Army in February 1976-Delayed Entry Program. I was happy to finally leave the confines of Jamaica NY on 1 July 1976 (Bicentennial Soldier) before the ink on my H.S. Diploma was dry, to start my new life. I would attend the final Women's Army Corp Basic Training. I had both a male and female Drill Sergeant. The female Drill Sergeant changed my life one day by telling me that "I had a funky attitude" and needed to get it together. She had no idea that I had escaped a physically and verbally abusive upbringing-but those words reminded me that I didn't want to become a person who was mean, nasty, and guarded because of it. From that day forward I learned to be who I was at the core kind and friendly. Although, I experienced the ups and downs of military life as a woman, I learned a lot of life lessons in my 20 years of service that helped me to be intentionally forgiving, kind, and friendly in spite of the hardships of life.
You sound like a marvelous person. I’m so glad to have read this today. Thank you
Thanks Bill to devoting this day to veterans & thanks to all who took time to comment. Thank you all& your loved ones for your service
I graduated from high school in ‘68 - there were a lot of guys who came back from Viet Nam & wouldn’t talk about it…
One of the bravest guys I think I personally know is a scuba diving friend & he served as a combat medic during Nam
I wasn’t married to my current husband at the time but he served in intelligence & not in combat but in agent orange areas. He later developed a brain tumor resulting in surgery not expected to walk but at the time he has sole custody of his daughter so knew he had to work hard… now yrs later after we’ve met we’re dancing lots!!!