Veterans day young and old.

[Pitchy]

I feel the need to say that i`m so proud of our veterans both those that are serving now and us old fanny burbs that served before.
I wish i was younger i`d enlist in a second and go serve our country in a way that makes a difference.
God Bless everyone that serves and served, your all the best .

[Blaine]

You're service made a difference already....

[Pitchy]

You're service made a difference already....

Back at ya Blaine.
What concerns me is that our service men and woman are serving under a comander and chief that we don`t know what side he is on.
It sucks and my heart goes out to those severing, must be like those that came back from Nam and were called baby killers.
All i`m saying is we have to be proud of those that serve in these messed up political times, there just kids for Christ sakes.

[MrMurphy]

No more than you were a kid when you were in.


I got out quite literally right after the election results came in last time around (2008). Lot of my younger troops had voted for Obama because they'd only ever known Bush and they wanted something different. They were all kids during Clinton and didn't remember much.

I was 31 when I got out, and an 18 year old ROTC cadet in college during the worst of the Clinton cutbacks.

I said "You have fun with that".

One of my first troops, now a SSgt and instructor at our tech school, whose father retired as a SMSgt with 25 years in contacted me last year and said "Now I know what you and dad meant..."

Friend of mine who stayed in is a SSgt currently in Afghanistan, and he's not too happy.

[Mich Hunter]

I'm a younger MSgt and am not to happy the way things arre turning out.

[SteveR]

Blessings to all that serve and have served. I pray all current stay safe and that may their sacrifices be known and honored.

Steve

[cshold]

I feel the need to say that i`m so proud of our veterans both those that are serving now and us old fanny burbs that served before.
I wish i was younger i`d enlist in a second and go serve our country in a way that makes a difference.God Bless everyone that serves and served, your all the best .

I'm right there with ya Pitchy.

I would also take it much more serious this time around.

The first time around it was more for a selfish 'get a free
education' reason. But at the time that's what they were
promoting. So I can honestly say, thanks to the 4 years in
the USAF for the good money and career I've been blessed
with for the past 27 years.

Go Airforce

[Hayseed]

Thank you to all those who have served and are still

[Ironwood]

My ship was on radar station in the north Atlantic when the Russians launched Sputnik. At first everyone thought WWIII had started. The Cold War was pretty hot at the time.

My thanks goes out to the servicemen and women down through the years that have protected this country and the world.

I took this photo from the USS Price DER 332 in the north Atlantic after a sucessful highline transfer of mail, movies, and some Navy stuff.

[rat patrol]

Thanks to my bros and sises!

[wecsoger]

Y'all, thank you and you're welcome.

E-8 here, still in the inactive reserve so I'll keep my political comments to myself. Theoretically I'm still serving since I left from the active reserve and waiting for 60. (odd system nat'l guard and reserve has)

I'm only here because of the great men and women who served before me and helped me along. I could reach higher because I stood on their shoulders. And I hope I was able to help and foster along all the younger troops who served under me and I was able to give them a boost.

Don't care if you were a pilot, door-kicker, driver or just stirred potatoes in the mess hall. We're all here today because of what everyone did together.

[eric65]

I serve out of a sense of duty regardless of who the commander in chief is.

[Griff]

I got out after 3 years 9 mos & ½ a day... but who counts? I'd turned down 2 sets of orders that included advancement to E6 on a one-year extension or WO school w/a 4-year re-enlistment. I was feelin' guilty as I went to the reserve center to check in for my transfer to the inactive reserve for the remainder of my 6-year enlistment. So I went with the intent with to stay in the active reserves if I could wrangle that E-6 advancement. I did not foresee the ignorance/stupidity/arrogance of a USNR Ensign. After he demonstrated his ignorance and started orderin' me around, I demonstrated my fluency in Naval expletves. A sad day, I certainly knew better. Neither of us attained our goals! Even after the Col. called me that nite and offered me what I wanted, I just couldn't see myself workin' fir that Ensign without some retaliation.

So, my thanks to all that served before me and set the stardards I tried to achieve, and to all those that served after me and picked up the slack I left behind! But especially those that served with me and made it possible that I went to war and come home. And to any VN War vet that hasn't heard it yet; WELCOME HOME!

[jeepnik]

Whether you served in peace or war, as a grunt or a clerk, you all stood and declared an oath to this nation. An oath that was, for me at least, taken casually at the time. And I suspect the same was true of many of the young men and women who declared it. But I learned in a very short time what that oath meant. I've also learned that the oath doesn't expire when you leave the armed forces. Like any pledge taken, it should be honored as long as one lives.

I'm way too old and stove up to flit around in, and dangle from helos anymore. But if needed, like many here I'm sure, I'd give it a try. What the heck it really wasn't so bad the first time around.

So, here's a tip of the glass and a loud and bawdy thank you to all who served. Even if the glass only contains sparkling cider and the thank you is less bawdy these days, it's still loud and clear.

[COSteve]

Tonight it's a tradition for me to remember my tank driver, Ralph, who didn't make it back from VN in '68 when we were both hit, with a shot of his favorite, Wild Turkey. To everyone who served back then, we did what was right, even though many people thought we were wrong.

[rjohns94]

Thanks to all who served and are serving. 21 years, 3 months, 0 days for me and I would gladly serve again if I could.

[dogngun]

Black boot army vet.
Got my draft notice in basic training after I had enlisted... the Sergeant said I couldn't go...

I would like this much better if we actually did something for our disabled vets after they come home. I could do without the holiday if I had a choice rather than see some in the House saying we should cut benefits for disabled vets to save money...


but thanks for the thanks.


mark

Former SP4
504 PIR

[damienph]

I got out after 3 years 9 mos & ½ a day... but who counts? I'd turned down 2 sets of orders that included advancement to E6 on a one-year extension or WO school w/a 4-year re-enlistment. I was feelin' guilty as I went to the reserve center to check in for my transfer to the inactive reserve for the remainder of my 6-year enlistment. So I went with the intent with to stay in the active reserves if I could wrangle that E-6 advancement. I did not foresee the ignorance/stupidity/arrogance of a USNR Ensign. After he demonstrated his ignorance and started orderin' me around, I demonstrated my fluency in Naval expletves. A sad day, I certainly knew better. Neither of us attained our goals! Even after the Col. called me that nite and offered me what I wanted, I just couldn't see myself workin' fir that Ensign without some retaliation.

So, my thanks to all that served before me and set the stardards I tried to achieve, and to all those that served after me and picked up the slack I left behind! But especially those that served with me and made it possible that I went to war and come home. And to any VN War vet that hasn't heard it yet; WELCOME HOME!

I was lucky to be in when all of the draftees were let out early; left several E-5 openings. I made SGT E-5 with 22 months in the Army, Jan 1975. As many of you remember, being in the military wasn't very popular then. I too was offered (at least it was implied) E-6 if I would re-enlist for 3 and stay at my unit in Germany, or had my choice of several stateside assignments (as an E-5). I was newly married and my (now ex) wife wanted to go home, so I thought about going into the active reserve and asked my CO for his advice. He said either all of the way in or all of the way out; so I got all of the way out. I don't regret it except, this coming March is 40 years since basic training at Ft Ord, and here I am with another 8 years before I can retire. Too many important decisions to make when you're young.

I must say that those three years in the Army made a huge difference in my life. Before that I was one of the most undisciplined, immature, goof offs ever. At least now I am somewhat disciplined.

[MrMurphy]

A Marine I know was deciding whether to stay in and re-enlist or get out.

He'd had three deployments in six years, two of them 18 months. All of them frontline combat infantry in Iraq.


His colonel, a no BS type sat him down when he asked him for his advice and said something along the lines of "Sergeant, one day, you might get to be an old man. When you're an old man, all you'll have left is the stories to tell of what you've done. What those stories are about is up to you."

He went into the active reserves, and is still in. It gave him the mental break he needed, even with another deployment in the reserves. He's never regretted it.

I wish I could have stayed in, as I did just over 3.5 years before my knees went out, and was up for SSgt (E-5 in the USAF), but it is what it is.

As I told a young guy I know who's contemplating enlisting, in 10 or 15 years when my son asks me "daddy, what did you do during the war?" My answer, like all of ours, will not be "I was shopping at the mall".

[bobbyjack]

My ship was on radar station in the north Atlantic when the Russians launched Sputnik. At first everyone thought WWIII had started. The Cold War was pretty hot at the time.

My thanks goes out to the servicemen and women down through the years that have protected this country and the world.

I took this photo from the USS Price DER 332 in the north Atlantic after a sucessful highline transfer of mail, movies, and some Navy stuff.

darn you are an old phuck I,remeber laying out on quilt and watching such . I was born in 45.

Bob

[bobbyjack]

My ship was on radar station in the north Atlantic when the Russians launched Sputnik. At first everyone thought WWIII had started. The Cold War was pretty hot at the time.

My thanks goes out to the servicemen and women down through the years that have protected this country and the world.

I took this photo from the USS Price DER 332 in the north Atlantic after a sucessful highline transfer of mail, movies, and some Navy stuff.

darn you are an old phuck I,remeber laying out on quilt and watching such . I was born in 45.

Bob

[Pitchy]

Neat picture Gene thanks for sharing.