Could it ever really feel real?

[Dave Hull]

Thats a good point. I called out a guy in Hinesville georgia who was wearing a CIB with 2 stars on it. The Infantry mueseum has a pretty comprehensive list of the reciepients of the CIB (3rd Award) and there aren't too many.

I had a 1st Sergeant with one star who served in Korea, Vietnam (three tours) El Salvador and Grenada. He only wore 6 combat stripes so we asked him one day, "He Top, why do you only have 6 combat stripes on your blues?" In his typical flair he responded, "Now den, I done had 6 combat tours, KoRea, Vitnam, Salvador and Grenada." We were all busting a gut at his response so he followed up with, "Why is you menses laughing at yo First Sergeant?" When we caught our breath we told him, "Top, the combat stripe indicates 6 months in a combat zone, you have 5 years, should be 10 stripes."

He pondered that for a few minutes and fixed us with a steely gaze and said, "Now den" turned and walked away from us. He was the best field 1st Sergeant a soldier could ask for and when on parade in Arlington Cemetary, looked like Audie Murphy, minus the Medal of Honor. I think he had every other US medal, a Croix de Guerre, the Vietnamese medal of honor, some ungodly large Korean medal for extreme gallantry, jump wings from all the known world etc.

His medals, unit citations and wings hung below his ceremonial belt on both sides of his chest and touched his both his epaulettes, but only one star on his CIB. He had a different combat patch on all his uniforms, since he felt they should all get a work out.

 

[ExNavyPilot]

Even though I was an Infantry Officer, I wasn't awarded the CIB which is reserved for infantrymen for ground combat. I was awarded two DFC's, Bronze Star, sixteen Airmedals (one with "V" device) for aerial combat. These were awarded for specific events. Now the aviators who fly in combat get the Combat Aviator's Badge. Believe me, I would rather be up in the air than on the ground. Those ground pounders had my total respect and all the aerial weaponry that we could cover their butts with. I actually saw several elephants in the jungles of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

Good on you, brother! I salute your service.

Do you ever miss it? NOT the combat, but the excitement of flying the mission?

Although I'm very happy being a retired naval officer, I occasionally wish I could be out there again over the North Pacific at 300', yanking and banking around to stay on top of a "contact" while my well-oiled crew is doing all the stuff needed to maintain track on the Russkie below us. Kinda like playing 3 dimensional team chess while riding a roller coaster. Exciting, anxious, mentally and physically draining, challenging....and fun.

 

[Bob Owen]

Good on you, brother! I salute your service.

Do you ever miss it? NOT the combat, but the excitement of flying the mission?

Although I'm very happy being a retired naval officer, I occasionally wish I could be out there again over the North Pacific at 300', yanking and banking around to stay on top of a "contact" while my well-oiled crew is doing all the stuff needed to maintain track on the Russkie below us. Kinda like playing 3 dimensional team chess while riding a roller coaster. Exciting, anxious, mentally and physically draining, challenging....and fun.

I do miss the flying. I continued to fly after my military service. I organized and flew in the Harrison County Mississippi Sheriff Department's flight section for 13 years. I also flew spray operations for the Gulf Coast Misquito Control and the Harrison County's Civil Defense rescue and recovery. I did some flying for the FBI, DEA, ATF and National Geographic. I fly no more, but miss it greatly. I salute your service in the Cold War as you helped the demise of the Soviet Union.

 

[GAvolunteer]

I have felt it not at cwr but at a airsoft game. Everyone was in proper acu camos and we were defending a compound. Suddenly the enemy came out of know were. If I had so much as breathed I would have been exposed and I would have immediately had been hit. The fire came in unending sheets. The leaves of the near by bushes had been completely shot off. At that point I was no longer playing the game. Just fighting--fighting not for my team but for my own survival. That is the closest I have come to feeling "real".