To Our Veterans

[Ole Miss]

My father, a WW II and Korean War Veteran, told me that all any veteran ever asked for was a simple Thank You. On behalf of my myself and my family, I want to extend our sincerest appreciations to all veterans and a simple Thank You for your service and sacrifice on this day of remembrance and honor.
Regards
David

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

I definitely know Richard is one, so I'll gladly say THANK YOU to @ucvrelics.

I'm not quite sure who all are the other veterans here but I know we have A LOT. If other people could add to this thread and identify them and say THANK YOU, I think it would be nice!

 

[Mark A]

To Our Nation's Vets:

Thank you for your service.

We admire and honor your courage.

We are so grateful that you made it back home!

 

[donna]

My thanks too. My father (World War II), father in law (World War II), 6 Uncles (World War II) and several cousins (Vietnam and Iraq War) were Veterans. My thanks and love to them for their service and they forever in my memory. God bless all veterans.

 

[121st PA Vols]

My father was a B-17 bomber pilot with the 8th Air Force, his brother also Army in intelligence serving with MacArthur, my nephew is still serving (22 years) as a Naval aviator flying the F-18 Super Hornet/trainers and grandson discharged from the Marine Corps 2 years ago as an MSG. I went USAF-SAC, 8th AF, 19th Bomb Wing for 6 years. Thanks to all my brother and sister vets past and present and high school classmates who in Lincoln's words, gave "the last full measure."

 

[UCVRelics]

 

[Coonewah Creek]

Many thanks to all the veterans. My dad was an infantryman in the 45th Infantry Division during World War II. I still remember the stories he used to tell us about his time in service. They were almost always funny stories...he hardly ever spoke of any of the darker things I know he saw and did during the war. I only recall one time when I was older and really pressed him, he told me of an incident that I'm sure had to haunt him the rest of his life. The Greatest Generation is almost all gone now. God bless them all...

 

[96PaCoK]

 

[Pollaco]

I just returned from a program put on at our local school. It was dedicated to this County's oldest veteran. He is 101 years young and was a Sargent in the Air Corps. The playing of taps was a reminder of my Dad's funeral 7 years ago. Dad was also a WWII vet (purple heart). I'm wasn't ashamed of my tears. Thanks vets!

 

[Buckeye Bill]

My Father and Father-in-Law.....

My two heroes!

USMC (1986 to 1990)

The Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC.

Semper Fi,
Bill

 

[DaveBrt]

My wife and I were discussing my career (25 years, USN) yesterday. She insisted that I write an autobiography of my service time so that our daughters and grandchildren will know what I did. She had a good idea, as always, so I have spent most of today outlining my activities. I'll start writing tomorrow and might have enough of a first draft to show at our Thanksgiving reunion. I'm 77 yo, so time to clean us loose ends.

 

[bankerpapaw]

My father, a WW II and Korean War Veteran, told me that all any veteran ever asked for was a simple Thank You. On behalf of my myself and my family, I want to extend our sincerest appreciations to all veterans and a simple Thank You for your service and sacrifice on this day of remembrance and honor.
Regards
David

Thank you!! Proud to have served!!!

 

[DaveBrt]

My wife and I were discussing my career (25 years, USN) yesterday. She insisted that I write an autobiography of my service time so that our daughters and grandchildren will know what I did. She had a good idea, as always, so I have spent most of today outlining my activities. I'll start writing tomorrow and might have enough of a first draft to show at our Thanksgiving reunion. I'm 77 yo, so time to clean us loose ends.

Well, I got the Navy story completed, photos attached, etc. Its about 33 pages long. I'll present a printed copy to each daughter at Christmas. Glad I finally wrote it -- even my wife, who shared the entire journey, found things she had never heard.

 

[Story]

My wife and I were discussing my career (25 years, USN) yesterday. She insisted that I write an autobiography of my service time so that our daughters and grandchildren will know what I did. She had a good idea, as always, so I have spent most of today outlining my activities. I'll start writing tomorrow and might have enough of a first draft to show at our Thanksgiving reunion. I'm 77 yo, so time to clean us loose ends.

I can not stress that you do this thing strongly enough.

I reconstructed my neighbor's deceased father's service, drafted for Vietnam, from his DD214.

Far better you tell your tale than someone like me [see also my sig line]

 

[Story]

My father, a WW II and Korean War Veteran, told me that all any veteran ever asked for was a simple Thank You. On behalf of my myself and my family, I want to extend our sincerest appreciations to all veterans and a simple Thank You for your service and sacrifice on this day of remembrance and honor.
Regards
David

Thanks, fellow citizens.

I/we couldn't have done what we did without all of your tax dollars.

Garryowen.​

 

[Pollaco]

I just returned from a program put on at our local school. It was dedicated to this County's oldest veteran. He is 101 years young and was a Sargent in the Air Corps. The playing of taps was a reminder of my Dad's funeral 7 years ago. Dad was also a WWII vet (purple heart). I'm wasn't ashamed of my tears. Thanks vets!

We will be attending that old vet's funeral tomorrow. You just never know when.Thank an old vet before
It's too late.

 

[stu613]

I served 12yrs in USAF, all cold war, so I sorta feel "thanks" are a wasted effort on me. However, for those of you who have "seen the elephant" whether it was WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq or any of the other dozens of places where hostile intent was experienced, you have my most sincere appreciation, honor, respect and thanks! So from a fellow vet, a salute, Thank you, and a job well done.

 

[Story]

I served 12yrs in USAF, all cold war, so I sorta feel "thanks" are a wasted effort on me.

Stop that. ​

1) Service is lethal, even in peace time - we dealt with killing machines 24/7/365 that weren't particular about who they killed or maimed. Even putting air in truck tires could become an emotionally significant moment.
2) No one promised us that the blank check (for our lives that) we signed when we enlisted wasn't going to be cashed before we DD214'd.
3) Morons perpetrating accidents can kill you just as dead as a 7,62x39.
"The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on."

― Captain Yossarian [Joseph Heller, Catch-22].​

4) The Cold War wasn't exactly *Cold*

Secret Casualties of the Cold War

Gary Powers wasn’t the only one. More than 200 airmen were shot down while spying on the Soviet Union.

www.smithsonianmag.com

H-029-3 Cold War Aviation Incidents

H-Gram 029, Attachment 3 Samuel J. Cox, Director NHHC April 2019

www.history.navy.mil

Air-to-air combat losses between the Soviet Union and the United States - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

5) You took one step forward with that Oath. Never forget that.

Your service counts just like the Operators' who got shot at all the time, but you lucked out avoiding those nightmares.

 

[stu613]

Stop that. ​

1) Service is lethal, even in peace time - we dealt with killing machines 24/7/365 that weren't particular about who they killed or maimed. Even putting air in truck tires could become an emotionally significant moment.
2) No one promised us that the blank check (for our lives that) we signed when we enlisted wasn't going to be cashed before we DD214'd.
3) Morons perpetrating accidents can kill you just as dead as a 7,62x39.
"The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on."

― Captain Yossarian [Joseph Heller, Catch-22].​

4) The Cold War wasn't exactly *Cold*

Secret Casualties of the Cold War

Gary Powers wasn’t the only one. More than 200 airmen were shot down while spying on the Soviet Union.

www.smithsonianmag.com

H-029-3 Cold War Aviation Incidents

H-Gram 029, Attachment 3 Samuel J. Cox, Director NHHC April 2019

www.history.navy.mil

Air-to-air combat losses between the Soviet Union and the United States - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

5) You took one step forward with that Oath. Never forget that.

Your service counts just like the Operators' who got shot at all the time, but you lucked out avoiding those nightmares.

Agreed 'Service is definitely lethal, even in peacetime'. A guy I went to college with died when his F-4 crashed in Germany on a night mission in 1979, we lost an F-111 crew in a training accident in 1982, and I knew and served with Captain Fernando Ribas at Cannon AFB '80-'83 (he was the F-111 pilot killed during the Libya raid)

 

[stu613]

We will be attending that old vet's funeral tomorrow. You just never know when.Thank an old vet before
It's too late.

Interesting, my uncle lives in San Antonio, he served as a link operator with the 391 Bomb grp (B-26 Marauders/A-26 Invaders) in Europe in WWII. He turned 101 in August and luckily is still "kicking". My dad, his youngest brother, was drafted just a couple of months before Germany surrendered and ended up processing/discharging the returning troops from Europe. One day a Sgt stood in front of him and addressed him by name. It was his oldest brother and he could not even recognized the "boy" who had left home just a couple of years earlier. Normally it took a couple of weeks to out process but my Uncle was on a train home that night!! Always been one of my favorite family stories.