Author Topic: Veterans stories!  (Read 971 times)

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Offline dominic135

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Veterans stories!
« on: June 24, 2017, 03:28:59 PM »
The benefits of being a Veteran often come late in life. I enlisted in 1969, right out of high school. I didn't enlist to kill people, at 17 I was in search of adulthood. My life has often benefited by being a Veteran, but the older one gets, the more Vets become romantic about their time in the service and I'm going to tell you why. It's not about war stories, it's about the main difference between the life of duty vs civilian life. Many of us get out after the first enlistment. Mine lasted through two and many spend the best years on their life in duty. Not just Vets, but police, firefighters, EMT's and many more professions. The guys who stayed for life in any of those fields are true hero's.
But Vets who left to raise families and build careers often look back at their time as the only time in their lives they gave their all for people they never met. Americans who often denigrate the service or have no opinion one way or another. In truth, it is often the only time in our lives we were not about us, our families or the little worlds we live in as adults!
We spend a life time building our careers, educating our children, taking care of our parents... everything is about us, our little world and the people we love. That's not a bad thing to do... in itself, it is virtuous.
But there was a time we put our lives on the line for our Country, people we didn't know and a way of life we wanted to preserve. Those are truly heroic deeds! In comparison, our little world endeavors seem selfish. Most Americans never look beyond their own family and neighborhood. Even though our enlistment may have been selfish, to get away from family, stay out of jail, save for a college education, what we remember, is protecting our whole country. My first paycheck in the service was $97.50.... for the whole month, and a third of that went into savings bonds!
So when we "Wax Nostalgic" those are the times we miss. Years of duty to everyone, virtually for nothing. That is what we are proud of! For those of you who serve a lifetime as GI's, Police, Firefighters... there is no end to my gratitude, or my praise. Thank you. You're duty does not go unappreciated.   

Offline Genin

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Re: Veterans stories!
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2017, 10:14:18 AM »
What's going on battle?! I'm still in service (nasty girl, PA Army National Guard). I can't help but think that in the future, when I eventually ETS, that I'm going to miss the experiences and brotherhood the most. I have had opportunities to do things that you would never get to in any other area of life, than in the military. I've been 11b infantry and am currently a 19k M1A1 Armor Crewman. After I get my license (finishing up my masters) I can move onto warrant officer school for social work (67d). If it all pans out then I'll be staying until retirement, if not, then I'll probably not extend after my current contract is up.

Don't ever downplay your service brother. You signed on that line and even if you only served your first contract, you did your part.

Offline Tanners Owner

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Re: Veterans stories!
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2017, 09:56:36 PM »
The memories I cherish most are the practical jokes we'd play on one another. Back in the day, we'd get away with stuff that would get you canned today. Disappointing how it's turned, but it is what it is.

After retirement from service, I now serve as an Army civilian and work with soldiers daily. What I see today in most of these troops gives me hope for our nation.

Hooah
Like a midget at a urinal, I'll have to keep on my toes

Offline M1A4ME

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Re: Veterans stories!
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2017, 10:47:54 PM »
I tell this one, sometimes.

We were at Ft. A.P.Hill for a week of running around the woods (11B).  We were going through what was a pretty new testing program at that time, called an ARTEP (if I remember correctly).

I was one of the best shots in the company with my M14 and proud of it.  I was also one of the best in the company with an M60 and proud of that, too.  Good enough with that M60 that during one of the field tests (monitored by the battalion commander, a colonel with Vietnam experience) he interrupted the NCO's examining my crew served weapons position/range card, etc. to ask me some questions.  When he was finished he turned around and told the group that it was the best crew served weapons position he'd ever seen and he wanted me to get a three day pass when we got back to Ft. Myer after the ARTEP was complete.  Man, was my head swelled.

The next day we had a road march to a live fire training exercise.  My squad leader told me that when we got to the range I was take my M14 and concentrate (with my buddy, another good rifleman) on the longer range targets across the field.  He told us that so far, not a single squad in the Company (3 platoons, 4 squads per platoon) had hit all the targets.  He wanted 100% on the long range targets and we better get it for him.  I said, "Great, so who gets to carry the M60 on the road march?"  He said, "You do."  I thought that sucked and said so.  If I was going to shoot my M14 and someone else was going to shoot the M60 in the exercise then I ought to carry my M14 and the other guy should carry the M60.  No dice.  I carried than heavy monster for 10 miles on that road march.

When we got to the range I traded with the guy (don't remember who it was these days) and got my TRW M14 (1490317 - can't forget it after signing it in/out of the arms room almost every day for almost 4 years) and went to the table to pick up loaded magazines of "7.62 Full Metal Jacket".  They explained how we'd move to the top of the ridgeline and engage the targets near an APC (simulating a squad exiting the APC) and how no one was to shoot the APC (M113 with a fresh paint job).

We walked, then crawled to the top of the hill and the targets were out there.  Close up around the APC and far out (mine and my buddy's) across the field along/in the tree line.  The fire command was given and we opened up.

I worked my way from left to right with two rounds per target (cardboard silhouettes) and then worked back right to left and then again left to right.  I figured if I hadn't hit them by then I wasn't going to.  I was still really pissed off about having to lug that M60 all that way in the heat/humidity and took a quick look around and since no one seemed to be looking at me I popped that freshly painted M113 and got a wild "twanging" sound from the hit. 

The range officer stopped BSing with the group he was talking to and started cursing at the top of his voice and yelling, "WHO SHOT MY APC?"  over and over.  Of course, I'd gone back to working my way through the long range targets again and he went back to BSing with the group he was with.  I took another quick look around and didn't see anyone paying much attention to me so I popped that APC again and got another satisfying "twang" out of it.  That got the range officer and the range NCOs running up and down the line screaming, "CEASE FIRE!! CEASE FIRE!! CEASE FIRE!!"  So we all stopped shooting, unloaded and cleared our weapons and were marched off the range for a squad sized chewing out.

As we were waiting on the truck to take us back to our campsite our squad leader came up to use with a big grin on his face and told us we were the only squad so far to hit all the targets on the range. 

I never told anyone, but my buddy, that I'd been the one shooting the APC.

When we got back to Ft. Myer a couple days later I got to clean "my" M14 and "my" M60.  Nothing unusual about that, it happened most of the time when we went to the field.

I can still hear that sound that "7.62 Full Metal Jacket" rounds made bouncing off that APC - if it's quiet and I listen close.
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline M1A4ME

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Re: Veterans stories!
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2017, 10:58:31 PM »
One more M60 story.

Anyone familiar with those thick vines that grow in the woods in VA?

We were crawling through a big thicket of pines and vines (I mean the kind of crawling where you turn the M60 over on it's left side, lay the right side bipod leg down and grab it by the left side bipod leg to push it along beside/in front of you as you low crawl through the leaves/vines/tree limbs) to get to a spot where we could ambush another squad that was supposed to be coming down a road and crossing a creek.

I did a good job of crawling along through that thicket.  When we got to the other side we were just a few yards from the top of the low hill.  I grabbed the barrel with my left hand and went to grab the pistol grip with my right hand and missed.  Missed??  How the hell do you "miss" the pistol grip/trigger guard on and M60?  Easy, when there is no pistol grip.  You know the two pins and the spring clip that holds the pistol grip in the receiver on the M60?  Somehow I'd hung a vine on the spring clip and pulled it off and the pins had fallen out and the pistol grip fell off the receiver.  We spent several hours (till it got dark) looking for that pistol grip and never found it.

When it got dark they let us head back to the camp site and I spent the rest of the week with my M14.  No one ever mentioned it after the chewing out I got that evening from the platoon sgt.

We were lucky.  The US Army Drill Team M60 team lost an M60 barrel in a swamp and they kept them out there all night with lights tromping around in the water/mud looking for that barrel.  They never found it either.  After that no one carried spare barrels to the field for training anymore.

I got out after 4 years and never once regretted it or wished I'd stayed in.  The mid 70's was not a shining time for the US Army.
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline Genin

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Re: Veterans stories!
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2017, 03:09:22 PM »
M1A4,
Love the shooting of the M113 story. That's hilarious. It's also crap that you carried the crew served.

Offline dominic135

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Re: Veterans stories!
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2017, 02:47:29 PM »
You are so right! The 70's were not good times for the military. My first hitch was 69 - 73. I never talked about it because every one looked at you like a baby killer. In fact, no one ever thanked me for my duty till I was 54 and walked into the Durham, NC VAMC for the first time. When the girl thanked me for my service, I had to sit down, it hit me so hard! Worse, I realized that hiding my service had also kept me from thanking others for their duty! I made a resolution that day to thank all GI's, police, firemen and EMT's for their service at every opportunity!
So all you duty bound hero's, I'm sorry my realization didn't come sooner and I regret I didn't do this many years ago! Salute!

Offline dominic135

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Re: Veterans stories!
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2017, 03:45:15 AM »
Milatary humor would be a great topic too! I was on submarines and the humor was off the charts odd, for sure. But one of the funniest  was seeing a naked sailor with a three corner hat, waving a saber as he streaked through the sub yelling the British are coming, the British are coming! And That was mild humor! 

Offline armoredman

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Re: Veterans stories!
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2017, 03:55:40 AM »
Ah, the Wog Day things we did...I think some of them are still "classified"..... :o ;D I know everything that happened in Olongapo in the PI is HIGHLY classified...you had to be there.
We still had the M-14 in the Navy when I was in, loved that rifle. M-60...7 parts you can install upside down or backwards and any one of them would give you a runaway gun. IIRC - it has been over 30 years. M2 - now THERE is a work of art...just do NOT take off that back plate if the firing pin is charged, (compressed), as it will zing out backwards hard enough to penetrate the human body. Bad juju.
I remember the idiot who managed to drop a 1911 in a holster attached to a web belt with two spare mags in it...in 113 feet of water. Our EOD types went down and retrieved it and I got to watch this luckless idiot clean it down to the minutest detail in the Armory. After that we had to wear pistol lanyards.
We towed the air target behind the ship during West Pac, (lets attach the target to the ship carrying all the high explosives, yeah, that makes sense!), and we saw an Reservist in an A7 pickle a practice bomb right dead square through the middle - the target was about 5 foot on a side and made of wood. He apparently got a congrats from the Admiral when he landed on the Big E.

 

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