My drivers license says "Veteran" on it. That was good enough at Lowe's. I have an ID card from the VA clinic where I go for hearing aids.
I am an Army Vietnam Vet. I only admit I am a Veteran if the subject is "by the way". There are too many who think it's an opportunity for a "One-up-man-ship" contest or ..... asking question like, "How many people did you kill?" I agree with you about people saying "thank you for your service". I don't like it but I know they are trying to be nice so I always say, "Thank you" and then I immediately change the subject.
Really?! Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
We called less than one month being "short" or a "short timer".
Just found out my husband doesn’t consider himself a vet still. He does however appreciate taking advantage of the vet ‘discounts’ that are often offered.
C130.
When my time was up, they plucked me out of a fire base and stuck me in a huey and flew to Cam Rahn Bay, and set me on a commercial airliner. I flew home still wearing jungle fatigues. (felt like I got the bum's rush). There's an even funnier story when I got back.
And when you got to ride to the chopper pad to head back to the world.
I think they did give you the bum’s rush.
Yeah... I never knew what the hurry was. I suspect paperwork from being transferred from the 199th to the 25th somehow got messed up. I knew it was my time to go home and yet, I had just received orders for a night ambush and patrol the same day. All I know is I got on a Pan Am freedom bird and was happy to do it.
As I recall, we didn't get our papers until after the debriefing. So, how did you board the civilian plane home? Did you pay for it out of your own pocket? And how did you know where your next duty station would be after the 30-day leave?The screw ups didn't end there. Instead of flying into Oakland Army Base, this plane for some reason flew into Oakland airport. Heck, I didn't know anything, so, I went and got another flight East to get home. Not knowing I was supposed to be held for de-briefing at the Army base. Hell, even the Army had trouble figuring where I was. (lost in the shuffle)
Is that a political statement? We risked our lives in an illegal war for the benefit of the rich and we contributed to the ravaging of the innocent Vietnamese people.
Is that a political statement? Our parents gave us life, the country gave us premature death.
Is that a political statement? I'm not proud. I feel ashamed.
It got me a 20% discount ar Shoe Station.
I suspect it had something to do with the break up of the 199th. Our guys were scattered to the wind. I was transferred to the 25th infantry along with a couple of our squad. Others were sent to the 196th Americal or the 1st cav. or elsewhere... I had no idea. There was a lot of confusion going on at that time and I suspect we just got lost in the shuffle. Didn't have to pay a dime... just got on the plane. Already knew I'd be going back to supposedly be stationed at Ft Dix to be a drill sgt.
Just your typical SNAFU.
...after reading I then had to do a search for my old ID, the only photo ID I got when being processed at the beginning of Basic Training. I couldn't find it, I know it's "somewhere" in this property, I remember seeing it in the last 25 years. I did find my MACV card, I don't remember what that was for, maybe to get in the PX when when we were in Newport.
I never heard any of those but I was in the Army. We used rough language too but it was mostly about "baby-san" in the village. There was one time when most of us guys in my tent jumped over the concertina wire and went into the village together and ..... uhhhh ..... oooops ...... I'd better not talk about it here. Anyway, I was in Vietnam 1966-67 so I'm sure the slang changed as time went on..... Then there were the acronyms.
FIGMO = **** it, I got my orders.
And FUBIS = **** You Buddy, I'm Short.
Us Air Force guys used a lot of rough language
I suspect it had something to do with the break up of the 199th. Our guys were scattered to the wind. I was transferred to the 25th infantry along with a couple of our squad. Others were sent to the 196th Americal or the 1st cav. or elsewhere... I had no idea. There was a lot of confusion going on at that time and I suspect we just got lost in the shuffle. Didn't have to pay a dime... just got on the plane. Already knew I'd be going back to supposedly be stationed at Ft Dix to be a drill sgt.
I just went home and 30 days later I showed up at Dix. That was an interesting moment to say the least. Some people thought I had been left behind in Nam and were actively searching for me there.
I never considered that... Far too many were unappreciated, spit on & ostracized for serving. So I just like to show my thank ye to those who stood between us and the enemy. My husband was an Army paratrooper and he doesn't talk about it, only acknowledges that he served.
In the beginning, yes. I returned through Fort Lewis (Washington) 1967, got a "welcome back" debriefing and transport to the airport. About five minutes at the airport a young girl, maybe 22 or 23 took one look at me in my class A uniform with obvious Vietnam ribbons on my chest. She gave me a hard stare and said, "You asshole!" I don't think anyone told the twit that we all were not volunteers. Anyway, initially I didn't even realized she was talking to me and so I continued walking. I couldn't see how she could be talking to me ... or why. She was talking to me, however. I'll bet you $10 to a donut she wishes she could find me today and apologise. Too late, toots. She'll just have to live with her guilt.
That's all we can do and with so much lying, boasting, and "stolen valour" it isn't worth making a big thing about it. I fell off of my bike when I was a kid but I don't talk about that very much that either.
