If you were in the service, do you consider yourself a "Vet"?

[fuzzybuddy]

I was in the U.S. Navy from 1968-72. I was stationed in Chicago, D.C., NYC, and Cuba (Well, before the prison.) I was never in any peril, whatsoever.
When people thank me for my service, I tell them, " Save it for those, who put their lives on the line". It's not false modesty, those guys did give all they could.
If you were in the service, do you consider yourself a "Vet"?

 

[Trade]

I was in the U.S. Navy from 1968-72. I was stationed in Chicago, D.C., NYC, and Cuba (Well, before the prison.) I was never in any peril, whatsoever.
When people thank me for my service, I tell them, " Save it for those, who put their lives on the line". It's not false modesty, those guys did give all they could.
If you were in the service, do you consider yourself a "Vet"?

I consider myself a Veteran, and a Vietnam Veteran, but I always make it clear that I was an REMF and in very little danger. A lot of veterans that were in support roles will embellish their records so that they sound like they are seasoned combat veterans. I have vowed never to do that. For example I will never utter the words "I fought in Vietnam". In my whole four years in the Air Force the only time they let me touch a gun was the 2 days in basic that we had on the M-16. I shot a total of 70 rounds at the range at Lackland. 10 for warm ups and 60 to qualify. In order to qualify we had to get at least 48 of our 60 rounds in a man sized silhouette at 100 yards. I got 58, which was pretty darn decent for someone that had never shot anything other than my single shot .22 before. Although I have to say the M-16 was a lot like shooting my .22.

 

[Falcon]

Of course. Why not? As a USAF bomber pilot, I flew 15 missions over Germany during WWII.

 

[Trade]

Of course. Why not? As a USAF bomber pilot, I flew 15 missions over Germany during WWII.

Then you were an Army Air Corps bomber pilot in WW2. There was no Air Force until 1947.

I know, I'm being picky aren't I?

 

[Falcon]

Yes, Picky ! But I was still in when the USAAC was changed to the USAF.

 

[Trade]

Yes, Picky ! But I was still in when the USAAC was changed to the USAF.

I didn't mean any disrespect. The Army Air Corps averaged 6% casualties on every mission over Germany in WW2. So if you flew 15 the fact that you are here means you beat the odds.

 

[OldBiker]

I consider myself a Veteran, and a Vietnam Veteran, but I always make it clear that I was an REMF and in very little danger. A lot of veterans that were in support roles will embellish their records so that they sound like they are seasoned combat veterans. I have vowed never to do that. For example I will never utter the words "I fought in Vietnam". In my whole four years in the Air Force the only time they let me touch a gun was the 2 days in basic that we had on the M-16. I shot a total of 70 rounds at the range at Lackland. 10 for warm ups and 60 to qualify. In order to qualify we had to get at least 48 of our 60 rounds in a man sized silhouette at 100 yards. I got 58, which was pretty darn decent for someone that had never shot anything other than my single shot .22 before. Although I have to say the M-16 was a lot like shooting my .22.

1959-1980, U. S. Marine Corps.

I do consider myself a Vet and I take advantage of the Military discounts at different establishments, 10-20%.

Firing a .22 pistol and rifle that I fired at the farm/ranch was nothing like firing the M-1. I never got to fire the new and improved M-16.

 

[tnthomas]

All persons who served in the armed forces are veterans. If they served in a combat zone then they are combat veterans.

I never looked to the VA for benefits, as I felt the ones with service connected disabilities were more entitled than I.

Firing a .22 pistol and rifle that I fired at the farm/ranch was nothing like firing the M-1. I never got to fire the new and improved M-16.

We trained in Basic with the M-14 and in Vietnam we had the M-16s, which were prone to misfire.

The M16A1 was much improved, had a bolt-assist, chrome plated bore and a new 30-round magazine.

I'm guessing the infantry & cav units got the M16A1, we were transportation, hauling stuff from point A to point B(and back).

 

[Trade]

I do consider myself a Vet and I take advantage of the Military discounts at different establishments, 10-20%.

I haven't yet, but I'm considering applying for the one at Lowes. It's 10%. That's better than a sharp stick in the eye.

Firing a .22 pistol and rifle that I fired at the farm/ranch was nothing like firing the M-1. I never got to fire the new and improved M-16.

I've never fired an M-1, but I hear it's a real man's gun. A 30 caliber round and about a 150 grain bullet I think. The M-16 is a .223 with a diminutive 55 grain bullet I think. Not much different from your standard .22 rimfire, except with a lot more powder behind it. I didn't notice much recoil at all. Of course they didn't let us Air Force guys fire it on full auto.

 

[Deucemoi]

there are/were many web pages for vets some are no longer or have moved. I didnt think we needed this one. I have posted on many and here in my diary. As to being a vet, yes. Vung Tau was a nice place for r&r. cat lo, can tho, my tho, long xuyen, sa dec, an thoi, saigon, nha be, cau mau, song ong doc, solid anchor/sea float, rung sat..........fired the m1 m14 ar15 .50cal 20mm m79 .38 .45...


me leaning on a twin 20mm mount

 

[tnthomas]

there are/were many web pages for vets some are no longer or have moved. I didnt think we needed this one. I have posted on many and here in my diary. As to being a vet, yes. Vung Tau was a nice place for r&r. cat lo, can tho, my tho, long xuyen, sa dec, an thoi, saigon, nha be, cau mau, song ong doc, solid anchor/sea float, rung sat..........fired the m1 m14 ar15 .50cal 20mm m79 .38 .45...
View attachment 42745

me leaning on a twin 20mm mount

You must have visited Vinh Long, Nam Can and Ben Thuy as well.

I ran the Delta on LCUs, 65ft. tugs and hauled JP4 in a Y tanker to helicopter outposts.


My LCU battle station, the Starboard .50 cal:

"John Wayne" shot, lol

 

[OldBiker]

I haven't yet, but I'm considering applying for the one at Lowes. It's 10%. That's better than a sharp stick in the eye.



I've never fired an M-1, but I hear it's a real man's gun. A 30 caliber round and about a 150 grain bullet I think. The M-16 is a .223 with a diminutive 55 grain bullet I think. Not much different from your standard .22 rimfire, except with a lot more powder behind it. I didn't notice much recoil at all. Of course they didn't let us Air Force guys fire it on full auto.

It's not a special card you get at Lowe's, simply show the cashier your Military I.D. Card, same as at other places.

 

[Lon]

Yes---I served in Korea 1953/54 and although I was a non combatant I was certainly in a position to have my life on the line via guard duty & patrol of ammo dumps.

 

[exwisehe]

I joined an Army Reserve unit in Salem, Va (2174th quartermaster) and served 6 mo active (Fort Knox) and 5 and half years in reserve (went to summer Camp at Pickett, Va. five times)

Retired at Spec 5, was offered a promotion if I went to OCS, but I decided to try to finish college instead. Then I worked for a couple of years then decided to go to grad school on an NSF scholarship, which I did. Finished at Wayne State in 1967 in Detroit.

No, I don't really consider myself a vet. A lot of my friends went off to Nam and paid great sacrifices while I went to weekly reserve drill meetings. I feel guilty about that because I never had to go overseas or was called active duty. I still have my basic training yearbook with my picture in it.

 

[tnthomas]

Camp Pickett sounds real familiar, was stationed at Ft Eustis(near Newport News); we were trucked off to some Army camp to "play" newbie GI in the jungle.

Infantry Vietnam returnees played the Viet Cong, we were all using blank rounds of course. We all got 'slaughtered' by the VC, or blown up by blank mortar rounds and mines.

Got a load of ticks crawling through the woods. :sour:

 

[Trade]

It's not a special card you get at Lowe's, simply show the cashier your Military I.D. Card, same as at other places.

I don't have a military ID card. I'm not retired like you. I was just in for one four year enlistment. But apparently Lowes will issue me a 10% discount card if I show them proof of service like my DD214.
.

 

[Trade]

Yes---I served in Korea 1953/54 and although I was a non combatant I was certainly in a position to have my life on the line via guard duty & patrol of ammo dumps.

I was only "under fire" one time in my whole year in Vietnam. The Air Force side of Cam Rahn never got hit when I was there. That was from Aug. of 1970 to May of 1971. But then they sent some of us up to Danang and I finished my year there. Unlike Cam Rahn Danang got hit by rockets fairly often. On July 5th 1971, just after midnight we got hit by a barrage of 122 mm rockets. I was in the base library at the time. We had all the amenities at Danang, library, movie theatre, swimming pool, even a bowling alley over on the army side. Anyway the rockets started coming in and they where walking them closer and closer to where I was. I was scared out of my mind and trying my best to become one with the floor and hoping that the next one didn't come crashing through the ceiling and up my ass. And I was thinking how disgusting it was going to be if my decision to enlist for four years instead of get drafted for two in order to get a safe job wasn't going to do me any good and I was still going to die 10,000 miles from home. And here I was with only 50 some days to go before I was going back to the world. A two digit midget. That's what it was called when you got down to 99 or less days to go. Vietnam slang. I'm gonna hafta do a post on that. Anyway the last rocket hit a barracks and 5 Aircraft maintenance guys got scrubbed and another 38 wounded. I paced it off the next day and it was 70 yards away from where I was. But it sounded a lot closer than that when it hit.

Anyway overall I was pretty lucky. Realistically I probably had less of a chance of getting killed in Vietnam than I would have had driving on the freeway at home. I missed out on some real fireworks too. A couple of weeks before I got sent to Danang sappers had blown up the POL dump. And then a couple of weeks after I left Cam Rahn sappers blew the ammo dump there. I missed both of those.

 

[IKE]

All persons who served in the armed forces are veterans. If they served in a combat zone then they are combat veterans.

That pretty much sums it up.

 

[AZ Jim]

I served my enlistment honorably (no combat) and am officially a "cold war vet". I enlisted in '57.

 

[Don M.]

I served two terms in the USAF...1960 thru 1968. I was just a glorified mechanic that serviced the electronics on F-105's, and the only time I handled a weapon was in basic training. However, I do carry a small copy of my Honorable Discharge in the wallet, and if I see a "military discount" I whip out the card. I've checked the various government/VA sites, for any benefits that may be out there, and nothing much pops up. I am just glad that I was able to do my small part to serve the nation, and grateful that I didn't have to risk my life doing so.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

For me, taking 4 years out of my life does entitle me to veteran benefits. Yet, when somebody thanks me for my "service", I personally feel their thanks belongs to the people, who put their lives in the line. I'm proud of my service record, but nobody shot at me.

 

[OldBiker]

I don't have a military ID card. I'm not retired like you. I was just in for one four year enlistment. But apparently Lowes will issue me a 10% discount card if I show them proof of service like my DD214.
.

I was not aware but dig out your DD214 so you can start saving!

 

[tnthomas]

10%, Hmmm. I actually still have my military ID, but the picture is a little out-of-date.

 

[Manatee]

I don't have a military ID card. I'm not retired like you. I was just in for one four year enlistment. But apparently Lowes will issue me a 10% discount card if I show them proof of service like my DD214.
.

I got a Lowe's card and it enters that I am former military when I buy something. It is a store card, not a credit card. I showed my VA card to get it.

 

[Manatee]

The distinction that I make is that I am a military veteran not a war veteran. I was on active duty from Feb 57 to Mar 59. There was no shooting going on, and none of us were complaining about that. I never fired a weapon while on active duty. I was on the rifle team while in reserves and mostly we fired Springfields and on rare occasion M-1s. They both used the same cartridge. I ended active duty as an engineman 2/c (E-5).

By time Viet Nam came along I was an old married veteran with a wife, 2 kids and a mortgage.