Son_of_Perdition
Senior Member
After the article about NSA's secret installations and Veterans Day looming, along with the current picture of one that I had worked at during my 4 year enlistment in the USAFSS, I found myself having a pity party. A flood of memories overcame me and I spent the weekend Googling everything I could find about both my assignments.
I found a YouTube video of a walk through of my old now abandoned base in Germany, It showed the three barracks that I had lived in. It brought back memories of friends and work mates, it showed the parking lot that we had carried one of our buddies, his mattress with him in it, brogans, and bedding then set it up like it had been in the barracks after he had spent the night drinking more than a normal human should have. He woke up, dressed went to breakfast and returned to his bed to enjoy the Stars and Strips as if nothing had happened.
Another site had a list of former members of the Security Service who have passed. I found a few names I recalled and spend a moment reminiscing about my association with them. Some were my superiors and some with my barracks mates. I know life must go on but because of the nature of our work, we were never allowed talk about it and have closure or complete knowledge (need to know) of our contributions. It was only in 1997 that everything we didn't burn was declassified and open to the public.
I remembered my anger while standing before the Vietnam memorial in Washington DC, looking along the list of casualties of the 58,000+ lives that were sacrificed in an ill conceived and poorly executed war. I had looked up friends and relatives names along the wall, remembering the good times with them. I am not one to contribute to street corner panhandlers but I handed over a $50 bill willingly to the Vietnam Vet table at the end of the memorial.
I look back thinking about my belief mechanisms that controlled my life at that time and how I defended our role in that war. I remembered my anger with my younger brother's protesting the war and his attempt to avoid the draft, he did join the reserves but ended up with a general discharge when he found out his draft lotto number was 364 and would have never had to go. I still have issues with it.
View attachment 10449
How is it the saying goes about being a veteran.
When you came home from the Second World War you couldn't pay for your own drink in a bar.
When you came home from the Korean War you had to buy your own drink in a bar.
When you came home from the Vietnam War you had to buy the house a round to drink in a bar.
I found a YouTube video of a walk through of my old now abandoned base in Germany, It showed the three barracks that I had lived in. It brought back memories of friends and work mates, it showed the parking lot that we had carried one of our buddies, his mattress with him in it, brogans, and bedding then set it up like it had been in the barracks after he had spent the night drinking more than a normal human should have. He woke up, dressed went to breakfast and returned to his bed to enjoy the Stars and Strips as if nothing had happened.
Another site had a list of former members of the Security Service who have passed. I found a few names I recalled and spend a moment reminiscing about my association with them. Some were my superiors and some with my barracks mates. I know life must go on but because of the nature of our work, we were never allowed talk about it and have closure or complete knowledge (need to know) of our contributions. It was only in 1997 that everything we didn't burn was declassified and open to the public.
I remembered my anger while standing before the Vietnam memorial in Washington DC, looking along the list of casualties of the 58,000+ lives that were sacrificed in an ill conceived and poorly executed war. I had looked up friends and relatives names along the wall, remembering the good times with them. I am not one to contribute to street corner panhandlers but I handed over a $50 bill willingly to the Vietnam Vet table at the end of the memorial.
I look back thinking about my belief mechanisms that controlled my life at that time and how I defended our role in that war. I remembered my anger with my younger brother's protesting the war and his attempt to avoid the draft, he did join the reserves but ended up with a general discharge when he found out his draft lotto number was 364 and would have never had to go. I still have issues with it.
View attachment 10449
How is it the saying goes about being a veteran.
When you came home from the Second World War you couldn't pay for your own drink in a bar.
When you came home from the Korean War you had to buy your own drink in a bar.
When you came home from the Vietnam War you had to buy the house a round to drink in a bar.
