Veterans?!

[70 Mach 1]

@JackBootedThug
@Monkey Man

pls sticky this thread

TGP has a vets sticky. we're are better than them, so we should have one too

 

[JackBootedThug]

@JackBootedThug
@Monkey Man

pls sticky this thread

TGP has a vets sticky. we're are better than them, so we should have one too

Done.

 

[IndyWS6]

Probably shared this before, but since we’re listing relatives, my dad (we weren’t close, alcoholic, died just after I graduated HS, long story) was in the Army Air Force as a right wing gunner on a B-29 in WWII, 315th Bomb Wing, flying out of Andersen AB. Never talked about it. (His older brother was a physicist on the Manhattan project…). I found his discharge papers, commendations and some amazing photos after he died. Bomb drops with P-51 escorts and Mt. Fuji in the background, etc. my living room has true man-cave aesthetics; I have the best photos framed, a real WWI wood prop on the wall and a restored B-52 pilot helmet with the oxygen hose and nuclear flash shield on a shelf. Me, personally, I defeated Quake and Quake II several times on a Win95 PC with no cheats, using keyboard and mouse with a toddler on my lap. “Super Dad”. Take that, Lisa

 

[84superchamp]

So my wife just informed me of a truly unsettling situation.

Her niece has a boyfriend, and it seems she assisted him in receiving >4,000us/month for PTSD....from boot camp. Never went to the field/fleet, never even went to his training....didn't finish boot camp.....but allegedly gets this ridiculous amount per month ...for boot camp.

Am I wrong to be a little upset by this?

I went through boot in 96, right as the silly chits came in....and we had to give them back.
The little time out cards? Anyone remember these? They were blue.

Anyway, not trying to shame anyone for mental health, at all.

I just don't see how this could be a thing .... especially considering those that could actually use that help, and don't apply.

Not trying to start anything, just don't understand it. I have older friends that served in Nam, and they never applied for shit. They would be pissed over this.

I am just blown away. Boot camp...... seriously. WTF?!?!

Never had PTSD in spite of a year in Vietnam and don't understand it, but certainly no ill will towards those suffering with it. I just consider myself lucky. Add the fact that I was hooked on heroin when I came home and that w/d was front and center on that leave.
My last night with the unit, a bunch of guys came to the bunker where I had guard duty for a farewell party. Had a joint rolled up with some skag mixed in it and opium streaks smeared on the outside. Lovely buzz and we loaded up the M60 with nothing but tracer rounds (it's usually 1 every 5 shots IIRC) and fired off a few bursts. Hated to say goodbye...you're closer to guys you shared combat with than anyone else.
Oh yeah; 2nd battalion / 94th artillery, US Army. The big battle was Operation Lam Son 719 and it's covered in detail in reports and even books.
My salute to all who served!

 

[simonfrewler]

Never had PTSD in spite of a year in Vietnam and don't understand it, but certainly no ill will towards those suffering with it. I just consider myself lucky. Add the fact that I was hooked on heroin when I came home and that w/d was front and center on that leave.
My last night with the unit, a bunch of guys came to the bunker where I had guard duty for a farewell party. Had a joint rolled up with some skag mixed in it and opium streaks smeared on the outside. Lovely buzz and we loaded up the M60 with nothing but tracer rounds (it's usually 1 every 5 shots IIRC) and fired off a few bursts. Hated to say goodbye...you're closer to guys you shared combat with than anyone else.
Oh yeah; 2nd battalion / 94th artillery, US Army. The big battle was Operation Lam Son 719 and it's covered in detail in reports and even books.
My salute to all who served!

Thank you for your service. I know many Vietnam Vets, of varying states of well being.

Everyone has a journey, and we all deal with our troubles in different ways. Good that you made it home, and made it through it okay.

I didn't serve combat, but was well ready to do my job. But I do miss most of the times I was able to have with my friends. Kind of wish I was still in touch with some, but I don't do the social media...and lost all their info.

My wife joined a Facebook page for my old ship and we share memories there.

Nice to make your acquaintance.

Cheers

 

[Floyd Eye]

Never had PTSD in spite of a year in Vietnam and don't understand it, but certainly no ill will towards those suffering with it. I just consider myself lucky. Add the fact that I was hooked on heroin when I came home and that w/d was front and center on that leave.
My last night with the unit, a bunch of guys came to the bunker where I had guard duty for a farewell party. Had a joint rolled up with some skag mixed in it and opium streaks smeared on the outside. Lovely buzz and we loaded up the M60 with nothing but tracer rounds (it's usually 1 every 5 shots IIRC) and fired off a few bursts. Hated to say goodbye...you're closer to guys you shared combat with than anyone else.
Oh yeah; 2nd battalion / 94th artillery, US Army. The big battle was Operation Lam Son 719 and it's covered in detail in reports and even books.
My salute to all who served!

Thanks for your service sir. You have my respect and admiration.

 

[skoora]

Great x3(?) Grandfather- Civil War Confederate Army, KIA

Great Grandfather- WWI US Army

Great Grandfather and brothers- WWI US Navy

Grandfather and brothers- US Navy/Marines WWII Pacific and Korea, Youngest KIA

Grandmother's Brothers- Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy WWII Pacific, Youngest KIA, Oldest MIA/KIA

Grandfather and all of his brothers- US Army WWII Europe

Father and all of his brothers- US Marines Vietnam, Youngest KIA

Brother- US Army Rangers Iraq and Afghanistan 95-99, 03(?)-12

Husband- US Marines Scout Sniper, NAVSPECWARCOM, and ONI 96-16 War on Terror, Everywhere except space

Me- Beat Mario 1-3 and Super Mario World without use of the game genie 88-93ish

On that last one…was it over Macho Grande?

 

[psychodave]

A big thanks to all of the veterans!!!!!

Not sure if anyone knew, but Mailman was a veteran. He took a round from an AK47 to his chest. Bullet rode across his Kevlar vest and into the side of his pectoral muscle. They guy(s) on the other end of the AK didn't survive...

Ben Wise was another forum member who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

 

[Floyd Eye]

A big thanks to all of the veterans!!!!!

Not sure if anyone knew, but Mailman was a veteran. He took a round from an AK47 to his chest. Bullet rode across his Kevlar vest and into the side of his pectoral muscle. They guy(s) on the other end of the AK didn't survive...

Ben Wise was another forum member who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

I didn't know Mailman, but his service and all veteran's service is very much appreciated by me, that's for damn sure.

 

[Erock]

A big thanks to all of the veterans!!!!!

Not sure if anyone knew, but Mailman was a veteran. He took a round from an AK47 to his chest. Bullet rode across his Kevlar vest and into the side of his pectoral muscle. They guy(s) on the other end of the AK didn't survive...

Ben Wise was another forum member who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

I knew Dan was a tough hombre, never heard that story though. Dang.

 

[84superchamp]

stolen valor does not sit well with me.
I have combat status on my DD214. I'm entitled to benefits. I never filed for them.
why, i was nowhere near the conflict
id image about 1500 miles away at the time in Oct 1983 when they bombed the marine barracks in Beirut
I never say i'm a combat veteran. Im a veteran.

The other side of the "stolen valor" coin (i think?
A guy a couple years older than me and a badass since high-school did 2 tours in Vietnam as a marine grunt. I'm sure he saw some horrible shit and risked his life almost daily, we heard his stories when hanging out at the VFW.
But as he got older and maybe his mind was going, the stories became more "spectacular" with him as the hero doing unbelievable things, obviously made up by him. The others around the table would do eyerolls and excuse themselves from the table.
Such a sad end to a guy who was brave and committed and still deserves respect.
Hope you vets are having a fine Monday!

 

[70 Mach 1]

The other side of the "stolen valor" coin (i think?
A guy a couple years older than me and a badass since high-school did 2 tours in Vietnam as a marine grunt. I'm sure he saw some horrible shit and risked his life almost daily, we heard his stories when hanging out at the VFW.
But as he got older and maybe his mind was going, the stories became more "spectacular" with him as the hero doing unbelievable things, obviously made up by him. The others around the table would do eyerolls and excuse themselves from the table.
Such a sad end to a guy who was brave and committed and still deserves respect.
Hope you vets are having a fine Monday!

combat vets really don't expose what went on to non combat personnel and i will always respect that and never ask.

every once in a while if Im wearing my ships hat and come across one, we get to talking. once in a while one will open up to me.
I listen and never say a word.

one of the few stores i heard. The VC would cut up our jeep tires and make sandals out of them.
we were able to read Firestone or BF Goodrich or the US DOT numbers in the mud tracks.
they were extremely adapt and versatile animals.

 

[Floyd Eye]

combat vets really don't expose what went on to non combat personnel and i will always respect that and never ask.

every once in a while if Im wearing my ships hat and come across one, we get to talking. once in a while one will open up to me.
I listen and never say a word.

one of the few stores i heard. The VC would cut up our jeep tires and make sandals out of them.
we were able to read Firestone or BF Goodrich or the US DOT numbers in the mud tracks.
they were extremely adapt and versatile animals.

I’ve heard stories from only a small handful. And those were close personal friends and my friend’s brother, who was Raider-Recon doing search and destroy missions in Cambodia and Laos and was very drunk the one and only time he said anything about it. In fact that guy is right now living in desolation because even to the VA guy he reluctantly agreed to go talk to, he would not admit to ever being in country. The dude was looking right at his record and he wouldn’t even admit being deployed to Vietnam in the first place.

 

[inyarak74]

Thank you for your service Gentleman

 

[84superchamp]

combat vets really don't expose what went on to non combat personnel and i will always respect that and never ask.

every once in a while if Im wearing my ships hat and come across one, we get to talking. once in a while one will open up to me.
I listen and never say a word.

one of the few stores i heard. The VC would cut up our jeep tires and make sandals out of them.
we were able to read Firestone or BF Goodrich or the US DOT numbers in the mud tracks.
they were extremely adapt and versatile animals.

So true, very adept with making something out of nothing.
Involvement of children as "combatants" was another sad aspect of that war (and probably the middle-east too); new in-country and sitting in a jeep with Sgt who had been there a while, we were in a village with kids around and suddenly he screamed at one of the kids who got too close "get the fuck away!" Then told me their trick of taping a grenade pin in place and dropping it in the gas tank...delayed explosion.
You couldn't trust anyone not wearing a US uniform.

 

[70 Mach 1]

I had a Korean vet open up to me last summer. I really wish he hadn't.

He was 18 yrs ond and on "body detail." I forget the exact term of the unit but his crew would go on the battlefield after the all clear and collect
up and bag our dead. sometimes after being frozen solid for 2 weeks.. they died where they fell and how the fell.
they had to break limbs to get them in the bags.

that was the easy part.

in the summer half eaten bodies from rodents and animals and also from the NK starving troops who cannibalised the fresh ones.
the smell was overwhelming even for experienced guys

then after he told me this i sort of stopped him. he asked me if i knew what a 50 cal automatic does to a human body and close range.
it shatters the body and bones. Livers ,brains, heads, limbs and stomachs blown apart into unrecognizable pieces of chunks and blood

being within 5 yards of a mortar hit would vaporize a whole platoon.

can you imagine an 18yo kid experiencing this. wow.. Humanity really sucks. war after war and nothing is learned except how to kill more efficiently

 

[311splawndude]

Thank You!

ALL

 

[billsbigego]

PTSD ruined my life. I could have had a good life. I don't dwell on the term PTSD. Just the symptoms have altered the way I view reality and not in a good way by any means. I love drugs and booze, but can't do it anymore really as I have to live life and they interfere. But I really have ZERO hope of anything and hope I fucking die soon. There's no meds, no therapy. None of that shit works. The only thing that works is DEATH. Nobody gives a fuck, everyone claims they give a fuck, but at the end of the day, it's you, your feelings and your thoughts. I've just given up is all. Fucking hate this planet, fucking hate life.

 

[311splawndude]

PTSD ruined my life. I could have had a good life. I don't dwell on the term PTSD. Just the symptoms have altered the way I view reality and not in a good way by any means. I love drugs and booze, but can't do it anymore really as I have to live life and they interfere. But I really have ZERO hope of anything and hope I fucking die soon. There's no meds, no therapy. None of that shit works. The only thing that works is DEATH. Nobody gives a fuck, everyone claims they give a fuck, but at the end of the day, it's you, your feelings and your thoughts. I've just given up is all. Fucking hate this planet, fucking hate life.

You've got us bro. Hang in there.

 

[Monkey Man]

@billsbigego Hang in there brother.

I can 100% relate. Heavy-metal poisonings combined with untold trauma ended up in CFS / ME, autoimmune, PTSD and so on.

IMHO the absolutely-toughest thing to live through is hopelessness. It's a freakin' miracle I'm still-here bro'. If I'd been able to make music since 1994 I can only guess it would've helped, but nooo... gotta get ripped-off time and again, lend your life savings to your best buddy before he dies and so on.

I've come close to having the gear I need to create finished projects a few times, but as it turned out I had to sell to help dig myself out of a hole.

Look man, there are peeps who genuinely care. As you pointed out 'though, it's all up to you really. Just saying the obvious - that some peeps do care - to remind you that if you go into situations expecting nothing but narcissism / sadism / a lack of empathy, you're less-likely to put yourself out there. If you're housebound I can relate to that too. Makes everything harder.