Veterans Day
 

Thank you to all the veterans out there!! They do not get enough recognition. 50 years ago yesterday I left for Vietnam.............

Re: Veterans Day
 

Very glad you made it back Coupeman. Bless all the Vets. I was drafted during the Vietnam era (early '70) but got lucky and was sent to Ft. Wainwright (Fairbanks, AK) as a mechanic.

Sal

Re: Veterans Day
 

Sal................ main thing is you did what you felt you needed to do. Where they sent us was not our choice. Thank you for going!!!

Re: Veterans Day
 

Thank both of you for your service. I was USAF , crew chief B52G , 1970-1974

Re: Veterans Day
 

And thank you Jim for yours. Wow you flew the big boys!!!

Re: Veterans Day
 

Never flew combat missions, as crew chief I was on flying status, and flew occasionally, mostly did maintenance , and repairs etc. , combat missions were not generally allowed as a crew chief is not an essential crew member. was TDY to Guam 3 times '72-'73, 6 mo. each trip with a 30 leave in between each trip. we flew bombing missions from there. probably had close to 200 B52's there and another 60 or so over in Thailand. my original duty station was Mather AFB, Sacramento, California. Bombed the crap out of Vietnam. no regrets, would do it again.

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Thanks ford your service fellas, I was never in the US Military but I was born in Heidelberg, Germany while my dad was serving a tour there as an MP....

Re: Veterans Day
 

Alaska Jim, my son retires as a Chief Master Sergeant, USAF on 1 March with 30 years. He started in Spec Ops on Pave Low H-53 helicopters and spent lots of time in the desert. Next was running the Osprey tilt-wing school at Marine base at Jacksonville, NC. Then to Barksdale AFB in LA and a B-52 wing. He, too, spent 6 month rotations on Guam with the 52s. Closest he came to getting shot was when they captured Noriega, his 53 got several bullet holes.

Re: Veterans Day
 

CrownVic55, I salute your son, my thanks to him for his service. I may have run into him back then, who knows? we were brothers. I am still in contact with 3 fellows I served with back then. made live long friends.

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I was active Air Force '71-'73, was Air National Guard '73-'79 and '84-2015 US Army (civilian) with heavy construction equipment support for all services. One son (Maint Supt, Malmstrom AFB Montana '94-'98), one daughter (deployed to Saudi, 2000) and a son in-law (4 deployments to OIF & OEF between '04 and '12) are USAF veterans as well.

Thanks to all fellow vets and those who have provided excellent support over the years.

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9th Marines 69/71. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday, other times it feels 50yrs ago.

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Thank you veterans for putting your life on hold and at risk for your country.

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USAF 1964-69 9th bomb wing SAC MT Home Idaho, B 47s and kc 97s then Mactan island PI and then to the Nam. ton san nueit 463d FMS on 130 lots of tdy mostly to Elmendorf Alaska Mendenhall England and Firstenfeldbrook Germany Always a great bunch of guys to serve with anywhere i was stationed!!

Re: Veterans Day
 

The Air Force seems to be well represented in this group. I was USAF '66 thru '70 as a seaman and marine engineman. Yup, you read that right. Served at Matagorda Island Bombing & Gunnery Range running personnel and equipment between Port O'Connor, TX and the island, then a couple of years at Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico (the closest I came to actual combat duty ;)), and finished up at the sea survival school at Homestead AFB fishing pilots out of the bay. I salute all you guys who saw combat. I was slated to run river patrol at Tan San Nuht (SP?) but the Army took that over just before I was to ship out. Luck of the draw, I guess...

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US Army 65-69, 2 years Okinawa. watched a lot of KC135 tankers leave and return over the South China Sea. Also fighters and SR71, quite a sight, lots of noise. Next 1 year in northern Thailand, lots of fighters there also both jets and prop, lots of noise on the prop planes. Also stopped on Guam a couple of times, B52s very impressive taking off with their bomb loads. Long time ago!

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unclevinny, I used to go from Mather AFB, to Mt. Home Idaho to pull alert duty. seemed like when I got to go it was always winter. Brrr.