[johnh7]

Craig,

I am a veteran of two wars. I spent a year in Vietnam (1969 – 1970) with USMC Recon. I was a Corporal (E-4) in Vietnam, but was promoted to Sergeant (E-5) before I was honorably discharged stateside in early 1973. I served for four years.

I also spent four tours (years) in Iraq between 2005 - 2010. I did investigations for Army Intelligence. I was required to wear the Army uniform and had a GS-15 rating. I was embedded with the Army and lived where they lived. I went on missions based on information I developed on terrorist units. It was much like being a police officer again. I kicked doors and took people to jail. I was treated as a Lt Colonel which was much different than how I was treated in Vietnam.

The most surprising thing to me during my time in Iraq was in 2008 while on a mission one of the soldiers asked me if I had ever been in the service and I told him I had been in the Marine Corps. He asked me what I did and I told him I was in Recon. He asked me if I was in Vietnam and I told him I spent a year in Vietnam with Recon. He said, “No shit, you were in Recon”? I told him I was. From that point on I was really treated with respect. I didn't think my time in Recon 38 years earlier would mean anything to them, but they all made a big deal out of it. That same day when I returned to the S-2 shop (Intelligence Office) the Captain met me and said, “No shit, Marine Corps Recon?” I smiled and said, “No shit”. The information had beat me back to the TOC. It still amuses me that it meant so much to them. I had not even mentioned it on my first tour in Iraq and wouldn’t have mentioned it on that tour either, but the gunner in the Humvee asked me.