Thread: Vietnam Vets, sign in please.

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We have occasional references to experiences "across the pond", but I thought it would be interesting to see who all was there, and when.

So I guess I'll start.

Flew with the 553rd Recon Wing, 554th Sq, Crew 40, out of Korat from 10/67 to 11/68
101 missions, 1100 hours: Up and down the Ho Chi Minh Trail (even when LBJ told you we weren't there!)
Operated a "surveillance" console

Thanks for the idea streets.

Sorry to post in here guys, I am not a VietNam Vet, just a GWVet who would like to thank all of you for all you did and sacrificed for those of us to follow. My hats off to all of you.

I was there 69-70 and 71 to 72 USAF Rescue

D Battery, 5th/16th Artillery, Central Highlands NW Pleiku
8" Selp Propelled Howitzer (most of the time).
Summer of '68 to summer '69 (I guess it was all one long summer tho)

TDY 1st/35th mech as an "Artillery Liason NCO" which was basically a forward observer that didn't know much.

Most of my tour was spent firing 200 pound green tear drops that go boom. Section chief of section #4.

welcome back brothers...and that means you Gulf vets too.

boom

Thanks Tim, no apologies necessary, especially from a Vet, no matter when. It's still a brotherhood of service.

Streets, no pain intended. Like you I don't talk about it much at all, in fact most of my wife's side of the family and nearly all my friends have been surprised to learn I was in, if it comes out somehow. But it doesn't dissuade me from wanting others to be comforted, if possible, by the knowledge that they are not alone in their experiences. And that they are not unappreciated.

I am not a Vet nor have I served in the armed forces... I just wanted you guys to know that you are all appreciated by many of us who can not even imagine what you have been through...

I consider it an honor to know you all even if it is only via the net...

Thanks for all that you have done!!!

Dave Brisco

EC 121 R to be exact.

I'd like to thank all the vets as well, especially Vietnam vets. Seems how you really didn't get much of a welcome home party as the others did, I'd like to make up for it. I know my old man was pretty bothered about the way the GW vets were welcomed home. Took him quite a while to accept that.
I'm a vet...to a degree. Yeah i served 4 years and they consider me a GW veteran, but I don't ever acknowlege it. I feel more as just "one who served" and am glad I had the opertunity to do so and would have gladly continued on if it wasn't for other BS reasons. My old man served in 'nam and I see where you're comming from. He doesn't say much about being over there. I've heard stories, and things from my mom or my grandmother, but he never mentions hardly anything. He was infantry, 3rd Marines, '68-'69. My grandfather was also over there, not sure what years. He was NCOIC EOD. Not really sure exactly when or where, lung cancer got him in '85 before there was a cure so I never really got to get to know him well. He also served as a B-29 tail gunner in WWII and EOD in Korea. My mom was in the Navy durring 'nam as well. You could say that my family has a pretty good military history. Uncles served as well, Army.
So I have to thank you all for what you've done. You more than earned it! As far as I'm concerned you're all my heroes.....

Dano, the reason we got such a great welcome home was thanks to the VietNam Vets, They made sure all soldiers were welcomed home.
You should be proud of your service, your country asked for help and you stepped up to the plate. You did your job. When people are embarrassed by their service thats when people start dieing in vain.
I have a POW/MIA tattoo on my forearm because I am proud of my service, and I am proud of what the VietNam Vets did for my country, They were told to step up and when they did they did their job, And as long as I am alive they WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. We need to acknowledge all war vets, so what happened when your family returned home doesn't happen again.
And Streets I kind of know how you feel about not talking about it, I know a few people that don't talk about it, Hell there are some things I can't talk about and mine was a short time in a much easier war.
Just stand proud and fly the POW/MIA flag high. Make sure your brothers are Never forgotten again.

I missed my trip to Vietnam by about a year. I always hung out with guys that were several years older than I was, so a good portion of my friends went off for duty while I was still in school. I can remember the period before these guys left, nobody appeared to be afraid and they all tried to act like there was nothing to it... but I remember the sudden maturing of my friends. They were 19 and 20 year old boys going to do a man’s job. I was lucky because all of my buddies came back home.

I don’t really know any of you personally, but I know you’re all good men for doing your job and you deserve special thanks and all of my gratitude for your service.

Dan J

I did not serve "in country", but was TDY to Guam in 1965 and again in 72-73 working as a jet engine mechanic on B-52"s. I was also TDY to Clark AB Phillipines four times during 1967 to 1971. While in the P.I., I did a little volunteer base police work. One night recieved incoming auto weapon fire from off base. There were lots of VC symphathizers in the Phillipines. I consider myself a viet era vet, but not combat vet.

Welcome home all! 101st Airborne, 2/17th Cav. Phu Bai 70-71

Good post Bob. I musta missed it when it started, that was when I was still knee deep in painting my house but all done with it now.

I was over there(I Corps area) in March of '65 thru '66 with the 3rd Mar. Div.. Then again in '67 thru '68 with the 1st Mar. Div.. My MOS was 0811 which made me a cannon cocker for most of my time there with a couple of stints working in CAP units and as an FO. I worked with 105mm, and 155mm and SPs.

Larry

I still had a runny nose when vietnam was going on, but do remember listening to the tv announcer giving the daily stats, and remember hearing about boys in town that would never come back...

A BIG thank you to all you guys. I can only imagine what you have lived through, and hope that you get all the help and support that you need.

CHris