Veterans Roll Call

[thesmitty68521]

I am an Army Veteran of 6 years. I was an Armor Crewman on an M-1A1 tank. I served in Desert Storm as a loader on that tank.

If you served in any of the Armed Forces, feel free to talk about it here. We all appreciate your service to your country.

[meanngreen04]

Army 8 years. SSG. 13E Advanced Tactical Data Systems Analyst - FDC. Artillery. Kosovo, Bosnia , Serbia, Ft. Drum, and Ft. Sill. Prayers are out there for my friends who are still serving and are out there on their multiple deployments overseas.

[Dex]

Thank you both for serving i have a few friends now in the armed forces one of which is really close to me

[whitey10tc]

Thank you to all our armed forces active and retired. We owe our life and liberty to you all past, present, and future.

I was unable to be in the armed forces due to being legally blind and other health issues. But I do wish I could have had that honor.

[cricketmodder]

I was an E-5 in OIF2 and 3 37F PSYOP and my thanks go to everyone that supports us and our country.

[gijoey1980]

SSG US Army, 12 years, 11B Infantry and 19D Cavalry Scout. Bradley Master gunner, Instructor certified. OIF III 04-05 Baghdad and Balad. Ft. Campbell, Ft. Knox, Ft. Stewart, Ft. Benning, Ft. Hood, Ft. Irwin, Arnold Air Force Base, and lovely Camp Shelby MS. Discharged 2 days ago, 18 Feb. 2010, involuntarily after a years worth of appeals trying to stay. Exposed to something over there that gave me COPD and middle stage empasyma.

[thesmitty68521]

SSG US Army, 12 years, 11B Infantry and 19D Cavalry Scout. Bradley Master gunner, Instructor certified. OIF III 04-05 Baghdad and Balad. Ft. Campbell, Ft. Knox, Ft. Stewart, Ft. Benning, Ft. Hood, Ft. Irwin, Arnold Air Force Base, and lovely Camp Shelby MS. Discharged 2 days ago, 18 Feb. 2010, involuntarily after a years worth of appeals trying to stay. Exposed to something over there that gave me COPD and middle stage empasyma.

Thanks for your service man. That is the way it seems to go with the military. I hope they are at least taking care of you even though you are out. I am sure they aren't. I know a lot of vets that don't get taken care of. It's sad.

[whitey10tc]

I received this from my step-mom tonight and had to pass it along.
To all our armed forces god bless you

The Old Man...

As I came out of the supermarket that
sunny day, pushing my cart of groceries
towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of
his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door
open..

The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car and continued to watch the old gentleman from about twenty five
feet away.

I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm,
walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming
too, and took a few steps towards him. I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something.

The young man put his grocery
bag into what looked like a brand
new Cadillac Escalade and then turn back to the old
man and I heard him yell at the old gentleman
saying, 'You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car
at your age.' And then with a wave of his
hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out
of the parking lot.

I saw the old gentleman pull
out his handkerchief and mop his brow as he went
back to his car and again looked at the engine. He then
went to his wife and spoke with her and appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough and I approached the old man.
He saw me coming and stood straight and as I got
near him I said, 'Looks like you're having a problem.'

He smiled sheepishly and
quietly nodded his head. I looked under the
hood myself and knew that whatever the problem was,
it was beyond me. Looking around I saw a gas
station up the road and told the old man that I would
be right back. I drove to the station and went
inside and saw three attendants working on
cars.. I approached one of them and related the
problem the old man had with his car and offered to
pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.

The old man had pushed the heavy car under
the shade of a tree and appeared to be comforting
his wife. When he saw us, he straightened up and thanked
me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the
problem (overheated engine) I spoke with the old
gentleman.

When I shook hands with him earlier,
he had noticed my Marine Corps ring and had
commented about it, telling me that he had been a
Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question,
'What outfit did you serve with?'

He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine
Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and
Guadalcanal . He had hit all the big ones and
retired from the Corps after the war was over. As
we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw
the mechanics lower the hood. They came over to us as
the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped
by me and I told him I would just put the
bill on my AAA card.

He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I
assumed had his name and address on it and I stuck it in my
pocket. We all shook hands all around again and I
said my goodbye's to his wife. I then told
the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the
station. Once at the station I told them that they
had interrupted their own jobs to come along with
me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay
for the help, but they refused to charge me..

One of them pulled out a card from his
pocket looking exactly like the card the old
man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they
were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook
hands all around and as I was leaving, one of them
told me I should look at the card the old man had
given to me. I said I would and drove off.

For some reason I had gone about two blocks
when I pulled over and took the card out of my
pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The name
of the old gentle man was on the card in golden
leaf and under his name...... 'Congressional Medal
of Honor Society.'

I sat there motionless looking
at the card and reading it over and over. I looked
up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled
that on this day, four Marines had all come
together, because one of us needed help. He
was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next
to greatness and courage and an honor to have been
in his presence. Remember, OLD men like him gave you
FREEDOM for America . Thanks to those who served...& those who supported them.

America is not at war. The U.S. Military is at war.
America is at the Mall. If you don't stand behind our troops,
PLEASE feel free to stand in front of them!

Remember, Freedom isn't "Free" -- thousands have paid the price so you can enjoy what you have today.


LET'S DO THIS --

GOD, PLEASE WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE
AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY WORRIES AND
ILLNESSES; AND PLEASE WATCH OVER AND HEAL MY
FAMILY, and our Nation's armed forces. AMEN.


Prayer is so powerful.



This Picture is Worth 1000 Million Words...
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
We truly take a lot for granted.. Forget the football "heroes" and movie "stars". Pass this on so that all may know the price of freedom
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.
One died for your soul; the other for your freedom.

[pagetown]

Navy, six years. Electronics Technician 2nd Class NEC 1472, 1678

Operation Enduring Freedom

[cppcdude]

I also was in the Navy. 4 years, 1980 - 1984. Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd class. I could tell you some stories.

[bassboy119]

Thank you guys very much for keeping us safe

[jklong03]

For what its worth, I enlisted in USAF in 1977, started as E-1 and retired in 1996 as a Captain. Good ride, free college to get BSEE and MSEE (Electrical Engineering, NOT Elementary Education !)

[decadude]

I received this from my step-mom tonight and had to pass it along.
To all our armed forces god bless you

The Old Man...

As I came out of the supermarket that
sunny day, pushing my cart of groceries
towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of
his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door
open..

The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car and continued to watch the old gentleman from about twenty five
feet away.

I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm,
walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming
too, and took a few steps towards him. I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something.

The young man put his grocery
bag into what looked like a brand
new Cadillac Escalade and then turn back to the old
man and I heard him yell at the old gentleman
saying, 'You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car
at your age.' And then with a wave of his
hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out
of the parking lot.

I saw the old gentleman pull
out his handkerchief and mop his brow as he went
back to his car and again looked at the engine. He then
went to his wife and spoke with her and appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough and I approached the old man.
He saw me coming and stood straight and as I got
near him I said, 'Looks like you're having a problem.'

He smiled sheepishly and
quietly nodded his head. I looked under the
hood myself and knew that whatever the problem was,
it was beyond me. Looking around I saw a gas
station up the road and told the old man that I would
be right back. I drove to the station and went
inside and saw three attendants working on
cars.. I approached one of them and related the
problem the old man had with his car and offered to
pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.

The old man had pushed the heavy car under
the shade of a tree and appeared to be comforting
his wife. When he saw us, he straightened up and thanked
me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the
problem (overheated engine) I spoke with the old
gentleman.

When I shook hands with him earlier,
he had noticed my Marine Corps ring and had
commented about it, telling me that he had been a
Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question,
'What outfit did you serve with?'

He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine
Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and
Guadalcanal . He had hit all the big ones and
retired from the Corps after the war was over. As
we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw
the mechanics lower the hood. They came over to us as
the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped
by me and I told him I would just put the
bill on my AAA card.

He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I
assumed had his name and address on it and I stuck it in my
pocket. We all shook hands all around again and I
said my goodbye's to his wife. I then told
the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the
station. Once at the station I told them that they
had interrupted their own jobs to come along with
me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay
for the help, but they refused to charge me..

One of them pulled out a card from his
pocket looking exactly like the card the old
man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they
were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook
hands all around and as I was leaving, one of them
told me I should look at the card the old man had
given to me. I said I would and drove off.

For some reason I had gone about two blocks
when I pulled over and took the card out of my
pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The name
of the old gentle man was on the card in golden
leaf and under his name...... 'Congressional Medal
of Honor Society.'

I sat there motionless looking
at the card and reading it over and over. I looked
up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled
that on this day, four Marines had all come
together, because one of us needed help. He
was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next
to greatness and courage and an honor to have been
in his presence. Remember, OLD men like him gave you
FREEDOM for America . Thanks to those who served...& those who supported them.

America is not at war. The U.S. Military is at war.
America is at the Mall. If you don't stand behind our troops,
PLEASE feel free to stand in front of them!

Remember, Freedom isn't "Free" -- thousands have paid the price so you can enjoy what you have today.


LET'S DO THIS --

GOD, PLEASE WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE
AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY WORRIES AND
ILLNESSES; AND PLEASE WATCH OVER AND HEAL MY
FAMILY, and our Nation's armed forces. AMEN.


Prayer is so powerful.



This Picture is Worth 1000 Million Words...
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
We truly take a lot for granted.. Forget the football "heroes" and movie "stars". Pass this on so that all may know the price of freedom
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.
One died for your soul; the other for your freedom.

I read this in its entirety and wow powerful so powerful people take things for granted and its quite ridiculous
Makes me realize how much gratitude I have. And thank you guys for all that you do. My father was a Green Beret in Vietnam. I am glad the VA Clinic does a good job taking care of his health needs.

[smaug]

Thank You, All of You!! My son just got back on leave for a month from Baghdad. I've discussed this a little with Whitey10tc on another forum, and told him I was donating all of my old Alltel and even older T-Mobile devices to "Cell Phones for Soldiers". That should take care of twelve or fifteen troops if they can use them all. Just a drop in the bucket. I really want to learn more about flashing the CDMA ones so I can clear them all of our personal stuff first. And what the heck, I learn something new! Not bad for an old retired medic. ...now if I can only find an old ax300 dll installer!

[Help]

Thanks to all of you who have paid the price in time, terror and limb.
My son Kris just finished his 3rd tour of the desert. One in Irac and two in Afganistan.
He still has ten fingers and ten toes, but he is different, Not in a bad way, just a quite way.
My Prayers are with all of you who have paid in ways I'm lucky not to know. THANK YOU

[jgriff83]

My little brother is currently in the navy. I have so much respect and admiration fo those who serve!

[Bear3825]

US Army 54B L-5 Yes gentlemen the guy you all hated. Served 1985 - 1991, a Reagan Soldier.... Long term lab rat for the VA... Panama, Honduras, Ft McClellan, AL... the last year of service on the trail...who knows I may have even seen some of you... To all that served before us...with us...and after us...THANK YOU...YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED...even if its only by US....

[karuptdata]

Army here 91 Bravo Combat Medic ( Not sure if the call is the same now?) Anyway 99-2003 for me :)

[complearning123]

With great pride I say that I am an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces.

[complearning123]

and to all active duty armed forces men and women and to all of us who have served in the past, I say THANK YOU, God bless you and keep you safe. It's difficult to readjust after spending time overseas. Just patience, understanding will do much. I know the Veteran's Administraiton have trained personnel to help with the readjustment and no one should feel strange or weird to avail themselves of their help. Stephen (USN) Department of Veteran's Affairs: [Only registered and activated users can see links] FYI, this is a great resource for veterans: [Only registered and activated users can see links] Stephen

[thesmitty68521]

The info is appreciated and the service to your country is appreciated even more. However, you could have done that all in one post. Normally that is considered padding your post count. To get to my point, say what you have to say in one post. Then you can respond to what other members have to say.

Welcome to Gurus. We are here to help the best we can.

I was in the US Army from 1989 to 1995

[whitey10tc]

Thought I'd post another email I received today.
For all our Armed Forces past present and future, we appreciate you and all the sacrifices you and your loved ones make for us.



Thank a soldier at every opportunity

T he Sack Lunch

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment

and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.



'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east,

and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time...

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch.

Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base.'

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill.

'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly.

Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.

'This is your thanks..'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room.

A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers

only on my side of the plane.

When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's

hand.

With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot.

Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!



Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base.

I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base.. It will be about time for a sandwich.

God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return.

These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

May God give you the strength and courage to pass this along to everyone on your email buddy list....

I JUST DID

Let us pray...

Prayer chain for our Military... Don't break it!

Please send this on after a short prayer.. Prayer for our soldiers Don't break it!

Prayer:

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'

Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.

There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book.

Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.



GOD BLESS YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!

[ghost1227]

Thought I'd post another email I received today.
For all our Armed Forces past present and future, we appreciate you and all the sacrifices you and your loved ones make for us.

That post actually brought a tear to my eye. Thank you for sharing. Someone once did something similar while waiting at the Bangor, ME airport for a flight to Afghanistan and I've never forgotten it.

By way of introduction, I am a Marine, I served for seven years and completed five tours (2 in Iraq, 2 in Afghanistan, and 1 in Africa). I was medically retired almost four years ago.

Semper Fi

[failtrain]

US Army for 3 years, Radio Communications (25C + ELPRS) plus some HCLOS (High Capacity Line of Sight) training. 1 year tour in Iraq, never wanna go back, lol.

Thanks to everyone else who has and is still serving all around the world. I am proud to call every one of you my brothers and sisters.

[koopa210]

U.S. Marine, Nov 2004-May 2010. Only did a year in Iraq. Thinking about reenlisting because I feel like I owe this great country and my fallen brothers more time.
Semper Fi!

[Bob859]

I celebrated my 21st and 22nd birthdays in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of North Vietnam while serving in the navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31), 1968-70. I consider it a privilege to have served.