Veteran Roll Call - Thank You

DoubleEgger

Thank you to all of the Egghead veterans for kicking ass and taking names. I truly appreciate your sacrifice and dedication to this Great Nation. I know many of the veterans here but I'd rather not call out individuals out of respect for those that I don't know who have served. 

So it's roll call time! Veterans, please let us know how and when you served so the rest of us can honor your service. 

Thanks again for keeping us safe on a daily basis.  

lewisj82

Thanks to my fellow veterans that worked a lot harder than I did. Army, USMC, I'm looking in your direction. Let's not forget those who didn't make it home. 

STG2(SW) Lewis, USN - 2002-2007 
Served aboard USS Mustin (DDG-89), currently home ported in Yokosuka, Japan

six_egg

Thank You all for the many blessing we enjoy with out even a thought. We are blessed to have you protect and watch over this great nation.

FC1(SW) Six, USN - 1986 - 1996
Served aboard the U.S.S. Boone FFG-28.

BYS1981

I served as an avionics troop on F-15s from 2004-2008. Helped me get my life straight. 

gabriegger

Remembering a good friend of my Dad's who is still with us.  Okill Stuart who landed on Juno Beach, D Day.  This video commemorates the final reunion of the 3 remaining members of the 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, 14th Canadian Field Regiment. 
http://youtu.be/hVWhMRxMD9c

JRWhitee

1977-1983 U.S. Army. I was 17 when I went in, I grew up fast!

NPHuskerFL

Thank you to all who have or still are serving our great country.  

55drum

USA....'75-'82

Spaightlabs

Thank you to all who stood ready to sacrifice all so that the rest of us could enjoy our freedom.

Sonny3

Joined the Navy September 1965 at the age of 17.

6 weeks later I flew to Japan to board the USS Ticonderoga operating in the Tonkin Gulf.  Our squadron VA 144 flew A4 Skyhawks in combat support missions.

Feb 67-68 stationed at the US Navy Support Base, DaNang, Vietnam.  Spent my last 4 months there on Swift Boats at the DMZ.

The night I was to fly out of VN, I was at the DaNang airbase when the 1968 TET Offensive was launched.  Spent the night in a bomb shelter.  Fortunately they didn't tear up the runway too bad and I was able to get out of there the next day.

And forty years later, my being there gave me a cancer I can't get rid of.

All of that said I still believe that "Every Day is A Bonus" and my only job is to choke the life out of them.

Finding out about BGEs and finding this forum has certainly bought me a tremendous amount of joy and a whole lot of new experiences.  Never too old to learn something new and I now realize that there is a whole world of cooking I knew nothing about.

So thank all of you for being here and helping to guide me along this new path and journey.

lewisj82

Best of luck on your cancer fight Sonny. Thank you for your hard work and sacrifice.

Botch

Captain, USAF, 1983-1995
MSgt, USAFR, 1998-2012
 

SoCalTim

My dad served in Korea, this picture is cira 1951

jabam

My family and I would like to salute all of you, for your sacrifice and service to the greatest country on earth. We as a society tend to take for granted the freedoms we have as Americans. Let's honor those people who served our country and remember if not for their sacrifice and service we would not enjoy the freedoms we do today!! 

For those of you still in service today, we pray for a safe and speedy return home!

ksmyrl

Thank you doesn't seem like enough...but thank you to all veterans. This is my dad at my daughter's school's veterans day celebration. He served in the south pacific from '61-'67 building radio and loran towers. He's about 10 years younger than he looks thanks to multiple bouts with cancer, but still fighting.

Tim (Watkinsville)

US Army, enlisted, Jul 13 1973 -- Jul 11 1976.
24H20 Improved Hawk electronics technician. Graduate of the 7th Army NCO Academy, Bad Tolz Germany. You only remember the good times!

Jeepster47

USAF ... 1970-1974

@Sonny3 ... a tip of the hat to you my friend.  Looks like we're the same age.  I took a side trip through college and missed the worst of the fighting.  Couldn't be a pilot 'cuz of my eyes ... told them I'd pass on being a navigator 'cuz I didn't want to ride if I couldn't drive.  Ended up assigned to aircraft maintenance ... C141 and C5 aircraft.  Luck of the draw kept me stateside in Dover for the majority of my service time.

Dover was the East Coast arrival base for bodies being returned from fighting in Vietnam.  Very sobering to be constantly reminded that "there but for the grace of god go I."  Even today, I fully understand those bonus days.

SoCalTim

A note to all Veterans ... you need to see a VA advocate to see if you have any Veteran Benefits due you.
.
We didn't know til a yr after he passed, but the fact that my dad actually fought in a ground conflict, he had a ton of benefits due him - including monetary compensation and free burial (with Honor Guard) at any National Cemetery. 

Fifty years had passed and he was still on the books. We had no idea

The Gov't won't give you your due unless you ask. 

luckyboy

I spent a little over 14 months with the 3/17th air cab in Vietnam as gunner on huey's. I was able to extend my time there so i'd get discharged from the army when I got back to the states.

BYS1981

Another thing for veterans and active duty guys, don't be afraid to get any disability percentage if you had anything happen in the military. Many states provide free college to disabled veteran's children, which in itself is worth it. 

Sonny3

Bringing back a flood of memories on this one.  Biggest question is where in the hell did 50 years go.

Fresh out of boot camp.


And 50 years later.

SPRIGS

Marine Corps 1990-1994. Infantry. This was in Somalia.

SoCalTim

You guys are Rock Stars! Thank you for your service!!

bgebrent

^^^^^^ 150%!!  True heroes!!

SoCalTim

Thank You to @BIll-W221 .. I posted this picture (the original is posted up top this thread) and he took the time to clean it up for me. It's the only photo I have of him in uniform. The photo is circa 1951

The story behind the two pieces is that my mom and dad got into some sort of disagreement. She tore the photo in half and broke up with him.

They were married in Vegas two weeks later and were together for 54 years.

The both got cancer at the same exact time in 2008 and passed away in early 2009, two months apart.

theyolksonyou

Good on @BIll-W221

logchief

I got lucky in the 1972 draft and was 351.  Nam was winding down so never got touched and I was locked into my career in wildland fire.  Sometimes I wonder if I really missed something by not going in the military.

I am totally grateful for all those men and women who've given so much or all  for this country over the last couple of centuries.  It's hard to imagine where we'd be without them.

Spaightlabs

Dad flew 52 missions out of Watton, England on a B-17 and many night photo recon missions in an RAF DeHaviland Mosquito.  We are lucky that he was lucky and although he took some flak in his elbow and had 2 crash landings in 17s that were full of holes, he came back in one piece.  Still tears him up pretty bad to talk about some of the men he saw lose their lives.  He is 92 and still living on his own, not on a single med.

@Sonny3  and @luckyboy - it kills me that many in our country never thanked you sufficiently because they were pissed at the government regarding the morality of your war - (don't hate the players, hate the game) - from the bottom of my heart, thank you, and God bless.

Randall_Lee

USN  West Pac's  71 & 72 USS Midway CV41, Radarman/operations specialist, Yankee Station Veit Nam.

tactical_66

 Former US Army CH-47 pilot. 

Davec433

1999-Current.  Was with 101st for the invasion to Iraq, 3 trips to Afghanistan with 3rd SFG, couple trips to Africa as well as Jordan and some other places. Thanks for everyone's support and thanks to those who have served!