Veterans On the Board

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Were we ever really this young? 19 yrs. old. Just made L/Cpl. 4th from right, standing with AK.
They wouldn't let us keep 'em as souvenirs, though. My buddy Robert at far right with M14.

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Captured NVA flag. Yes,they are holding it upside down for a reason. My buddy Robert on the right.
A smile and a joke for every occasion. KIA Con Thien. Think of him every day.

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11 years later, towards end of 2nd hitch...... Didn't fit into civilian life very well, so went back in the service (Navy that time).
Built this car at the auto hobby shop on base when we were in port. Yes, I'm still wearing jungle boots. Kinda got used to 'em.
Except for turning and burning long hours keeping the subs patched up and on station, it was pretty laid back at the sub pier.
Was sent over to 32nd St. Naval Station on TAD orders to work on a pressure vessel in the reactor compartment of a skimmer once
and the OOD wanted to put me on report for being out of uniform. Had a long beard at the time and was wearing green coveralls and
jungle boots and a USS Dixon ball cap with my rank insignia on it. Surface fleet was sorta uptight about stuff like that.
OOD apparently wanted me to report in dress whites with haircut and shave and shoes shined and then change after I reported aboard.
We didn't have a Navy pickup handy, so I drove the Chevy and parked it on the pier near the brow. He wasn't very happy that, either. :D

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When my '65 GTO ragtop was totaled, I built up the engine and swapped it into a '56 Chevy along with the Muncie 4-speed and a '69 Camaro SS396 12-bolt rearend.
'74 400 Pontiac short block, '68 428 cop car heads, Sig Erson cam, '66 Pontiac iron tri-power intake.
Note dealer only MOPAR 6-Pak carbs (factory high perf replacements for the production 440 6-Pak carbs) adapted to Pontiac intake.

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Also ran 2-1/2" dual exhaust with MOPAR hemi mufflers and a '76 Cordoba rear sway bar on that car.
Front sway bar was from a new TransAm Firebird. G-60 15 radials put over 8" of tread on the road at all 4 corners. Handled really well.

Happy Motoring,

Harry
 
Welcome home harry. I served in. Quang nam in 68. Lost a lot of marines.
was on hill 37. 1/7 comm platoon. I too think about
my friends I left behind every day. Todays terrorism
is what our polititions and citizens taught them when
they turned their backs on us in vietnam. Sad. But
this is what happens when u think you can blow
kisses at people who hate you and things go away.
its a shame all our friends gave their lives and it apears
some folks did not learn a thing.
First Photo is myself at 18 with a captured AK47. Couldn't sneak them home.
Second photo is right after returning home at a ceremony at my High School dedicating a plaque to those who
were KIA from my City.
Semper Fi
 

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Found this going thru "Medals of America" site tonite. 5th corp patch Army thought some of you might get a kick outta this 1st one is a decal 2nd is a t-shirt
 

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U.S. NAVY
21st of Jume 2012-present, Aviation Structual Mechanic, 3rd class petty officer, Oak Harbor, Oahu Hawaii, Chili, Brazil, USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN-76)
 
Air Force. 1977 to 1981 44th OMMS, MMT, EAFB missile maintenance cage man Minuteman II nukes. EAFB is for Ellsworth AFB Rapid City, S. Dakota
 
Welcome home harry. I served in. Quang nam in 68. Lost a lot of marines.
was on hill 37. 1/7 comm platoon. I too think about
my friends I left behind every day. Todays terrorism
is what our polititions and citizens taught them when
they turned their backs on us in vietnam. Sad. But
this is what happens when u think you can blow
kisses at people who hate you and things go away.
its a shame all our friends gave their lives and it apears
some folks did not learn a thing.
First Photo is myself at 18 with a captured AK47. Couldn't sneak them home.
Second photo is right after returning home at a ceremony at my High School dedicating a plaque to those who
were KIA from my City.
Semper Fi

Thanks, Bro! In all these years, that's only the second time anyone has said that to me. Means more than I can say.

We were up in Quang Tri Province along the DMZ. Nearly bought the farm up on the hill at Con Thien in May of '67.

Don't know if this makes any sense, but I have this feeling that there must be parallel dimensions in time. And I have one foot in the here and now, but on one level or another, it will always be 1966 - 1967 for me. I can see and hear and smell and taste it just like I am still there. I don't talk about it and I don't like remembering but its always there, just below the surface.

My grandson is home from the Army now. He came over to see me this weekend along with his dad (my eldest son) and his uncle (my 2nd born son). My grandson told me that he understands now where I go when I get that 1,000 yard stare. I hate that he understands that. Like my father before me, I had hoped that 'our war' would be 'the war to end all wars' and future generations wouldn't have to experience what ours did. But as long as men who are too old to fight send men who are too young to die to do their fighting for them...... It will continue. So each generation does our part and that's just the way of it, I reckon.

Semper Fi,

Harry
 
U.S. ARMY 19k OEF( RC South Afghanistan, panjwai district or also called horn of panjwai) 2009-2014 ... Boom Boom! M1A2 SEPV2 Abrahams Tank crewman.
 
Welcome home. That's something I try to say to all the Vietnam vets when I see one. So to those who served over there regardless the service, Welcome Home!!!
 
I traded in my 1973 Autumn Bronze Gold Duster in 1980 the week I was commissioned a LTJG in the Navy Medical Service Corps. I bought a Horizon TC3. I grew to seriously regret that decision. I am making up for it now, but at much greater hit to my pocket-book. Last August I bought a 1973 A64 code Gold Duster in serious need of restoration. It won't be the same color and I am 'upgrading' it for a safer ride, but it will still be a Gold Duster to me.

The car is in paint now, following a 50% replacement of metal. I am supposed to have it for my birthday in July for a cruising vacation to Myrtle Beach. The 35th year after I got rid of my first Gold Duster.

Dennis
 
USAF 1977-1999
T-39A & C-130E Crew Chief 77-83
C-130 Flight Engineer 83-99
Operations Just Cause, Desert Shield / Storm, Bosnia (don't remember the ops name moving IFOR into country), multiple European rotations, Central America, all over the Pacific/Asia as well.
 
Welcome home. That's something I try to say to all the Vietnam vets when I see one. So to those who served over there regardless the service, Welcome Home!!!

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Thanks for remembering us, Louie. And thanks for your service to our country as well.

Best regards,

Harry
 
USN here joined 1978 12 years in. Stationed in San Diego most of my enlistment. MT
 
USMC 1998-2005 SGT 0331 Machine Gunner
3rd Bn 6th Marines at FOB Rhino and Kandahar 2001-02
 
:D Found some old pics a buddy sent me (1976)......

Shellback initiation......

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Float testing A**** following liberty in Mazatlan......

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Rescue at sea off Yokohama......

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Diesel Boats Forever......

Harry
 
Major, USAF ret. Almost 10,000 flying hours (mostly in C-130s). Served in Europe, Far East, Panama (and Central / South America), North Africa. 3 years in a special Ops Unit that flew covert aerial reconnaissance all over the world. Loved my time. Thanks to all of you for your Service.
 
Take a minute.


MSGT(sw) 1987-2006
 

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Petty Officer 2nd Class, USN, 2005-2012. Stationed in: Yokosuka Japan, Naples Italy, Djibouti Africa, USS Rushmore LSD-47 in San Diego, and finally Chinhae Korea.
 
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