You have nothing to feel guilty about, you served !!!
Non- Combat Veterans.
- Thread starter Back in Time
- Start date
-
Treblig you kinda sound like a 46250It's an eerie feeling when you're wiping down an atomic bomb (gotta keep them clean) and get a foot long static spark as you lift the Kimwipe off the bombs outer surface!!! I handled so many bombs I actually lost count!!
Dartsun
Mopar Dude
Although I like the sang. In my military time you got paid more being in combat. Besides hazard duty pay it was tax free.
My Air Force years were from 1973 to 1980.
In my 7 years, i only fired the M-16 two times in all those years.
One hundred rounds at the rifle range during basic training, at Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio, Texas, and one other time at a German rifle range, while stationed at Zweibrucken Air Base, in Germany.
Was supposed to qualify once a year in Germany, but they "pencil whipped" the other one, as i was on leave at the time the rifle range was contracted to be used.
So firing a weapon twice in 7 years, a Marine, or a Army guy, would probably consider an Air Force guy like me a woosie. lol
But to the op of this topic, it doesn't matter if you held an office job while in the service, worked on the flight line, like me, or dodged all the bullets in Viet Nam, your still a veteran.
In my 7 years, i only fired the M-16 two times in all those years.
One hundred rounds at the rifle range during basic training, at Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio, Texas, and one other time at a German rifle range, while stationed at Zweibrucken Air Base, in Germany.
Was supposed to qualify once a year in Germany, but they "pencil whipped" the other one, as i was on leave at the time the rifle range was contracted to be used.
So firing a weapon twice in 7 years, a Marine, or a Army guy, would probably consider an Air Force guy like me a woosie. lol
But to the op of this topic, it doesn't matter if you held an office job while in the service, worked on the flight line, like me, or dodged all the bullets in Viet Nam, your still a veteran.
Remember Pro Pay. If you scored 130 or above on your MOS test you got $50 a month bonus. Untill Congress stopped it in 1973 or 74.
Dartsun
Mopar Dude
Oh damn never heard of that one, that is legit.
I scored 132 the first time I was tested. Drew Pro Pay untill it was discontinued in 74 I believe.
Some much needed MOSs had lower scores to make like 100 or 110 points.
But the Army felt if you made 130 on the test no matter what MOS you deserved Pro Pay.
Proficiency pay.
Treblig
Well-Known Member
463
Treblig
Well-Known Member
My Air Force years were from 1973 to 1980.
In my 7 years, i only fired the M-16 two times in all those years.
One hundred rounds at the rifle range during basic training, at Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio, Texas, and one other time at a German rifle range, while stationed at Zweibrucken Air Base, in Germany.
Was supposed to qualify once a year in Germany, but they "pencil whipped" the other one, as i was on leave at the time the rifle range was contracted to be used.
So firing a weapon twice in 7 years, a Marine, or a Army guy, would probably consider an Air Force guy like me a woosie. lol
But to the op of this topic, it doesn't matter if you held an office job while in the service, worked on the flight line, like me, or dodged all the bullets in Viet Nam, your still a veteran.
I was at Lackland in '72. I had been shooting guns since a was a little kid. The M16 was super fun. I had super vision (13/20 vision) which is way above average. I was given 100 rounds and basically tore a ragged hole 3 inches in diameter in the center of the target at 100 yards. I also finished shooting my 100 rounds before anyone else. The range master wouldn't give me expert because he couldn't count all the individual holes (nothing but a big ragged hole). If I had known that each hole had to be clearly visible I would have shot 20 rounds at the right shoulder, 20 rounds at the left shoulder, 20 rounds at the neck, etc, etc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was really pissed!!!
I really wanted to be a sniper but I scored too high in mechanics and electronics and with an excellent background clearance was selected for the 463 field. Loved it!!!!
2nd enlistment. Navy, that time. OSVET (other service vet in naval lingo)...... Welding and installing piping aboard the subs. Yes, still wearing my jungle boots with Navy dungarees. Kinda got used to 'em.
We worked long, hard hours but otherwise, things were laid back at the sub pier for the most part. Not too much the Mickey Mouse.
Surface fleet was another matter altogether, though. My striker and I drove up to 32nd Street Naval Station once to do some work in the reactor compartment aboard a nuke cruiser. No Navy truck available at the sub pier, so we drove over in the '56. Had a lot of heavy gear to bring aboard, so I drove up the pier and parked the Chevy next to the brow.
We wore our usual work 'uniforms'...... Green coveralls and blue USS Dixon ball caps with rank insignia on our caps. I thought the OOD was going to have a heart attack. He wanted to put us on report and throw us in the brig. Seemed to think we should have got into our class A white crackerjack dress uniforms and spit shined our shoes to drive over. We both had beards and hadn't had a hair cut in a while and he wasn't very happy about that, either. XO had to come up and calm him down before we came aboard.
Best regards,
Harry
Last edited:
pishta
I know I'm right....
I had one of those moments too. I had to go down the hill to the Navy armory to check out an M14 for a ceremony and I had to be under arms to get it so I strap on my .45 and start walking down the 2 mile hill to the armory. I said F this and hailed a navy cab (Philippines civilians). I get the M14 and get back in the cab for the ride up the hill and we pull into the barracks, I pop out the cab with the rifle and my .45 and the SOG about lost it. I was painting red curbs for 6 hours that saturday. Good times.....
diymirage
HP@idle > hondaHP@redline
as a civilian I just do not understand why the members of our armed forces are not armed at all time
(I can see there being exceptions for desk jockeys, but come on)
In some places they are. Not really needed in other places.
1973Barracuda
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2009
- Messages
- 2,021
- Reaction score
- 2,425
DIY,
Carrying a weapon would be a huge pain in the *** full time. Yes, deployed we did. But...Imagine you are a wheel vehicle mechanic, and had to carry a M4. Not everyone has pistols. I had both. Imagine doing your job now with a M4. Accountability would be a pain in the *** as well. If you always have it with you, you will always be cleaning it. And that takes away from doing your other job possibly. Then, at the end of the day, they must be turned in. In the morning, signed out. Can’t take them home. Hours are lost. Can’t go in a restaurant for lunch with one. Can’t be carried in a POV. The list goes on.
Carrying a weapon would be a huge pain in the *** full time. Yes, deployed we did. But...Imagine you are a wheel vehicle mechanic, and had to carry a M4. Not everyone has pistols. I had both. Imagine doing your job now with a M4. Accountability would be a pain in the *** as well. If you always have it with you, you will always be cleaning it. And that takes away from doing your other job possibly. Then, at the end of the day, they must be turned in. In the morning, signed out. Can’t take them home. Hours are lost. Can’t go in a restaurant for lunch with one. Can’t be carried in a POV. The list goes on.
goldfish65
Well-Known Member
As everyone said, you served. My thanks to all of you.
On Veterans Day at work I did a little talk about it and made that point, a veteran may not have been on the battlefield.
On Veterans Day at work I did a little talk about it and made that point, a veteran may not have been on the battlefield.
zigs
Well-Known Member
There's no such thing as not participating . I did two tours of Viet Nam , while friends of mine were in Germany and another in Italy. One friend spent his time at the Pentagon. We all had our jobs to do.
Thank you for your service.
Thank you for your service.
Last edited:
Best regards,
Harry
pishta
I know I'm right....
If 'Po city' is Olongapo, yep. And the call Vegas sin city? Ha!
Cubi Pt. NAS and Subic Bay Naval Magazine guard jungle patrols.
Cubi Pt. NAS and Subic Bay Naval Magazine guard jungle patrols.
Semper Fi,
Harry
zigs
Well-Known Member
Ever go into Subic City
Semper Fortis
Don't feel bad. At least you served. I feel guilty for not doing my service for this country. My father was supposed to go to Korea, but an hour before being deployed some brass switched two platoons. He ended up in Germany for the cold war. And he did see combat but nothing like Korea. I wonder if he did get sent to Korea would I be here?
You mean across the river and up the coast road by the barrio? I rode up there once with some other guys in a Jeepney. Mostly stayed in Olongapo when on liberty, though.
Best regards,
Harry
zigs
Well-Known Member
Ya, I remember going there, don't remember coming out. Subic City was off limits
pishta
I know I'm right....
Olongapo was for the straight guys, Subic was for the deviants! Just kidding...Subic was a little more chill. Not so crowded. Lots of us "Station Dito" (Permanent personel) would either go to Subic or Barrio Baretto when the fleet came in (and all the prices went up) or better, make the Victory liner hop up to Clark AFB and Angeles City, they didn't call it "Blow Road" for nothing! . If you were really in the know, you'd charter a Jeepney and take 5-6 of your buddies with you, drinking all the way and peeing off the back at 50 mph. And then you take those fun 2 day weekends and multiply it 5X for all the days and nights you spent out in the bush, getting bit by anything 24/7, or getting rained on 3 months of the year, or freezing in a forward fox hole as a listening post at 0300 or humping 80 lbs on your back through whatever is in front of you. And for the unlucky ones, dodging bullets at the same time or worse..." to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy assault by fire and close combat". God help them. And God help you if you waded/swam through **** River! 
Mid-'60s was a time of turmoil no matter where you were. I remember stopping briefly at NAS Millington just North of Memphis on my way home for Christmas leave in '66. My Dad's family were from Memphis. I have the post cards he addressed and sent home from France in 1918 and the telegram my Grandpa was sent by the Marine Corps when Dad was wounded in June of 1918 in the fighting for the Belleau Wood.
The old family home was on South Wellington Street in Memphis. I had heard so much about it and wanted to see it. Dad and all his siblings had been born in that little wood frame house in the 1890s and early 1900s. Couldn't go there, though. There had been race riots earlier that year and it was located in an area that was strictly off limits to military personnel. The years went by so quickly after I was back Stateside again. Just never got around to going there. Its probably been torn down by now.
Yes, I have waded/swam across Sh*t River in the PI. Sadly, that was not the worst place I have been. Just glad to still be here, all things considered.
Best regards to all,
Harry
The old family home was on South Wellington Street in Memphis. I had heard so much about it and wanted to see it. Dad and all his siblings had been born in that little wood frame house in the 1890s and early 1900s. Couldn't go there, though. There had been race riots earlier that year and it was located in an area that was strictly off limits to military personnel. The years went by so quickly after I was back Stateside again. Just never got around to going there. Its probably been torn down by now.
Yes, I have waded/swam across Sh*t River in the PI. Sadly, that was not the worst place I have been. Just glad to still be here, all things considered.
Best regards to all,
Harry
-
