Veterans Day

[Bruce Day]

Off to SoDak tomorrow with friends and my son so I won't have time for the remainder of the week.

A thankful Veterans Day to all who served, regulars, Guard or reserves, all branches and all times. Thanks for your service and patriotism. Its the great formative experience of a lifetime for many. In this time when we are beset by those who seek to do us harm, both in the US and outside, your service is valued. Those of us who served for many years are thankful for the few years some were able to give.

[Fred Preston]

Bruce, If I may, I'll add that today is the 234th birthday of the USMC; a Corps that has served this Country well over those years.

Semper FI

[C Roger Giles]

Fred;

I thought you would have forgot about the Marines by now as you were discharged/seperated from the Marines eons ago

Roger Coger

[Francis Morin]

[QUOTE=C Roger Giles;6964]Fred;

I thought you would have forgot about the Marines by now as you were discharged/seperated from the Marines eons ago

Roger Coger- We are all Marines for life- whether we are a Lance Corporal, a Lieutenant Colonel. or a Lieutenant General- as was the rank of our beloved Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, the only Marine to ever receive five Navy Crosses. "Chesty" Puller, whose only son USMC First Lieutenant Lewis B. Puller Jr. served with valor in Vietnam and was severly wounded in 1967, later died Stateside after long bouts in Bethesda Naval Hospital- the book "Fortunate Son" was his biography, and his death devastated his father beyond words. General Puller once said four words that sum up the essence of leadership in our Beloved Corps- "Officers Always Eat Last".

Colonel Bruce Day (USAF) said it well in his previous post, it all bears repeating here, in light of the recent tragedy at Fort Hood- let us all never forget the sacrifices our Veterans have made for the Freedoms we sometimes take for granted here-and for those who are serving in Harm's Way, may they all: Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, both active and reserve- "walk in God's long shadow until they arrive safely back home"!! Semper Fi!!

[Bruce Day]

Once a Marine, always a Marine. Semper Fi and a salute to the Corps.

[allen braun]

Happy b-day Marines Semper Fi

[Dean Romig]

The day, Veteran's Day, is dedicated to present and former members of our Armed Services but we should keep them in our hearts and thoughts and prayers every day. They are the reason we are Americans. A heartfelt "Thank You" to all veterans.

[Kent Nickerson]

Dad was a Gunny...ya'll got it right...a Mighty Fine Day.

[Richard Flanders]

My father enlisted in the Marines in 1941 at 16 yrs old and served until 1945. He told his mother that if she didn't sign for him to enlist he would run away from home. She signed. I used to sit in the loft of our old shoddy barn and go through his trunk of stuff that he brought home. His dress blues were in there, letters to home, which I read every one of, and lots of pictures. Sadly, not a piece of that collection has survived. He looked like a kid in those pictures... which he was. 6ft tall and 135#. Came out at 6'2" and 160# and served all over the South Pacific. I've never been able to truly envision what it must have been like for a 16 yr old to go through boot camp and go overseas and fight a war. No Ipods, no computers, no boom boxes. 16yr olds today would seemingly be horrified at the existence, I think... sometimes I think that anyway..... other times I like to think that, if it came right down to it, if called for, our current 16 yr olds would buck up, line up, train, and do just as well as those who fought at that age in past wars...like the Civil War and WWII. I really like to think they could and would do that. I really do. I just can't see it being any other way in this country.

I've dug up the picture I found of my father in his uniform, likely just out of basic. Also have included a picture of my brother in Vietnam. After serving his 13months he returned to the US a troubled individual. Viet Nam seemed to have a way of doing that to some perfectly good people. He was never the same care free brother that left us and tragically committed suicide in 1986. The family hurt is indescribably deep to this day.

[Dean Romig]

..... other times I like to think that, if it came right down to it, if called for, our current 16 yr olds would buck up, line up, train, and do just as well as those who fought at that age in past wars...like the Civil War and WWII. I really like to think they could and would do that. I really do. I just can't see it being any other way in this country.

Rich, I sure hope so, but I hope we never see that day.

[Harry Collins]

Thanks to all who served......

Harry Collins QMC(SS)/LT

[Bruce Day]

6am and waiting for Charlie and we will go north.

In Gulf War I was out of bombers and helping run a C-130 squadron. We had a night offload in Saudi and then we were told we had expedited passengers and return cargo. On came our passengers ( pax). One was a young Marine coming back to Aviano then change planes to Frankfurt. He had been behind the berms in southern Kuwait watching the power and light show, hearing explosions. They had advanced to the Iraqi trenches and wire and mine defenses then the Marine charge order came, lead by the sergeants and Lts. Gunships were firing, explosions all around. The Marine said he felt himself lifted by an explosion but knew he had to advance so he kept running until he felt himself sinking lower and lower on one side and fell over. He looked down and saw that his foot had been blown off by a mine.

So this is Veterans Day, and these young men have risen for our country time and time again, and will carry on.

[Lee St.Clair]

To all thise that served, thank you so very much for what you did for me. To help keep this country free for me.
Those of world war 2 came home as heros, and you were....thank you.
The 'forgotten war', Korea. Korea has 2 of the 12 largest Christian churches in the world. This would not be if not for those of you who fought there. Thank you. (as tears come) Korea is also second only to the United States in sending Bibles to countries that they are desperately wanted in and needed. This also would not be if you had not fought for their freedom to worship freely as they so chose. Thank you immensly for what you did for them.
Then the Viet Nam war. My heart cries when I think of the reception you recieved upon returning home. What you did was serve your country as any other guy(or lady) did in the military. A friend of mine was called 'baby killer' when he returned. That stands out in his mind to this day. Those that are able to treat American men and women that served our country(and therefore served 'us') this way know not unconditional love. And what an empty existance. My heart cries for them. You served our country and therefore served me, thank you so very much for the sacrifices you made and for risking your lives for me!!!
Those of you who served during peace times also a heart felt thank you to you. You volunteered to risk your lives for this country and for me also.
Words can not express the gratitude I have for each and every one of you. I wish I could shake the hand and look in the eye of each one of you so you could feel how much I appreciate what you have done for me. Thank you. May God bless you all abundantly for what you have done(and to those still doing it) for me. Lee

[Francis Morin]

I hope the late USN Adm. Chester Nimitz will allow me to paraphrase his words, which are inscribed on the base of the USMC Monument in DC, just up river from Arlington National Cemetery. Colonel Day's description of the young Marine who lost a foot in that fire fight rings true- and not just for the USMC but for all forward units in combat, regardless of rank, unit, division or Branch of Military Service. If you read his post carefully would will see that the NCO's and the Platoon Commanders (Lts.) were out in front, as all leaders must be.

I think many, too many indeed, of us who have served, no matter in which time frame or combat theater have lost a close friend to the tragedy that any war or armed conflict brings. My best friend from school days (50 years ago) went to OSU on a football scholarship, did his ROTC and was a 1st. Lt. in the Army, 82nd. Airborne Division, then into the 5th SF- he was "on point" near Pleiku in Feb 1966- hit a trip wire, turned and hit the ground with the next trooper behind him (we called them slack men back then) and covered him to shield him from the frags- Don died doing that, received both the Purple Heart and a Silver Star- I have a tracing of him name from the wall and both his jump wings and one of his Lt. bars in a special place-and I look at those things each year on this day--His sacrifice exemplified the leadership that Colonel Day detailed for us here- He may be gone, but will never be forgotten- never!!

[Mark Ouellette]

I would also like to thank my fellow veterans for their service. Be they Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Marine with service of a day or three decades we all answered the call to service. Thanks for being on my flank!

Mark Ouellette
Captain, USMC retired

[Mike Wilkerson]

A big thanks to the men and women in our armed services! I went to the local USMC birthday celebration 11-7. It was a blast. Lots of Staffs and Gunnies were there. Two WW!! veterans were there also. Both in their 80's now but still looking tough as ever.
The youngest Marine there was a 23 yr old LCpl. Richard I'm sorry about your Brother.
Mike
PS the cake was good too.

[Richard Flanders]

Thanks Mike. I just wish casualties like him could have been included on the wall in DC

[Francis Morin]

But that's OK-we start celebrating "The Few The Proud - The first to go in and the last to leave" early- On Veteran's Day our area restaurants offered a free meal (not drinks) to ALL vets- regardless of branch or where and when they served- still some WW11 guys left- sat at the bar at Wapplebee's and with some returning soldiers from "The Sandbox" both !st Air Cav and 101st Airborne, next to me a recently discharged female Navy Petty Officer (E-5) and then another gent came and sat down next to me- 5th Airborne WW11- gliders- aka- 'flying coffins"--On 10 Nov we went to the legion (I am a member) and celebrated- shot pool, toasted our fallen buddies and read off the names from The Wall-Marines-all paid the price for our freedoms, no matter rank or MOS- Semper Fi!!!:bowdown: