Tribute to Vietnam Veterans

[montana]

Tell me about hungry, rationing C's at times. I went to the rear once and ate at one of their big mess halls. Filled my tray normal with all that good looking food. Couldn't eat it, was stuffed after a few bites.

went over 165...came home 125....made crawlin threw the tunnals easyer...no haven ta drag a fat azz behind meeee

[Carpshooter]

went over 165...came home 125....made crawlin threw the tunnals easyer...no haven ta drag a fat azz behind meeee

Did I ever say anything about Saturday supper at Chu Lai in the airwing was steak night ?

Damn , I'm glad that I was in the airwing , Montana !

I got out of Nam at 205 lbs. and had a love for grilled steaks !

[montana]

we had a stack arms ...steak and all the beer you could drink,,,was asked by the cook how ya like your steak...told him rare,,,he chucked a raw steak on my plate being funny....said thate rare enough...picked it up took a big bite said just right...he started barfin ...i ate the whole thing there in front of him...with lots of chears from my bros.
between you and me i would of liked to had it warmed up a little

[student28]

It ****es me off also to be told welcome home, don't need it, don't want it. Had a guy who had been in the army some years ago tell me "Welcome home soldier." When I said I wasn't a soldier, I was a Marine you should have heard him ***** and moan and call me ungrateful. He got even more ****ed when I told him to go **** himself.

Ok ok, learned helplessness is a powerful thing I guess. If it pleases you more to get sh** on for the rest of your life then so be it. A big FU** YOU if that's what pleases you more - puts a big smile on your face. Would you like some spit to go along with that - put you back in the moment? Sounds like battered women syndrom to me. Just can't leave the past behind, smile for a day, and appreciate one good compliment. I don't look for people to thank me for my service either, but when they do, I appreciate the recognition, even though I volunteered and would not give up my PTSD for the world. Not to mention, I'm quite sure not all who participated in vietnam were volunteers... But I guess your smarter than me and know something about war that I don't...huh.

[advanced]

But I guess your smarter than me and know something about war that I don't...huh.

You are correct.

[advanced]

Ok ok, learned helplessness is a powerful thing I guess. If it pleases you more to get sh** on for the rest of your life then so be it. A big FU** YOU if that's what pleases you more - puts a big smile on your face. Would you like some spit to go along with that - put you back in the moment? Sounds like battered women syndrom to me. Just can't leave the past behind, smile for a day, and appreciate one good compliment. I don't look for people to thank me for my service either, but when they do, I appreciate the recognition, even though I volunteered and would not give up my PTSD for the world. Not to mention, I'm quite sure not all who participated in vietnam were volunteers... But I guess your smarter than me and know something about war that I don't...huh.

You obviously do not have a clue of what you are talking about. In the post that you have questioned I was talking to US Marines. When do you go to boot camp to learn about our (MC) history?

[DrZ]

Ok ok, learned helplessness is a powerful thing I guess. If it pleases you more to get sh** on for the rest of your life then so be it. A big FU** YOU if that's what pleases you more - puts a big smile on your face. Would you like some spit to go along with that - put you back in the moment? Sounds like battered women syndrom to me. Just can't leave the past behind, smile for a day, and appreciate one good compliment. I don't look for people to thank me for my service either, but when they do, I appreciate the recognition, even though I volunteered and would not give up my PTSD for the world. Not to mention, I'm quite sure not all who participated in vietnam were volunteers... But I guess your smarter than me and know something about war that I don't...huh.

You guys were welcomed home immediately...we wished we were. We were ignored, called names, spat at, and civilians walked to the other side of the street to make sure they were not close to us. That hurt and pain resides in us all these years later. The government saying something to us like that now...is like rubbing salt in the wound.

I accept it from other Marines.... young and old. Accept it from Vietnam era vets but from the government or someone who never served... I will personally give them 24 hours so they can line up to kiss my butt.

[student28]

You guys were welcomed home immediately...we wished we were. We were ignored, called names, spat at, and civilians walked to the other side of the street to make sure they were not close to us. That hurt and pain resides in us all these years later. The government saying something to us like that now...is like rubbing salt in the wound.

I accept it from other Marines.... young and old. Accept it from Vietnam era vets but from the government or someone who never served... I will personally give them 24 hours so they can line up to kiss my butt.

That is exactly why I was taking the time to try, to try to make it right at this miniscule level, from one combat Marine to another (but then again, maybe that's the most important level). My original post states the fact that I recognize the wrongs done to all of you. I was not given a parade, but I was certainly not treated the way you were. I could not imagine the horror you had to endure. Doing what you had to do and coming home to get crapped on. It was wrong. You know it, I know it, and the government does not care. But to those who say I have no idea...lol. I won't even go there. I did not trivialize your struggle, please don't try to trivialize mine.

[DrZ]

Beast,
I don't really think anyone is trying to trivialize your struggles but you bought up a very sore subject to many here. Many of those who welcome men and women home today are the Vietnam vets who swore none of our younger brothers or sisters would ever be treated the same as us old goats.

Some of us volunteered, some were drafted, and some simply ran. Those who ran usually had parents who could afford to keep them in university and some just took off for Canada. It chaffs out butts to see those who ran to Canada be welcomed home with opened arms when those who did as our government asked.... were verbally abused or dismissed as a side effect of an unpopular war.

Sir... I thank you for your service...as I do every person who paid forward for their children or future children's citizenship. I am one of the many old guys at the airport welcoming our newest warriors home and shaking their hands. But at this juncture.... as far as my brothers, sisters, and myself.... we just want to be left alone. When we need to talk...we talk to one of our own.

[student28]

Guess I don't know about war and what it is to drop iodine tabs into my canteen because the only thing I had to drink was filled with bloated bodies in it, or my own **** (usually the better choice)...where the hell was supply? Beats me. Somewhere a few hundred miles back and about 40 pounds later. But I guess weight loss was not such a bad thing. Guess I don't know what it is to fix bayonetts and run people through old school wwI style. Guess I don't know what it is to suffer the effects of biological and chemical agents we were "not" exposed to. Guess I don't know what it is to have special forces (Delta Force, CIA, Black Water) attachments to run clandestine missions. Guess I don't know what it is to watch the wild dogs eat every body in sight that they could get their vicious-grimmy teeth on. I guess it wasn't so bad though. It "only" took them several years to up-date my records so I could start receiving benefits. A "minor" oversight by them, but they finally did recognize the fact that I was in combat. Opps, "we want to take this time to appologize for this oversight Mr.x, thank you for your dedicated service, here is a list of all your medals and ribbons" yours truely, headquarters Marine Corps... Guess things could have been worse. Guess I could have gotten killed like some of my comrads. Guess I could have been one of many Iraqi civilians that were collateral damage...Oops. It is difficult to look into the eyes of a dying boy...trying to stop the arterial bleeding...what an empty look... the same look I wore for many years since. I spent many days and nights staring at the wall, suffering in my mind over and over for the things I did, the things I "had" to do. But what the hell do I know? I'm only 70 percent disabled. What the hell do I know? One hour of sleep a night is enough for anyone. What the hell do I know? These are a few of the things I can put into simple words. What am I ranting about, and to who? You were probably a cook or something hardcore like that...You know better than I.

[student28]

Beast,
I don't really think anyone is trying to trivialize your struggles but you bought up a very sore subject to many here. Many of those who welcome men and women home today are the Vietnam vets who swore none of our younger brothers or sisters would ever be treated the same as us old goats.

Some of us volunteered, some were drafted, and some simply ran. Those who ran usually had parents who could afford to keep them in university and some just took off for Canada. It chaffs out butts to see those who ran to Canada be welcomed home with opened arms when those who did as our government asked.... were verbally abused or dismissed as a side effect of an unpopular war.

Sir... I thank you for your service...as I do every person who paid forward for their children or future children's citizenship. I am one of the many old guys at the airport welcoming our newest warriors home and shaking their hands. But at this juncture.... as far as my brothers, sisters, and myself.... we just want to be left alone. When we need to talk...we talk to one of our own.

Understood sir. Thank you for your reasonable conversation. You are a true gentleman. You are a true Marine. I have learned from our conversation and that is the point. I understand that perspective of not wanting to talk, and now understand a little bit more as to why from guys like you - Vietnam Vets. I was simply trying to do a good thing and was jumped on. I'm sorry if I offended anyone, but I tend to be a bit touchy too, and for my own reasons.

[advanced]

Post 53 does not clarify post 49, different topic entirely. To clarify;

When the army guy told me welcome home soldier my response to him was not smart assed, it was spontaneous. You see, we bush Marines from the Nam didn't have crap except our lives and our title - Marine. Within myself, and my guess is with many others here, you call us soldiers and it is spontaneous that we correct you. You wouldn't know that, you just see the words, and you have no fathom of the meanings to us.

The army guy took what I said personally though from me it wasn't personal. He made it personal to me when he called me ungrateful, remember, I had not heard those words "welcome home" in 40+ years. My response to him was personal back. Most Nam vets understand the context, you didn't, just like the army guy.

We fended for ourselves all these years with no help from this country. Don't you get it, from those asswipes they're only saying words, words they never had to back up. We had a saying "Don't mean Nothing."

P.S. Just read your last post before I got to send this. Yeah, I was a hardcore cook. Maybe you ought to research who the hell you're talking to there - John Wayne.

[student28]

Sorry Mr. Advanced. It was a reaction. I'm not trying to take from you. I understand what you meant about the army guy, but I'm not him. I appologize to you all. When I feel cornered, I react - gets me into trouble at times, working on that. I just wanted to say thank you from one Marine to another, because I got **** on too, mostly by myself. I suffer my own martyrdom. It's an issue I am facing and trying to correct. But you are correct. It is not my place to understand you and your tribulations, I never could. Just sympathyzing.

[advanced]

Sorry Mr. Advanced. It was a reaction. I'm not trying to take from you. I understand what you meant about the army guy, but I'm not him. I appologize to you all. When I feel cornered, I react - gets me into trouble at times, working on that. I just wanted to say thank you from one Marine to another, because I got **** on too, mostly by myself. I suffer my own martyrdom. It's an issue I am facing and trying to correct. But you are correct. It is not my place to understand you and your tribulations, I never could. Just sympathyzing.

No offense taken, read around some of the posts. As Fist says "go softly" at least at first. I've got your back. S/F

[Mongoose]

Sorry Mr. Advanced. It was a reaction. I'm not trying to take from you. I understand what you meant about the army guy, but I'm not him. I appologize to you all. When I feel cornered, I react - gets me into trouble at times, working on that. I just wanted to say thank you from one Marine to another, because I got **** on too, mostly by myself. I suffer my own martyrdom. It's an issue I am facing and trying to correct. But you are correct. It is not my place to understand you and your tribulations, I never could. Just sympathyzing.

My brother Russ, so you wont get him confused with a cook, Fought with the 3/5 in 68. Fought in some of the biggest and bloodiest battles in the Nam. He was a grunt that survived a year in which there was more Marines KIA than in Iraq and Afgn since their beginning. S/F