Veterans Day 2021

[[CPT]milopugdog]

Hey all, I haven't seen a thread on here for veterans day yet, so I thought I'd make one.

 

I think we know what it's all about, so I'll keep this simple.

Thank you to all who serve, and have served.

The military has an extensive history, and over time people's stories get lost to time. So if you can, go out; learn some stories, and keep our heritage alive.

 

I'd love for people to share their family's military history in the responses, but please let's stay civil and not do anything to get the thread locked like last year.

 

So thank you all for reading, and have a fantastic veterans day!

-2LT Alex 'Sleepy' Mathews

[unlikely_spider]

My father lies in the veteran's cemetery in Crownsville, MD. He spent his entire adult life in service to his country.

It is because of him and my upbringing that I have an interest in aviation, history, and travel.

Hopefully sometime in the distant future we may have fewer casualties to mourn, but can still pay our respects to those who sacrificed for us.

[LukeFF]

Army medic from 2003-08. Paternal uncle served in Vietnam, and both my grandfathers were Navy men in the immediate post WWII era - one a Seabee, the other a commissarymam on destroyer escorts. During WWII, a maternal great uncle was killed in action in Italy in October 1944 and is buried near his hometown in Clark County, Ohio.

 

Father-in-law was a Marine in the 60s, and my wife's maternal grandfather was a Royal Navy diver during WWII, earning the Burma Star. 

 

Edited November 11, 2021 by LukeFF

[Ghost666]

Fist let me say thank you to all the veterans.

 

My grandfather joined the U.S. Navy before WWII. He was on the USS Utah at Peral harbor and was strafed in the water but only minor wounds. He started WWII as a enlisted sailor and retired in 1947 as a Lt. Commander.

 

My Uncle flew as a rear gunner during the Korean war and retired as a Master Chief, or what ever the Navy calls an E-9.

 

My Dad served in the Navy during Korea and has the ribbon, his ship on rout to Japan entered the war zone for only the time to get the ribbon.

 

I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1981. Spent the first 14 years as a Security Policeman. Five years of that in the sand. The next 6 years was spent as a Aircraft Maintenance Analyst for the B2 bombers. I am a combat veteran of 2 wars and 3 police actions. I retired after 20 years in 2001.

 

My son is currently a member of the 101st Airborne Div. He is a close combat instructor and NCO school instructor.

[Heliopause]

Did some small tours during my time in the Airforce (groundcrew). Pic from 2006. Paps did a tour from okt '47 to apr '50 as part of the Army.

Turned out he was pretty good at morse code so he got used to operating radio sets at various locations incl. tiny villages (kampongs) during his time on Java. He's seen left on the photos.

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by Heliopause

[No_85_Gramps]

Great reading about veterans. My great-grandfather was a civil war vet. My Dad served during WWII. Older brother was a Marine infantryman who survived a tour in Vietnam. I did 22 years in the Army, deployed for Desert Shield/Storm. My son was a navy hospital corpsman, then a cavalry scout, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. A nephew who is fast approaching retirement after 20 years working in a SOAR unit.  My son-in law was a Navy electrician and I have a couple of other relatives that are also veterans. None of this was any "follow the family history", things just happened this way. If I had not been drafted I would probably have never served.