POSER III

[olcop]

How about some stories about us who served, who did the cooking and supply and the painting:
I'm proud to say that I have a sterling military record:
We did not have a single Viet Cong attack while I was on duty at The Brooklyn Navy Yard.
olcop

 

[UncaGrunny]

Only real combat I saw in my service time happened on Broad Street in Augusta...

 

[venomballistics]

one friend I more or less grew up with went into the Marines.
they had him driving trucks. In the meantime he tried for every hardcore transfer they let him know about .. force recon, scout sniper, something about a lateral transfer into navy for SEAL ... washed out of em all and lucky for us, remained mostly silent

 

[steveno]

I survived Kaiserstrasse in downtown Frankfurt. at times it was a scary assignment

 

[dcxplant]

I served 85-89. Combat Jet Engine Mechanic

That had to have been the most peaceful time ever!! No wars, no occupations.

I got out in June of 89, and soon after Kuwait happened. I missed the whole Gulf I thing by the grace of God. I did see my unit (VMFA-122) on CNN a lot, including many friends.

The Fleet Marines chided us air-wing Marines pretty good!

 

[shouldazagged]

I'm proud to say that I have a sterling military record:
We did not have a single Viet Cong attack while I was on duty at The Brooklyn Navy Yard.
olcop

Can't argue with success.

 

[Rastoff]

I served Dec 84 though Jan 90 on active duty and have served as a civilian ever since. I worked in the Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory for most of my career, but currently work in the Special Instrumentation squadron. I have never been in combat.

I was on my way over to Afghanistan last year with the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce. Alas, during Combat Arms Skills Training (CAST) I broke my right femur and went home instead of overseas.

I have no regrets about my career.

 

[FishingPilot]

I served 85-89. Combat Jet Engine Mechanic

That had to have been the most peaceful time ever!! No wars, no occupations.

I got out in June of 89, and soon after Kuwait happened. I missed the whole Gulf I thing by the grace of God. I did see my unit (VMFA-122) on CNN a lot, including many friends.

The Fleet Marines chided us air-wing Marines pretty good!

1989-1995 Here
MATCS-18 Det C / MWSS-173 / MWSG-37 / 3rd MAW
I know, I know, I know : how does a 1st MAW unit get assigned to a 3rd MAW unit? In 29 Palms, anything is possible. We were the marine air traffic control squadron (MATCS-18 Det C) at the EAF (expeditionary air field) run by a marine wing support squadron (MWSS-173) which was assigned to a marine wing support group (MWSG-37) which belonged to 3rd marine air wing (MAW).

never saw combat though, except on the sand volley ball court! We even had some FMF popup targets challenge us. They usually lost. We had a lot of time to practice.

 

[walkin jack]

How about some stories about us who served, who did the cooking and supply and the painting:
I'm proud to say that I have a sterling military record:
We did not have a single Viet Cong attack while I was on duty at The Brooklyn Navy Yard.
olcop

Glad ya made it through all right.

 

[venomballistics]

How about some stories about us who served, who did the cooking and supply and the painting:
I'm proud to say that I have a sterling military record:
We did not have a single Viet Cong attack while I was on duty at The Brooklyn Navy Yard.
olcop

Man ... you musta had one of the baddest outfits in the whole of the armed forces for the VC to leave ya be

 

[Jeff423]

The closest I came to combat was Shore Patrol in Hong Kong on a Sunday night in 1971. I did see a couple of bar fights but my participation was limited to escorting drunken sailors lying on the side walk to the Shore Patrol van. They were lying on the sidewalk because they had been thrown out of the bar by the British Royal Navy Shore Patrol. Those guys were tough!

Jeff

 

[Kinman]

I have to admit that the three hairiest times in Vietnam for me were once while almost getting mugged in an alley where I was told "No. 1 whorehouse" was waiting and thankfully I was carrying my 1911. Another was while going aboard a civilian cargo ship to eat breakfast with the Captain for my work in aiding his successful and proper docking the night before, I had served as a radio operator/dispatcher for Harbormaster Danang for a period of time. On my way to the boat I was walking down the pier and it was early, wet, chilly, I had my jacket on with my 1911 under it. Koreans were employed as stevedores and they can be large, thickset, muscular characters, one of them stepped in front of me and basically said "I want your jacket." I went to step around him and he stepped right in front of me, so close I could smell the kimchee stink of him. I knew I would never get the pistol out in time to save my butt, so I held up my hand with forefinger pointing up as if to say "just a minute", back off a step and unzipped my jacket, then pulled the pistol and held it at the ready across my chest. I had watched his eyes through the whole thing and the minute he saw the holster he knew the jig was up. I was shot full of adrenaline and checked around me and told him to back off, which he did and I went on my way up the gangway. I told the ship's officer and he said his crew had said they were a surely lot. The other time it was right around Christmas time, I was walking up to the Harbormaster's office from the pier on a pleasant evening, I had the 1911 on right out in the open. As I walked by a tall wooden fence I heard a voice call out "Hey Joe!" I turned to see the face of the most V.C. looking Vietnamese guy I had ever seen grabbing the top of the fence and peering over, complete with black fatigue hat they liked to wear cowboy style. He gave me a dirty look and said snarled "F### You Joe!" and let go of the fence dropping down behind it. I yelled back "Merry Christmas to you too Charlie"
Those are my three best Poseur stories...I hope you enjoyed them.

 

[UncaGrunny]

In 29 Palms, anything is possible.

QFT.

I was an instructor there for most of my post-schooling active duty time (roughly 83-86).

World's biggest catbox (big pile of sand, full of ....)

 

[Rangerpat]

1970 - 1972 MOS 0341
FMF 2nd Mar Div.
The only fighting I saw was in the bars of Jamaica and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

 

[kimporter]

Only real combat I saw in my service time happened on Broad Street in Augusta...

if it was in the summer of 74 i may have been in it,at ft gordon for ait,mos31m

 

[UncaGrunny]

if it was in the summer of 74 i may have been in it,at ft gordon for ait,mos31m

You got there well before me; I was there in 83 for Comsec Maintenance school.

I understand via Google that Broad Street has been 're-gentrified' now. Certainly wasn't then - - in fact, it was off-limits. I reasoned that if it was off-limits, nobody I knew would ever know I was there.

Major clandestine night operations, they were.

 

[Frizzman]

I spent most of my four years active duty in the engine room of a destroyer escort(DE). I was a "snipe" and spent my working and watch hours in heat, grease and oil. We relagged steam lines and breathed in lots of asbestos. We were never told that it was bad for you...The snipes never get any glory but without power, engines and fresh water a fighting vessel can't do much fighting.

 

[feralmerril]

Lets take it a step deeper. I probley hold the record here for trying to enlist and flunking out. The first time would have been in 1959. I tried to get in the AF. My BP was too high and they kept me overnight to see if it would be down the next day. It wasnt. I was too ashamed to go home and went to the army recruiter. He just knew he could get me in somehow but when I went back and it was the same doctors! This time I had no choice but to go home. Then I got called up for a physical when I was working in texas. It was during the cuban missile crisis. Again, HP. Than all through the Vietnam era I had to get my BP checked every six months. When the war was over in about 1970 I got in a baaad MC accident. While recuperating as a outpatient I asked the nurse what my BP was thinking it would be off the chart. She said, oh, its perfect! It has been ever since! Also during that era I flunked out on getting in about 3 leo jobs. I was/am very heavy. Once I tested for the SD ventura county california. It was all in one day. First it was the written. Maybe 40% of us passed. Then it was the physical. We were told if we flunked any one part of it to go home. I couldnt do the required pull ups, passed the rest. I started walking off the field and noticed guys sitting around waiting their turn for the oral. I noticed there was no roster, they were just taking turns. I thought whats to lose? Snuck in and they grilled me. One bull sez how did you manage to pass the physical, your a pretty big guy. I said I didnt. WHAT! What are ya doing here? Getting experience for the next time sir! That kind of shook them up and finally the head of the board said, well, if you can loose enough weight in the next six months you got a job!
Right after that I hired into lockheed as a guard. I worked out in a gym and lost about 45 pounds and shaped up good. By that time I had my probation at lockheed in and it was a good job with top money and benefits for the day. I decided not to quit and not take the physical for the sheriffs dept as planned. Frankly I thought it was a big gamble to give up my job I was locked into and maybe not make probation on the SD. Sooo children, thats how I got to be a night watchman for the next 35 years. Truth is I had nothing but hard underpaid bull work before lockheed and I wasnt going to give up a good job once I got it.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I spent most of my four years active duty in the engine room of a destroyer escort(DE). I was a "snipe" and spent my working and watch hours in heat, grease and oil. We relagged steam lines and breathed in lots of asbestos. We were never told that it was bad for you...The snipes never get any glory but without power, engines and fresh water a fighting vessel can't do much fighting.

Know a Navy dude here in town who was the Skipper of a 'gun' destroyer up around the DMZ. On occasions, they would move in and shoot in support of the Marines around NaDang. He Said the entire crew liked that so much that everywhere he went they asked 'When are we shooting again Skipper?'
He would always tell them the same thing, when I know you will know.

 

[RonJ]

I felt guilty for many years because I wasn't assigned to Vietnam, even though I volunteered 3 times. Even if I had been sent to Viet Nam I would probably have been in a relatively safe area.
After reading some other stories I feel a little bit better.