Thank you, veterans.

[Timebuilder]

I want to recognize those among us on flightinfo who have served our country, and remember our friends and neighbors who paid the highest price to be called Americans.

I salute you.

And thanks. We wouldn't have our freedom, were it not for your willingness to defend it.

http://www.veteranshour.com/

 

[flywithastick]

Sal-ute!!

 

[Chunk]

bump

 

[sky37d]

Nice to hear.

I was in the military when it wasn't cool.
I was also in the very coolest, and therefore uncoolest part of the military. U.S. Army Special Forces. The cool thing about that is while people would give regular soldiers grief, NO ONE would ever mess with some one in Special Forces. Still the case, I suspect.

I was at the ceremony for a new Veterans Memorial in our town, last year. The uniform is long since gone (messy divorce), but I still have my beret. Wore it to the ceremony. I was impressed that there were active duty army folks there who recognized what it was, and it was cool chatting with them.

It was a long time ago, did what you could, the very best, for your country.

Freedom is a precious commodity, not to be taken lightly. Lots of people have given their lives in defense of our freedoms. I salute all of them.

 

[105viking]

thanks to all who have given everything to make and keep us free, and made this the strongest and best nation on earth.

God bless America, and God bless you veterans!

-105viking

 

[AArider]

Thanks. It is appreciated to have your support.

 

[jetexas]

Thanks. It felt good to do 4 years in the USAF. Best thing I ever did!

 

[sky37d]

you know, I have nothing but admiration for AF guys, espcially c130 drivers.

 

[jetexas]

I went to Veterans Day program (done last week) in my home town at the high school. I have gone for the last several years. it is done very well. It's really cool to see a lot of the older men you knew growing up in their old uniforms or VFW hats, etc. from WWII on up. ( a few Marines at home on leave getting ready for IRAQ too)
I couldn't believe all the folks that I knew as a kid as Mr. "principal, clerk, farmer, etc" that were veterans. Growing up you might not know they were vets or once they find out that "you" are, they get more open about it.
We had drinks the night before over at an old family friends house. Several veterans were there. We told stories about what we did, where we served, etc. One guy told how he was in the Army in IV Corps (the Delta) in NAM, near Cu Chi (spelling?). He had both legs blown off below the knee. Just stated it real matter of fact, didn't want pitty. I told him (later, privately) I hadn't known he had been through so much. He just looked at me and said "life goes on, no big deal, roll with the punches bud!".
Kinda puts things in perspective. God bless those who served.

 

[Snakum]

You're most welcome!

NO ONE would ever mess with some one in Special Forces

You just weren't hanging out at the right places.

Minh "Grunt" Thong

 

[sky37d]

You're most welcome!




You just weren't hanging out at the right places.

Minh "Grunt" Thong

Oh, I meant here stateside.
In other places, we got messed with a LOT. Sometimes, we got real messed up, too.
However, the flower children of the time, were mostly spineless.

 

[skyking1976]

Thanks guys! I have the utmost respect and admiration for those who have served our country and even more who have given their lives for it. <Raising mug of virtual beer>

SK

 

[Hovernut]

This country would be a much better place if more people served just a couple years. If these teen and twenty 'Anarchists' and war protesters who protest all over the place could actally see the living conditions in 3rd world countries they visit, they'd have much more appreciation for their homeland and its continued survival and security.

Nine years in Uncle Sam's Navy and a tour in the Gulf sure did me a world of good and turned my sorry a$$ around for the better both socially and especially academically! Nothing like the Navy's Nuclear Power School to learn ya how to drink from a firehose!!

Hats off to my fellow Vets and to those of you civvies that support us!!

I do miss being in Ronnie's Navy, but the view from the office is MUCH better now!!

 

[jarhead]

AArider

As I looked at your profile, I see you flew the AV-8B, so you've gotta be a Marine. That has always been my favorite Military airplane to watch perform at various airshows. Man, is that thing LOUD on its vertical take off and landing. What is its typical range out before going bingo on fuel? Sure must burn a lot on the vertical and hover flight.

 

[AA717driver]

Thanks Vets!

My family and I appreciate what you have done and are doing!

I wish I had gone in and agree that everyone should so some time in the military.

Today, I dedicate my avatar to the veterans and those still serving! TC and Family

 

[Buckatuna]

Thanks

Thanks to all the vets out there.

BTW what does "bump" mean as a reply?

Buckatuna

 

[jarhead]

The word "bump" is just a way to keep the thread near the top of the forum, as if to "bump it up to the top" You could type anything as a reply....xyz, or shazam, any reply puts it up to the top again.

 

[AArider]

Re: AArider

As I looked at your profile, I see you flew the AV-8B, so you've gotta be a Marine. That has always been my favorite Military airplane to watch perform at various airshows. Man, is that thing LOUD on its vertical take off and landing. What is its typical range out before going bingo on fuel? Sure must burn a lot on the vertical and hover flight.

Flew 'em for 5 years. Typical range is 600 NM (ferry flight) w/o external tanks, and 1000 NM (ferry flight) w/ drops on. Doing a Vertical T/O is not that practical as you can only carry about 1/2 tank of gas and no ordnance - or 1/4 tank of gas (2000 lbs) and maybe 2x500 lb bombs. But, you only need about 1000 feet of runway to get airborne fully loaded w/ fuel and ordnance doing a "rolling" takeoff. I seem to remember burning 250+ PPM in the hover, but ususally wasn't checking out the fuel flow in that stage of flight.

 

[jarhead]

Thanks.........That was interesting!

 

[sky37d]

A Funny Story
We had a guy in our group who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, for something he did in VietNam.

Now, you have to understand some things about that. For every 10,000 people who did heroic actions, a small percentage of them would get the bronze star. Out of the 10,000, maybe 1 would get a silver star, and out of 100,000 heroic actions, maybe 1 would be so heroic to be nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Nominated didn't mean you would get it, because it had to be approved by all kinds of military heirarchy, including the Pentagon, and ultimately, Congress, in general session.

Sok, this guy learns he's been awarded, and they tell him he has to go to Washington, to meet the President, have a big thing, and get his CMH. Great honor. Small problem was that he was an E-6 in Vietnam, and now this is some time later (the process takes a LOT of time), and he feels he should be an E-7. They tell him no way. For what ever reason, no way are they going to promote him to E-7. He says, "tell them they can keep the Medal". His company commander was a Lt. Col., and the group commander was a full Col. Now, there was no way they were going to tell the Generals "keep it", and they promoted him to E-7. He went off to DC, got to meet the President, got his Medal, and came back to Bragg.

About a month later we had a dress up day. You know, every body gets dressed up, march around, listen to some speeches, march around some more, and take the rest of they day off. So he's walking through the company area, with one of his buddy's and they are walking down a narrow sidewalk, and a 2nd Lt is headed for them. His buddy wips off a salute, the Lt wips one off in return, but the guy doesn't. Now they are just about to pass each other, and the Lt says, "Hold it there Sargeant, don't you know enough to salute an officer". The Sargeant says, "Yes sir, do YOU know enough to salute the Congressional Medal of Honor?".

Young 2 Lt leaps to attention, wips up a salute. The sgt acknowledges it, and says "Carry on Lt". Very funny moment.

 

[JAFI]

I would like to add a few words by people who are much better at writing than I.




“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers…”

Shakespeare’s Henry V


"Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few."

Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)



THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS:


Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln

 

[ms6073]

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN, who salutes the Flag,
who serves under the Flag,

Eternal rest grant them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.


RLTW