How many Vererans do we have?

[lfsmarineguy]

I'm not telling you to do this, but when I was applying to West Point it was the only school I applied to. It took an intervention from my parents and two full bird colonels to get me to apply to three more school because WP was the only one I wanted to go to. If you want it just stay focused and train hard. Have atleast one sport per season and they like to see extracirricular activities too. Start campaigning with your congress person as much as you can because you need a nomination from them to even be considered.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Facebook has actually proven to be a great way to stay in touch with a lot of my friends even when they are deployed or training.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I think of our service people every day. I know all about getting shot at and I know what they are going through.
I am purposely trying not to post real war stories on here.
A fish forum may not be the correct place.

Wasnt directed at you in any way paul- was just my little reminder to EVERYONE not to forget- for when that happens or even when it hits the "back" of peoples minds- soldiers die in vain. This country as a whole needs to keep these kids in mind is all I was sayin.

I wanted to go to a combat zone to serve my country-I didnt enlist to get college money or for credit. I enlisted to serve and deploy. I couldnt due to my unit lockdown status as explained in my previous post- but when I was at Hood 1st Cav was taking volunteers to go to Bosnia on rotation. A bunch of us tried but our unit wouldnt release us to them due to the technical mumbo jumbo.

As a FDNY 9/11 survivor- that day is the whole reason a good chunk of the kids enlisted in the 1st place- it kills me that I survived a terrorist attack and these kids that get deployed possibly wont even hit drinkin age before they meet their demise. The thought of them never being able to drink a cold beer with friends before they take a bullet or worse for the country bothers me.

 

[Paul B]

Jimmy, I didn't think it was directed at me and I agree with you about the kids of today. I also watched the Trade Centers come down in person and lost 4 of my workmates there. I worked on the construction of the Towers in the late 60s and I worked there many times. I was not working there on 9/11 but I was close by.

it kills me that I survived a terrorist attack and these kids that get deployed possibly wont even hit drinkin age before they meet their demise.

I have the same feeling. I was one of the first GIs in Cambodia, I lost all my 7 men my 2nd week in country. I wish all our GIs the same luck I had.

This is the CH47 or Chnook. Of course we called them S---Hooks

This is the FDC or fire direction control. It was a hole we dug in the ground that we put 6 layers of sandbags on top of on trees.
We had a "computer" in there that was the size of a Volkswagon. it helped aim the guns.
Thats me in the back
Unfortunately, sometimes it was not enough protection.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Well Ill say it to ya- thanks for what you did back then. I know you guys didnt exactly get a heros welcome when you came home from over there.

 

[Wolverine57]

Great Story Paul B

I joined the U.S.Marine Corps in the 1974 the same year I graduated out of H.S I was only 17 yrs. Just before swearing in, at Ft. Hamilton, located in Brooklyn, NY. I remember like it was yesterday! I was walking down Canal Street downtown near Chinatown and saw this recruiting station, and suddenly I wanted to join the navy. Next thing I was taking this aptitude test, guess to see if I had any marbles! After taking the test, the recruiter mention that I?ve scored high, and ask me why I'm here and why not consider going to college. He mentions going to college I would have the opportunity to become an officer, at that moment it did not interest me. Now that I think about it, was strange that the recruiter was concern about my education. Back than, they only care about hitting the quota on how many they can recruit, and nothing more.

Moment past and hit me for that very second thinking, what the hell am I doing here, cause he is starting to sound like my mom, and past teachers! So, I was getting ready to tell the recruiter I change my mind and this is not for me.

But suddenly, on the other side of the cubicle I see this Marine Sergeant Recruiter, saying we have the Elite team called the ?Recon? the best, toughest, and stated you get promoted faster. And here was the clincher we travel around the world. When I saw the Recruiter uniform tailor-made and saw all those ribbons, striped and hash marks. I yelled aloud I want to be a Marine Recon. In less than 10 minutes I was talking to the Marine Sergeant about my career in the Marine Corps. I could have joined for 2 years, but I was sucker for 4 active years, in the infantry, to become a Recon. Being from the LES in NY, I thought I was a bad ass, and challenge is what I live for. I came in a buddy system, so I was going in as an E-1.

Here comes the fun stuff, the day I arrived to Parris Island (Boot Camp Training). Minutes before arriving to Parris Island, the bus driver gets on the a PA system, and tell us a story about we?re going to be trained in this Island, that is surrounded by swamps, and in these swamps there were alligator, he passed photographs of recruits trying to escape, I will not give you details?let say frightening. Then he said all you smokers, if you want to smoke a cigarette, smoke them because it will be awhile before we can smoke a cigarette. In less than 10 minutes I probably smoked 2-3 cigarettes and I was very dizzy and scare?and maybe sick to my stomach.

The bus stop, it was about midnight, pitch dark outside, I saw all of these yellow foot prints in a row painted on the asphalt and several Drill instructor with the coolest hats, screaming all you maggot got 60 second to get out of the bus, MOVE IT? MOVE IT? MOVE IT?that is all I can hear. I can hear each of these Drill Instructors screaming from the top of their lungs, MOVE IT? MOVE IT? MOVE IT? I want to each of you on those yellow foot prints. There is 65 new recruits standing, long hair, Afros and I mean ?Big Afros?, bell bottoms, poke a dot shirts, long beards. And yes that day, I had long hair up to my shoulders and weighted about 120 pounds (skinny).

These guys are still screaming, calling everyone maggot, I did not know what the word means then, told us to shut our sewers, screamed attention?and I got caught talking. This giant 6-foot something in my face, and ask me what is my name and where am I from? I shouted my name is Johnny Acevedo from New York City, with that said it seem, I open a can of worms. So he said, you?re from New York City! You must be a Puerto Rican from New York! You must think you?re tough! Are you, I replied yes, that is why I?m here! So your tough, than give me fifty, I stuck my hands in my pocket to get out my wallet, and told him I did not have fifty, just a couple of dollars. He said, you think you?re a wise guy, ***** give me a 100. No you maggot, I mean give me a 100 push-ups. I told him you be lucky if I do 5 push-ups. This Drill instructor or should I say ?Grizzly Bear?, I thought he was going to snap, loose it and for that moment I was scare..what was going to happen next?instead he screamed get down and begin push-up cause we got all night. After attempting to do about 20 push-ups, he told me to get up and we straggle to this building, which after close observation notice it was some kind of barber shop. Yeap, we are going to get a haircut! Being that my last name start with an ?A? and next letter ?C?, I usually get called first. So I?m in the barber chair, and there a few pictures with different haircuts. The barber ask me, did you see how you want your hair to be cut, ok remember I have long hair up to my shoulders (or use to?lol). All pictures had short hair, and the clippers go right through the middle close to the skin, and I was not a happy camper. In fact he took it all off?I was beyond piss and I felt like Samson, powerless with no hair! And the rest of my 12 years was another story.

Served with the United States Marine Corps from 1974-1986
Last Rank E-7 Gunnery Sergeant

Nam 1974-1975 (81mm Mortars platoon)
1976 Participated in evacuation American Citizen Lebanon Beirut
1977 E-4 Drill Instructor at Parris Island 2 years
1978-1986 Recon unit (Elite Infantry Team)

 

[Paul B]

Great wolverine. I remember it well, I also went to Ft Hamilton.
After AIT in Colorado I had an M-60 tank and a 577 APC (Army personnel carrier) The thing was almost as big as a bus and it had tracks.
My friend and I picked up a couple of girls in Denver and we told them where to meet us outside the fence on federal land.
They showed up with a VW bug. Of course they were outside the fence which was about 8' high. We had them stand on top of the car and we swung the tank turret over the fence so they could grab on to the gun and be lifted over the fence.
We had a great "date" but I had the APC which was heated and had room for about 20. There was about 2' of snow on the ground and buffalo all over the place.
Later on, we put them back over the fence right on top of their car.

 

[Wolverine57]

Here I'm on mission! And your using Government Issue Artillery, to have a date....LOL
Gotta love being an American GI...oh nite long!

 

[Paul B]

You got to impress a girl in a 60 ton million dollar sports tank