"Holiday's".

Yes that's right it is Veteran's day today. Aside from saying hello, and thanks to my fellow veteran's here.

I was hoping to have a new original art piece to share with you all, but well it's still rendering three days later.

That said, instead, I thought that perhaps, it might be neat and educational for some who might be thinking about enlisting, entering the U.S. Military. If those of us who have served, shared something about what we did, and when we served.

I served during the First Gulf war.

In fact, I had literally just graduated from AIT, at the Academy of Health and Human sciences, at Ft. Sam Houston Texas, when the news came down that Saddam had invaded Kuwait.

So, instead of doing my six years of service during what I thought for sure would be a decade of peace, surprise you get to serve during war time.

And that's lesson number one, the most important lesson I found within the ARMY at least. Always expect for the unexpected to happen. Always be ready to go at a moments notice, because while your MOS might be 91y, if they need you, suddenly it might become that of the guy loading the howitzer or digging the latrines lol.

I didn't even have time to unpack at my permanent duty assignment at Ft. Jackson, before we were put on alert, and well you all know the rest about the first gulf war story. :)

(And I apologize to all the families who've lost loved one's today, because politicians would not let us, back then, do the job which is now much harder to do, today) Some of you understand what I mean I hope.

Anyhow why did I enlist? What was I crazy, maybe.

But I really did have three real reasons why I joined.

Firstly I believed in the Idea that is America.

Um see you might say there was a cultural influence there.

See Cincinnatus it'll explain the "cultural" influence that was there. I'm from the city of his namesake Cincinnati.

Two: Family history/precedent. My family has had at least one son who served in the Military now, going all the way back to the U.S. Civil war.

But as far as family influence goes, the biggest influence for my decision, was my grandpa.

My Grandpa was a "flame thrower operator" in the U.S. Marine Corp during WWII, as he tells me, it was his job to approach and then go down into "holes" the Japanese would dig into the ground, and as he puts it. "Clear the tunnels of anyone who might happen to be hiding in there waiting to ambush the Marine unit he was with, as they passed the tunnel.

Yeah, he fought in the South Pacific. After the war, he later on went on to become a Drill Instructor, and finally retired from the U.S. Marines, after having worked on our fighter jet engines, as a instrumentation mechanic at the G.E. plant in Evendale Ohio.

And having served several years in the Marine Corp's own version of the National Guard. An organization called the SeaBees.

Those whom are Marine's in the house will know what that is and can explain more about them I guess. :)

And lastly, there was the "benefits" you get out of service. Which I can tell you far, far, far, for me in my life.

Exceeded the known stated, benefits such as medical or school etc....you get.

The ARMY, taught me so much, things which I still to this very day, use in fact but I digress.

So that's how/why I wound up in the ARMY serving as a (91Y)

So to those who are thinking about joining one of our Branch's of service. I would say do it. Your nation needs bright new, young leaders who have their heads on right.

America needs that so badly I don't think most even have a clue how much trouble our nation is in without that volunteer citizen Army there to protect us today in this day and age.


If you have served already.

Again from one Veteran to another, happy Veteran's day to you. I pray that it be one of good memories guys and gals, and peace and time spent with the family for you too.

Because in the end, also something else which the ARMY taught me.

Ultimately, when you boil it all down, the things which really matter the most, are not bought and sold with money. What really matters are your friends, your family, and your brothers and sisters in arms who you know will always, no matter what. Have your back. 

Regards,

D

Quote from: daidalos on November 11, 2014, 12:07:01 PM
"Holiday's".

Yes that's right it is Veteran's day today. Aside from saying hello, and thanks to my fellow veteran's here.

I was hoping to have a new original art piece to share with you all, but well it's still rendering three days later.

That said, instead, I thought that perhaps, it might be neat and educational for some who might be thinking about enlisting, entering the U.S. Military. If those of us who have served, shared something about what we did, and when we served.

I served during the First Gulf war.

In fact, I had literally just graduated from AIT, at the Academy of Health and Human sciences, at Ft. Sam Houston Texas, when the news came down that Saddam had invaded Kuwait.

So, instead of doing my six years of service during what I thought for sure would be a decade of peace, surprise you get to serve during war time.

And that's lesson number one, the most important lesson I found within the ARMY at least. Always expect for the unexpected to happen. Always be ready to go at a moments notice, because while your MOS might be 91y, if they need you, suddenly it might become that of the guy loading the howitzer or digging the latrines lol.

I didn't even have time to unpack at my permanent duty assignment at Ft. Jackson, before we were put on alert, and well you all know the rest about the first gulf war story. :)

(And I apologize to all the families who've lost loved one's today, because politicians would not let us, back then, do the job which is now much harder to do, today) Some of you understand what I mean I hope.

Anyhow why did I enlist? What was I crazy, maybe.

But I really did have three real reasons why I joined.

Firstly I believed in the Idea that is America.

Um see you might say there was a cultural influence there.

See Cincinnatus it'll explain the "cultural" influence that was there. I'm from the city of his namesake Cincinnati.

Two: Family history/precedent. My family has had at least one son who served in the Military now, going all the way back to the U.S. Civil war.

But as far as family influence goes, the biggest influence for my decision, was my grandpa.

My Grandpa was a "flame thrower operator" in the U.S. Marine Corp during WWII, as he tells me, it was his job to approach and then go down into "holes" the Japanese would dig into the ground, and as he puts it. "Clear the tunnels of anyone who might happen to be hiding in there waiting to ambush the Marine unit he was with, as they passed the tunnel.

Yeah, he fought in the South Pacific. After the war, he later on went on to become a Drill Instructor, and finally retired from the U.S. Marines, after having worked on our fighter jet engines, as a instrumentation mechanic at the G.E. plant in Evendale Ohio.

And having served several years in the Marine Corp's own version of the National Guard. An organization called the SeaBees.

Those whom are Marine's in the house will know what that is and can explain more about them I guess. :)

And lastly, there was the "benefits" you get out of service. Which I can tell you far, far, far, for me in my life.

Exceeded the known stated, benefits such as medical or school etc....you get.

The ARMY, taught me so much, things which I still to this very day, use in fact but I digress.

So that's how/why I wound up in the ARMY serving as a (91Y)

So to those who are thinking about joining one of our Branch's of service. I would say do it. Your nation needs bright new, young leaders who have their heads on right.

America needs that so badly I don't think most even have a clue how much trouble our nation is in without that volunteer citizen Army there to protect us today in this day and age.


If you have served already.

Again from one Veteran to another, happy Veteran's day to you. I pray that it be one of good memories guys and gals, and peace and time spent with the family for you too.

Because in the end, also something else which the ARMY taught me.

Ultimately, when you boil it all down, the things which really matter the most, are not bought and sold with money. What really matters are your friends, your family, and your brothers and sisters in arms who you know will always, no matter what. Have your back. 

Regards,

D

Thank you for your service!

Holly cow, I forgot it was veteran's day. Thank you for your service. Unfortunately these days I tend to forget those things as I never really take a holiday from my busy life as a lawyer except for Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving.

You grandfather was fortunate.  Iwo Jima was a brutal campaign.  More Marines were KIA in the five weeks of fighting on that island than all the troops lost in both Afghanistan and Iraq to date.

Bless him.  Bless 'em all.

Quote from: Skeptic on November 11, 2014, 01:09:39 PM
Holly cow, I forgot it was veteran's day. Thank you for your service. Unfortunately these days I tend to forget those things as I never really take a holiday from my busy life as a lawyer except for Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving.

Just out of curiosity... Whom do you thank, and for what, on Thanksgiving? What do you celebrate on Christmas?

SALUTE...to all.

Quote from: daidalos on November 11, 2014, 12:07:01 PM
"Holiday's".

Yes that's right it is Veteran's day today. Aside from saying hello, and thanks to my fellow veteran's here.

I was hoping to have a new original art piece to share with you all, but well it's still rendering three days later.

That said, instead, I thought that perhaps, it might be neat and educational for some who might be thinking about enlisting, entering the U.S. Military. If those of us who have served, shared something about what we did, and when we served.

I served during the First Gulf war.

In fact, I had literally just graduated from AIT, at the Academy of Health and Human sciences, at Ft. Sam Houston Texas, when the news came down that Saddam had invaded Kuwait.

So, instead of doing my six years of service during what I thought for sure would be a decade of peace, surprise you get to serve during war time.

And that's lesson number one, the most important lesson I found within the ARMY at least. Always expect for the unexpected to happen. Always be ready to go at a moments notice, because while your MOS might be 91y, if they need you, suddenly it might become that of the guy loading the howitzer or digging the latrines lol.

I didn't even have time to unpack at my permanent duty assignment at Ft. Jackson, before we were put on alert, and well you all know the rest about the first gulf war story. :)

(And I apologize to all the families who've lost loved one's today, because politicians would not let us, back then, do the job which is now much harder to do, today) Some of you understand what I mean I hope.

Anyhow why did I enlist? What was I crazy, maybe.

But I really did have three real reasons why I joined.

Firstly I believed in the Idea that is America.

Um see you might say there was a cultural influence there.

See Cincinnatus it'll explain the "cultural" influence that was there. I'm from the city of his namesake Cincinnati.

Two: Family history/precedent. My family has had at least one son who served in the Military now, going all the way back to the U.S. Civil war.

But as far as family influence goes, the biggest influence for my decision, was my grandpa.

My Grandpa was a "flame thrower operator" in the U.S. Marine Corp during WWII, as he tells me, it was his job to approach and then go down into "holes" the Japanese would dig into the ground, and as he puts it. "Clear the tunnels of anyone who might happen to be hiding in there waiting to ambush the Marine unit he was with, as they passed the tunnel.

Yeah, he fought in the South Pacific. After the war, he later on went on to become a Drill Instructor, and finally retired from the U.S. Marines, after having worked on our fighter jet engines, as a instrumentation mechanic at the G.E. plant in Evendale Ohio.

And having served several years in the Marine Corp's own version of the National Guard. An organization called the SeaBees.

Those whom are Marine's in the house will know what that is and can explain more about them I guess. :)

And lastly, there was the "benefits" you get out of service. Which I can tell you far, far, far, for me in my life.

Exceeded the known stated, benefits such as medical or school etc....you get.

The ARMY, taught me so much, things which I still to this very day, use in fact but I digress.

So that's how/why I wound up in the ARMY serving as a (91Y)

So to those who are thinking about joining one of our Branch's of service. I would say do it. Your nation needs bright new, young leaders who have their heads on right.

America needs that so badly I don't think most even have a clue how much trouble our nation is in without that volunteer citizen Army there to protect us today in this day and age.


If you have served already.

Again from one Veteran to another, happy Veteran's day to you. I pray that it be one of good memories guys and gals, and peace and time spent with the family for you too.

Because in the end, also something else which the ARMY taught me.

Ultimately, when you boil it all down, the things which really matter the most, are not bought and sold with money. What really matters are your friends, your family, and your brothers and sisters in arms who you know will always, no matter what. Have your back. 

Regards,

D

Thanks for your service and for that post, to me the backstory is always most interesting I LOVE FAMILY HISTORY....it makes history come to life. My Uncle was aboard ship off IWO JIMA, he saw the bombardment and the beach assault. He also saw the flag waving over Suribachi later. He was also in the battle of Leyte Gulf, when I was in the Philippines I went to visit the area....awesome.....

Later he told me that he went ashore and saw the beach was a mess, that they just dug a big trench and put in the bodies.

Yeah, the angriest, I ever made my grandfather, in my entire life.

Was when I made a joke, about how we'd kicked Japan's ass in WWII, trying to get him to ease up before I asked him if he'd tell his story, in detail, about his experiences in the War.

I was trying to convince him to take part in this project I'd heard about on the radio, in the AD I'd heard they had said that a filmmaker was doing, as I understood it at the time, a project trying too preserve on film, just WWII Veterans, sitting telling their stories, recollecting what had happened.

So that these first hand accounts wouldn't be lost to us forever once that generation was all passed on.

My Grandfather refused to participate. There are somethings about the war, he, for some reason, just simply will not talk about with anyone.

Not even my Grandma.

But again, I just wanted to wish my fellow vets a happy veterans day. As for me, well....lets just say it was an odd day at that.

Quote from: TboneAgain on November 11, 2014, 02:20:00 PM
Just out of curiosity... Whom do you thank, and for what, on Thanksgiving? What do you celebrate on Christmas?

Thanksgiving: We sit around the table and have a nice family meal, enjoying the opportunity of being able to be with family sharing some nice memories.

Christmas: I do the same thing the Christians do, engage in an orgy of mass consumerism that has nothing to do with the baby Jesus. Last I checked, buying presents, Christmas trees, lights, reindeers, eggnog, and Santa Claus are not in the Bible.

Quote from: Skeptic on November 12, 2014, 05:49:07 AM
Thanksgiving: We sit around the table and have a nice family meal, enjoying the opportunity of being able to be with family sharing some nice memories.

Christmas: I do the same thing the Christians do, engage in an orgy of mass consumerism that has nothing to do with the baby Jesus. Last I checked, buying presents, Christmas trees, lights, reindeers, eggnog, and Santa Claus are not in the Bible.

The reason you fail to grasp the conceptual link between Christmas and Capitalism, is because you fail to understand we're still a Christian Nation.
Christians created this country, they also knew, that for it to survive, it needed a bustling economy and being a free nation, a free mkt Capitalistic society were symbiotic.
So you see, marrying Christian principals with Capitalism was essentially genius in that it not only perpetuates the celebration of Christ, it also guarantees business will help promote it.

Why do you think there was a push by leftists to kill of the link between Christmas and business over the last decade?

Didn't mean to derail the thread, but educate is what we do here.

Quote from: Skeptic on November 12, 2014, 05:49:07 AM
Thanksgiving: We sit around the table and have a nice family meal, enjoying the opportunity of being able to be with family sharing some nice memories.

Christmas: I do the same thing the Christians do, engage in an orgy of mass consumerism that has nothing to do with the baby Jesus. Last I checked, buying presents, Christmas trees, lights, reindeers, eggnog, and Santa Claus are not in the Bible.

Make sure you never speak for me, a Christian, again.

IOW, STFU about others that you don't a damn thing about, and stick to admitting your own failings.

Quote from: AndyJackson on November 12, 2014, 07:04:09 AM
Make sure you never speak for me, a Christian, again.

IOW, STFU about others that you don't a damn thing about, and stick to admitting your own failings.

1) I wasn't talking to you. I was answering another poster who wanted to know my answer to those questions.

2) I think I have a pretty good idea about Christianity. I was raised in a Catholic family, was baptized, and went to Catholic church for the first 10 years of my life, then was exposed to non-denominational Christianity when my parents became protestants. Finally, by age 16 I started going on my own to a southern Baptist church, was baptized, and continued to go every weekend to Church until age 24 when I finally realized I could no longer believe the things I was taught and I left the church. After that I was an agnostic, and now I lean more towards agnostic atheist. To each his own, but that was the path my life took.

Nuff, said!

Darth

Quote from: Darth Fife on November 12, 2014, 08:06:22 AM


Nuff, said!

Darth

Oh oh, the NAACP will not like that.    Very well done, sir.

Quote from: Skeptic on November 12, 2014, 07:16:54 AM
1) I wasn't talking to you. I was answering another poster who wanted to know my answer to those questions.

2) I think I have a pretty good idea about Christianity. I was raised in a Catholic family, was baptized, and went to Catholic church for the first 10 years of my life, then was exposed to non-denominational Christianity when my parents became protestants. Finally, by age 16 I started going on my own to a southern Baptist church, was baptized, and continued to go every weekend to Church until age 24 when I finally realized I could no longer believe the things I was taught and I left the church. After that I was an agnostic, and now I lean more towards agnostic atheist. To each his own, but that was the path my life took.

It's just annoying when you obviously think your experience applies to everybody else.  And your bias, prejudice, and silly assumptions.

My favorite one is the assumption that the 100 or 200 shithead pedophile priests, automatically cancels out the charity done by 10's of millions of good Christians, to help 100's of millions of people.  It's clear as day from the little jackasses who can't even discuss anything but the pedophile priest meme.

Don't want to accept that anything's more important than you  ?  Fine, knock yourself out.  Just stop babbling about it like a 10-year-old that feels no responsibility to be honest or logical.