Just for my own knowledge, would all of you who served in our military please pop in with your branch and years served, as well as any foreign service if you care to share that as well? I enjoy touching base with other vets.

Myself, I was in the Army from Oct 1970 through Oct 1973. I spent a tour and a half in Vietnam, winding things down as we prepared to hand the war over to the RVN forces. All the action was over by the time I got there, so I do not have war stories like some might. I was just a mechanic, them motor pool sgt who got/kept jeeps and trucks running, often scavenging or making our own parts. I can't even start to tell you how many exhaust systems had Schlitz beer cans welded to them to patch holes!! I served the balance of my time at Ft Sill in Oklahoma. Very ho-hum kind of duty that was kind of pointless to someone who had been overseas, but I figure the Army must have felt they needed me there because that's where they sent me! I can say with 100% certainty that those 10 months, not one North Vietnamese infiltrator made it past Tulsa!!

Eddie,

I served as a US Army Signal Corps officer from 1981 to 1987. I spent most of my time in service in Germany defending the Fulda Gap from the Russians, should they decide to invade Western Europe.

After coming back to the States and receiving some pretty good education from Uncle Sam, I worked on some cool IT projects in the Washington, DC area.

After getting out of the service, I have worked as a government contractor to both military and civilian government agencies (US Army, US Navy, NASA, FAA, and USCBP). I'm currently working to support the US Navy Education Training Command as an IT Project Manager.

United States Marine Corps... early 70's, one enlistment.

I was in the service between Vietnam.... it was winding down, and the Middle East was just starting to get fired up.

I got out, used the GI Bill to go to school for a few years, and the rest as they say... is history.

It wasn't the kind of lifestyle I liked. I have a nephew who apparently loves it and everything about it.

In fact... this song.... Merry Christmas From Kandahar has his pictures from the start through the chorus..... the second verse has pictures from my childhood. Kris is on his second or third re-up planning on 20+.

Well...

I suppose I can take up some band width here and paraphrase my Military picnic.

-USMC Sept. 1965-June 1969
-13 months in the jungle from Feb '66-March '67. I was a month shy of my 20th birthday when I returned to CONUS.
-3 months after returning to CONUS from Vietnam my unit was told to pack up, you're being sent to participate in the Israeli 6 day war. As we are out on the tarmac with our weapons & 782 gear preparing to deploy (again) an announcement came down from a loud speaker system....'the war is over'.
We turned our gear back in being dumbfounded and quite elated at the quick turn of event.
-Remained at Camp Pendleton until December '67 then I was transferred to Guard Detachment Moffett Field. I remained there (having a top secret clearance) guarding the AUW compound (atomic under water weapons) until my discharge June 30, 1969.
-used GI bill for college as a geology/music major.

Guess I'll leave it there.
My respect to all that serve/have served honorably.

Back to topic...

(My user ID - chulaivet1966 - refers to Chu Lai Vietnam which was an air base on the central coast. I only passed through there heading north but I didn't want to create an ID to call attention to my experience as in look at me. I figured only those that were actually there as a Veteran would make the connection.)

US Air Force from Dec. 1970 to May 1976. Jobs included explosive ordinance disposal, ground liquid fuels systems maintenance and ground radio electronics. Assigned permanent duty bases included Lackland (TX), Chanute (IL), Charleston (SC), Biloxi (MS) and Reese (TX) in US and Ching Chuan Kang (CCK) in Taiwan. Temporary duty stations included Cannon (NM), McCord (WA), Yokota (Japan), Kadena (Okinawa), Danang (South Vietnam), Clark (Philippines), Tra Noc (South Vietnam), Korat (Thailand) and Osan (South Korea).

During all my travels throughout Southeast Asia I never set foot in Hawaii. After leaving the USAF, I found a job as a field engineer and visited 49 states but I've never made it to Hawaii.

You can all boo me now because I will play wet blanket but:

Not really a good idea, especially in a public forum, to be putting your clearances held or hold, other "tickets," who/where you contracted for, etc. and especially WHAT you may have worked on or when - 'nuf said. (even my snippet below is too much)


USAF 21 years, 11 enlisted (AFSC 301x1 aircraft avionics; later renumbered to 328x1) made E6 (TSgt) & 10 commissioned (AFSC 2685 scientific analyst; also later changed - 3281) retired as 0-3 (Capt.), no break in service.

FYI - Charlie - HAT TIP

Two tours S.E.A., (Taiwan - > RVN, Thailand, P.I.) separated by 10 months in CONUS (@ Hill AFB). Each tour with extensions totaling 5 years somewhere in S.E.A.

Retired May '90 and was (am sort of) slimy gov't contractor doing/supporting Ops Testing until a about four years ago. I'm "re"-retired now and only do "grey beard" consulting, on certain tasks, to certain test agencies, if I feel like it (and they don’t have their heads up a dark hole like 99% of the "Big Navy" test community) .

Larry

Hey Larry.....

I thought about what you state above and in general, in a current context, I would totally agree.
But....it's been 50 years and none of what I was involved with or what I was guarding back then even exists anymore.
Hence....I believe it is inconsequential now and I don't think your "snippet" is too much either.

Whew...21 years is quite the career.
"Scientific Analyst" does sounds like a sexy, interesting MOS.

Back to it....

US Army- 11/60 - 4/69

5 years liberating German gasthauses and drinking fabulous German beer during Vietnam era.

Took advantage of several free USAFI educational courses including Industrial Electronics Technician; NCO Academy; Motor Sergeant School; and numerous self-improvement courses including Electronic Technician by correspondence at Cleveland Institute Of Electronics, which was free to active duty military.

Educational opportunities were abundant in the Army.

Donny

Don - GREAT!

I wonder how many G.I.'s took that correspondence course? Or the one I took, CREI (Capital Radio Engineering Institute) - they were rival "schools" LOL.

Funny thing was I was an electronics hobbyist as a kid and had almost a year of electronics tech school at Kessler AFB, can you say hurricane Camille? School got delayed in-progress IIRC around two months because they suspended all the schools and sent the student body out to help with community clean-up and perform minor anti-looting guard duty in Biloxi, Pascagoula, Gulf Port, and surrounding areas.

Larry

Your comment reminded me of our wonderful and treasured friend, Danny C, who says that he stood guard in Mississippi all through Vietnam. lol

I became fascinated by electronics in HS when a classmate and I gutted his dad's Halicrafter or Grundig SW Console to build a guitar amp. We used the ceramic phono cartridge as a guitar pickup. Everyone was happy except his dad, the local barber.

While stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, my neighbor got me hooked on Amateur Radio (HAM). Great memories. Also in Texas, I became friends with an Electronics Engineer and, together, we built a tape echo reverb.

I quickly combined my loves of music and Electronics and along with famed Dobro (R), player, Mike Auldridge, we co-designed the ultimate resonator guitar.

Donny

I honor all of y'all's service very much. I drew a 307 draft lotto number in 1969 while in grad school. That number would likely have required the cong to invade the west coast for me to have been drafted. I was prepared to join the Navy prior to the lotto. Those were strange times.

USAF Field Bands for 21 years. Texas, Calif., Hawaii, Ill., Hawaii again, Tachikawa AFB, Japan and last station Langley AFB, VA. Back in those days everyone in the band had a Top Secret clearance. Still playing around DC area.

Mac was in USAF and he played in the band at the USAFA for a while, sure do miss him around here

Larry

All so far are prior US military.

I wonder what other services have representatives here? I at least hope there are some Canadian or UK prior military here. There maybe others but I named them since English is the predominant language in this part of the forum.

Hey Don, I am proud of Danny C for keeping Mississippi safe!!

I wanted to relate this story from my time in Vietnam. Our base camp had a theater area where we showed movies almost every night. One week they brought in a show performed by a band who was (I think) Samoan. They were actually pretty entertaining. When they took a break they invited us to come up if anybody played. Our Lt, Dan, went up to play guitar. There was a bass player and a drummer in our unit, and I stepped up to play the Farfisa organ. We actually made it through about a half dozen songs, several with fairly complex harmony, as CSNY was a hot band back then. I also remember Tull was big back then.

Anyway, the next week Dan had the idea that we should have the USO send us instruments and we could rehearse and learn a show and travel to the outer reaching areas to entertain. And they went for it!! We spent about 4 weeks getting ready, then 8 weeks driving around in a 2 1/2 ton truck all over Vietnam playing for the guys. Then sadly it was time to go back to work, but we had a ball doing it. We tried to do a second tour but 2 of the guys had rotated home.

I remember Dan loved singing La Bamba!! And that became our nickname for him. Lt La Bamba. LOL!!

And Bud, who did you know to get 307??? I was #7!! SEVEN!!!!

To all my veteran brothers, welcome home.

I played countless gigs at the German NCO Clubs, mostly informally when my buddies would intimidate the house band until they would yield the stage.

Other than meeting my wife I guess it was one of my luckier moments. My best friend didn't come home - helicopter pilot. Helluva note to have a lotto for what could be your life. Everyone should've done two years national service even if they weren't needed for the armed services.

Bud

I agree 100%. Some of the street level criminals might have grown up and learned some respect and values had they served 2 years in an organized lifestyle where the discipline is built in.

USMC: 1976-06-18 through 1997-04-30 Retired MSgt. (E8).
Went places, did stuff and had a grand ole time.

E-8! Way cool. For non military, E-8 is a military pay grade where the "E" stands for enlisted and "8" is the rank from 1 to 9 with 9 the highest enlisted grade. More about pay grades ++ HERE ++

I was SSG-E6 (Staff Sergeant - 3 chevrons and 1 rocker) but that was 45 years ago! lol

Donny

I was Air Force in the Vietnam era, never had to leave the USA though. But did my part in Biloxi Ms. I guess.

I was a USAF Engineer steam fitter by day and a guitar player (along with a sax man and drummer) who played Night Train in a strip club for four years, seriously it seems that was the only song we played.

Now before you make light of my tour I want to go on record with documented proof that while I was on guard in Biloxi the Gulf Coast was never invaded!

Seriously - Salute to all who served and their families. With this said please try to catch one of my eConcert Blue Star Mom's Benefits on Krue.TV next one is Jan 21st 8:00PM CST, it will be an all country through the years show.

Bless you all!

Danny, Dear friend,

Both Eddie and myself felt safe just knowing you were on guard in Biloxi.

Donny

Hey, somebody had to do it, right?

Thanks Don, I feel better now my friend, lol

See you soon Partner!

Yeah Eddie, but Night Train all night long man!LOL

Later,

Summer emailed yesterday to say she'll be visiting me next Friday, the 20th, for a private show. Eat yo haht out, mahn! Masticate yo cortisone, gator bait!

Donny