Thank You

reeltrouble1

Since today is a very special day I just wanted to take a moment and thank all of the Vets out there for what you have done and thank you to those who are still active and doing.

It is certain that there are those who would gleefully destroy are ways and take our life. I stand with those who are extemely grateful for our men and women who sacrifice so much.


A VERY BIG THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

dorokusai

Reel - That is very nice of you, I second that emotion.

My wife baked me chicken and dumplings, and a nice cake....aside from the stale toothbreaker candy dots she threw on top, it was very good

Any military service individuals, post your last or current unit, if you feel like it. It would be interesting to know who has served, regardless of age..... or decade, for you older folks

ETS: 1996 18th FA BDE, 5/8th FA, HHB Ft. Bragg, NC Commo!

gidrah

I'll third it. Very well said.

I ETSed from 19th Signal Co - 11th Signal Brigade, Ft. Huachuca AZ. in 1991.

Frank Z

Reel,
Great thread and this Vet appriciates your comments....Thank You!!


1980-84 VMA-214 "The BlackSheep" MAG-13, MCAS El Toro, CA

Aviation Ordnance

As a side note I'd like to recommend a book for all of the members here to read and pass on to your family and friends. It's called "Flags of Our Fathers" It was written by James Brady (with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ron Powers), who's father John Bradley was a Navy Corpman assigned to a Marine Platoon during the invasion of Iwo Jima. John Bradley is one of the men in the famous photograph of the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi. This book will give you insight into not only the most costly battles of WWII in the Pacific, but more importantly it will teach you about true American Heroes! I hate to sound like a commercial, but this book will stay with me, in more ways than one, for the rest of my life, I was that moved by what I read.

God Bless all of our service men and women, at home and abroad, active duty or retired.

Semper Fi!!

xfontanax

Great thread, in addition...

Happy 228th Birthday Marines -- Nov. 10 1775 the Marine Corps was born, in a bar named Tun Tavern, in Philadelphia, PA.

Happy Veterans Day to all you vets.

Frank, I too was once stationed at El Toro. Sad to say, it's now closed.

I've been to Iwo Jima (last year), and I can tell you, when you hit the beach, it's a sombering moment. The black sand. Very eerie. I've had the opportuniy to talk to some old vets from WWII (from the greatest generation) and the stories they tell are incredible. While on recruiting duty, I've met Medal of Honor recepients; true American heroes in every sense.

Semper Fidelis
Once a Marine Always a Marine.

[Deleted User]

Hello,
I certainly want to salute my father, WW II veteran, Patton's 3rd Army (was even yelled at by the general for being too far forward from the front lines), in an engineering battalion. Landed in Normandy, fought across Europe, liberated prison camps in Belgium (had nightmares for years) and fought in The Battle of the Bulge. He had successful cataract surgery, yesterday, and all is well. He's an avid model railroader, N-scale, so I'm glad he'll be able to see better.
Regards, Ken

[Deleted User]

By the way, Xfontanax, are you on Okinawa? I lived there for close to three years. Ever hear of a small village, near the middle of the island called Ojana? That's where I lived.
Is the big Sony building still on Highway 1? That was were I got my first audio job, working part time for audio equpiment.
Ken

xfontanax

Ken,
I'm in Okinawa for the second time in the past 14 years. I do know where Ojana is; It's not a village anymore though, it's a small neighborhood in Ginowan-City, near Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. Is this the place you're talking about? I don't know off a Hwy 1, but there is a big sony building off Hwy 58. It's more of a repair center. Maybe the hwy name changed. Were you there prior to 1972?

Grady.

RuSsMaN

Ditto the above sentiments.

Thanks to all, past and present, that protect and preserve MY freedoms and way of life. Your service is honorable, admirable, and appreciated - I mean that.

Thank you.

Frank Z

xfontanax,
My squadron spent a few weeks in Kadena. Best Kobe steak I ever had was at Sam's Anchor Inn.

[Deleted User]

Hello Grady,
I was there from 1967 to '70, based at Kadena AFB but worked at the Sobe Army base at a Security Service Joint Processing Center. Took a public bus from Ojana to Sobe, everyday. It was great going past Kadena, in those days, B52 painted black, SR71 taking off right over the top of my bus (unbelievable!) U2s, Phantom F4 buzzing demonstrators. Highway 1 was the main drag from south to north, I guess they've changed the numbers. There was a Mr. Nakasone who ran the Sony facility, two floors of everything Sony and a repair shop. I made some great friends, working there and was able to get some great Sony gear. Sony had a system they called "2001", because that was the selling price. It was a tri-amped system, three of their separate amps powering a three-way large cabinet speaker and a pre-amp. I worked and saved and finally managed to put it all together. The houses, on Okinawa were all made from reinforced concrete with flat roofs and bars on the windows. Good bass response, since the walls, floor and ceiling were so rigid. There was only one FM station, broadcast by the military and I had trouble picking it up. There was a lumber yard at the bottom of the hill that sold long wooden poles that construction crews built scaffolds out of. I bought one, on the way home from work, and carried it on my shoulder all of the way up the hill to my house. Everybody in the village was looking at me like I was crazy, these poles were 15' long. I ended up putting an antenna on the end of the pole and tying it to the clothes line support pole.
I can't believe Sam's is still there! I can remember when it first opened up, they had a big soup kettle when you'd first walk in. I loved their corn chowder soup, man I can still remember the place. Now you're bringing back pleasant memories. How about the Playboy Club, outside of Kadena? There was another place, a Marine bar, called One Eyed Mary's, toughest place I'd ever been in. It was where Marines from Viet Nam would go, they'd ask you who you were and what branch of the service you were in. Anybody in the Navy or Army was doomed, especially Navy guys. People in the Air Force were called "zoomies" but they tolerated us, because we flew air support. But, you'd never know how they would react when you went in. These guys brought all of their gear with them, M16, combat knifes stuck in the bar top. But the owner of the bar, Mary (one bad eye) was much tougher than any of these guys, she ruled with an iron fist.
Thanks for the memories!
Ken

HBombToo

Originally posted by gidrah
I'll third it. Very well said.

I ETSed from 19th Signal Co - 11th Signal Brigade, Ft. Huachuca AZ. in 1991.

gidrah my brotha!!! I ETSed from Huachuca in 88 and was assigned to the ISC-CEI Battalian over in splinter villiage:D

HBomb

petrym

Any military service individuals, post your last or current unit, if you feel like it.

Senior J2 Watch Analyst and Russian Heavy Aviation Analyst, US Strategic Command, Offutt AFB NE 1997-2000. I was already gone, but if you watched President Bush's arrival at Offutt on Sep 11, he entered a small brick building enroute to the Command Center. My office was at the bottom of those stairs.

Prior to that, I did time in Korea, 31 SOS; Arizona, 56 OSS/IN, Hahn AB Germany, 50 TFW; Incirlik AB Turkey, 39 CAMS; Reese AFB TX, and RAF Upper Heyford UK, 20 TFW. Lots of good times... lots of bad times... more good times though!

steveinaz

US Army, 15 years. Assignments:

Ft. Dix, NJ 1982 Boot camp
Ft. Gordon, GA 1982 AIT
Shepard AFB, Tx Advanced Electronics/Computer course 1982-1983
Stuttgart, Germany 578th Sig Co, 160th Sig Bde (Patch Barracks) 1983-1989
Ft. Huachuca, Az 19th Sig Co, 11th Sig Bde (Desert Storm) 1989-1992
Izmir, Turkey JSG, SESS (NATO Headquarters) 1992-1994
Ft. Huachuca, Az 40th C&E, HQ's 40th Sig Bn 1994-1997

ETS April 1997, been working for the Department of Defense ever since.