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Forum: VETERANS! [STICKY]

TOPIC: 

VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES

Created on: 04/15/09 08:27 PM Views: 1646 Replies: 54
"What did you do in the war Daddy (or Mommy)?"
Posted Wednesday, April 15, 2009 03:27 PM

From Lion Profiles, I see many Baker grads served in the armed forces, some of them ours. I'd like to know more about your experiences. I was drafted in 1972, my lottery number being 44. As far as I know, Dennis Richardson and I were the only two from Class of '70 to go kicking and screaming. Ironically, then President Nixon signed his executive order about six months later stopping the lottery, although those selected in previous lotteries continued to be inducted. Showing it had a sense of humor, the Army (ours) made me an MP.  I was sent to Ansbach, Germany to finish growing up. My job for  thirty-one months  (wait a minute, he said he was drafted and that's a 24 month commitment--well, I extended for an additional year in active service) was to go on joint German Police-MP patrols. I loved doing that.  I also loved hearing knuckle-head GIs insult or resist German cops and then seeing the rubber clubs come out to play a little skull music. I also loved drinking beer with Norbert and Carle, while on patrol, heh, heh, by the schwimmbad (public swimming pool) praying there were no calls over the radio.  I loved riding in the back seat of a VW beetle with its siren going da-dee, da-dee, da-dee down cobblestone streets at 100 ks an hour past 400 year old buildings still occupied by people. I loved riding with the Polizei in the country, in the evening, when there was a snowfall. I did not love investigating traffic accidents in the country, in the evening, when there was a snowfall. In the event the commie hordes (we had some leeway with the commie whores) came spilling through the Fulda Gap into then West Germany, I vowed the Russkies would pay dearly before they took me out. I also vowed I would drink as much German brew as I could possibly hold before playing Sgt. Rock.  The Russkies never came, but I practiced constantly on my second vow. To this day, I am an accomplished brewski drinker. I owe that to my military  experience. Plus a beer gut.

Mike Dansereau

 
Edited 04/17/09 08:04 PM
!SALUTE! OUR VETERANS!
Posted Wednesday, April 15, 2009 10:18 PM

Hi Mike,

Thank you so much for sharing your Armed Forces experiences with us. You've reminded me of how much you and all our Veterans have endured, experienced, sacrificed, and so many other words are befitting here..... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY AND PROTECTING/DEFENDING EACH ONE OF US!

!SALUTE!

LOVE YOUR IDEA! Let's dedicate this forum to you and all our Veterans!

Veterans! Please share your  experiences, stories, thoughts, ideas, with us! Love to hear from you!!!

 
Edited 04/15/09 10:33 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Thursday, April 16, 2009 01:26 PM

To illustrate how the military makes the world smaller, when I was stationed in Ansbach, a certain Lt. Vince Collier  (Yep, Class of '68) looked me up. It was good to see a Baker face. Also, a colleague of mine for the past 30 years, Dean Wilson (Hardaway grad--booo, hissss), left Ansbach just before I arrived. However, once we found out we were stationed at the same place, Dean and I have spent a lot of time reminiscing at taxpayers' expense about Ansbach. Dean was with  the 501st AG Company of the 1st Armored Division. He and Mike Lacey (Baker '70) are golfing buds.  A local attorney here in Columbus, Paul Bennet (also Hardaway, ditto boo-hiss),  was drafted and spent his time with the 21st Replacement Battalion in Frankfurt, Germany.  The 21st in-processed every soldier arriving in Germany. What great duty, 18 months in Frankfurt!  By the way, in my first posting, I failed to state I was initially with the 3rd Platoon, A Co. (headquartered in Fuerth), 793rd MP BN. My platoon was later placed under C Co,, which was headquartered in Bamberg.  The 793rd MP BN  (known at the "Red Ball Express" battalion) was part of the 15th MP Brigade until it was moved under VII Corps. I identify my platoon, because in Germany, the platoons of MP companies are dispersed in different towns, each with its own geographic area of responsibility.

Mike Dansereau

 
Edited 04/23/09 03:50 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Thursday, April 16, 2009 02:14 PM

Wow MIKE....all those places you mentioned brings back fond memories of my time spent in Germany...let me first say my whole family loved our time in Germany.  We lived in Hanau right outside of Frankfort...I was assigned to HHC, 4th Bde, 1st AD.....no great grunt type soldiering memories from me...i was a OOR Career Counselor/Recruitor...lol...only thing i didn't like was the government vehicle they assigned me when i got there was a fire engine RED Jeep Cherokee....damn red paint made it hard to hide even "behind" the NCO club...lol....All my family traveled all over Europe and loved every minute of it...we were there from 91-94 so Poland and Chechoslivokia were still there....my wife made many shopping trips with other wives to those places...i had 2 daughters at home then and they both participated in school activities so they also traveled all over.  I officiated all sports while i was there to include military sports, DOD school sports and Internantional High School sports as well as Pro Football in the German American rules football leagues and the EFL (European Football League) I got to go all over the place...England, France, Holland, Italy, Greece, Turkey and i even got to referee some basketball games in Russia....it was awesome...

my favorite place in Germany was always Nurenberg...no paticular reason, just always loved that place....

i'm probably the only GI who would say this who had the pleasure of being stationed in Hawaii and Germany but i'm gonna say it anyways....even though Hawaii was great, my favorite overseas assignment was Germany....sure wanna go back there one of these days

Rodney Wolfinger '69

 
Edited 04/16/09 02:16 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Thursday, April 16, 2009 06:13 PM
kawalek02.jpg

Do you remember where you were when the World Trade Center was attacked? I was stationed on board the Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy out of Mayport, Fl. We were headed out to sea for sea trials and flightdeck quals that was to take 30 days. We had just pulled away from the pier and was being spun around in the basin. Tugs had to spin us around because we pulled straight into a dead end mooring. Anyway, sattelite TV was up and the set was on in our shop on CNN. A shipmate of mine shouted across the shop the World Trade Center was on fire. Well, not knowing what actually happen we assumed it was just on fire. Which in itself was big news. By now a few of us had gathered around and was watching when all of a sudden a freaking airliner ran into the other tower. We went silent for a momment in disbelief. Then the words "terrorist attack" rang out. It was almost like a dream. A terrorist attack on our soil of that magnitude? About 20 minutes later the Commanding Officer got on the 1MC and announced we have been attacked by terrorist and are on our way north to New York. After sitting off the coast for a week we headed back south to complete our quals. 3 months later we were in the North Arabian Sea bombing the crap out of those SOB's. I'll remember that day as long as i live.   

Kenneth M. Kawalek USN Retired

 
Edited 04/16/09 06:54 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Thursday, April 16, 2009 09:05 PM

Nuremberg was a relatively short ride from Ansbach and Fuerth, where my battalion and Co. A were headquartered, is like a suburb of the larger city. It 's a beautiful city. One can see why Adolph liked having rallies there. I remember my stroll along "the Wall."  The Wall is the city's red light district. I walked through (and there is literally an old wall running the length of the street) in daytime, but the ladies were still plying their trade.  I just window shopped.  Other than visiting my German grandparents when I could, one of my favorite things to do was riding trains. Europe has us beat when it comes to mass transit. When I was a kid living in Pirmasens, Germany (1960-1964) they still used coal fired, steam locomotives. I could see that sweep of smoke curling from the front of the train. For a kid raised on the early TV westerns, that experience fueled my imagination. In 1972-1975, the steam trains were mostly gone. I made the mistake of getting on a limited stop, inter-city train one time. I didn't have the right ticket, but I paid the conductor a little extra (nope, I wasn't thrown from a moving train) and traveled first class. Thinking about it makes me want to do it again some day. Unfortunately for some GIs who came over for REFORGER exercises, electric trains were still widely used. There always seemed to be at least one electrocution death during REFORGER when some troop working to remove a track from a flat car hit a high voltage wire. I agree with you Rodney. Germany is a great place for an extended visit.

Mike Dansereau

 
Edited 04/16/09 09:06 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Thursday, April 16, 2009 09:12 PM

THANKS SOLDIERS/WARRIORS so much for sharing your Military experiences and stories with us!

It is so important to hear what our Veterans went through, experienced, felt while serving and protecting our country! 

Love hearing your stories!!!! PLEASE - WANNA hear LOTS MORE!!!! THANK YOU!

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Friday, April 17, 2009 09:48 AM

the WALL??? the WALL?? geeeeeeee Mike I dont think a remember the WALL in Nurenberg....ohhhhhhhhhhh THAT WALL!!!......ok i may have strolled down the WALL a couple or 40 times...lol.....i used to stay at the American Hotel directly across the big square from the train station in Nuremberg...thing i like best was when you walked out of the hotel and walked down the first block you could find....a McDonalds, an Irish Pub, a Chinese restuarant, and an American Steak house all within site of each other....diversity at its finest..lol....I LOVED riding the trains also...the ICE was awesome....one thing i learned real quick is if the schedule says the train is leaving at 4:32 it is leaving at 4:32, not 4:31 and not 4:35.....dont be late!!!......one last thing, i had the priviledge of refereeing the last basketball game played at Fulda High School before it closed.  If anyone has a connection to Fulda High School such as they attended or they had kids that went to Fulda High School and would like a momento from the school just let me know, i still have the basketball from their last game against Brussells with date and score on it....this momento would probably mean something to someone with a connection to that school and i would love for them to have it....just let me know and maybe we can meet up at the Spring Fling...

Rodney Wolfinger '69

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Friday, April 17, 2009 07:56 PM

Hey, I've been to Fulda, too. It's a short train ride from Flieden, the small town where my mom was raised.

Mike Dansereau

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Friday, April 17, 2009 08:01 PM

Kenneth, I was watching TV that day and also at the very same time as you. I saw the second plane go in the tower. Things moved in slow motion that day. All day long I wondered what kind of world my daughter would experience once I was gone.

Mike Dansereau

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Saturday, April 18, 2009 07:48 PM

Mike,

  Our world as we new it changed that day. I just hope the efforts of our young men and women in uniform fighting the tyrant of terrorism will not be in vein because of those who wish to put a premature end to the war.

Kenneth M. Kawalek USN Retired

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Sunday, April 19, 2009 10:13 PM

We Navy guys don't spend allot of time in Europe but, I have spent allot of time in the South Pacific, Mediterranean and Middle East. Of all the places I've been oddly enough, I'd have to say Turkey ranks toward the top of my favorite port visits. Pulled into Marmaris not sure of the spelling. All the motels were full so we called a travel agency. They found us a place in a small resort town called Turunk, again not sure of the spelling and the 5 of us crammed into a small taxi and away we went.. It is about 25 miles from Marmaris on the other side of a mountain. Coming down the mountain road into Turunk was like a picture from a post card. Blue green water of the Med steep rocky terrain and olive trees everywhere. Mostly German and Brits vacation there. We were the only Americans there and have ever been there by talking to the locals. When you're out to sea for a while its nice to get away from the ship and most of its inhabitants lol. Its located in a lagoon surrounded by steep rocky mountains. Our motel was built on one of the mountain sides overlooking the town and lagoon. It was beautiful. The people that worked the motel and everywhere we went treated us like royalty. If I ever have a chance to go back I will definitely return. 

 

Kenneth M. Kawalek USN Retired

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Monday, April 20, 2009 09:27 AM

This is for all  Veterans...........................

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Edited 04/20/09 09:35 AM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Monday, April 27, 2009 09:22 PM

 I served in yet another aspect of the Navy, my 1st active duty period was aboard the Submarine tender, USS Fulton (AS-11) where, as is considered odd by many (Tenders generally stay tied to the pier) I experienced several cruises, on the US East coast, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the North Atlantic. It all started with boot camp at Great Lakes Ill. from November to February; me being from Columbus Ga, and at that time having rarely even seen snow, this was culture shock to the nth degree! That winter was one of the coldest on record in Northern Illinois.  The actual temperatures got down to 37 below, with wind chills at -86! Great Lakes Navy Base classified it as winter weather category 5 (the highest they had).  We wore ski masks and towels on our faces but ice still all too quickly caked up around our eyes and mouths . I remember we were attempting to march with people slipping and falling on the ice all around us, and we'd do our best to break one another's falls, sometimes resulting in only falling ourselves  We'd perform drills by running ahead of the group carrying our mock M16s and I remember falling and sliding for what seemed to be over 100 feet, feeling no pain, and getting up just to run some more. All the while Company Commanders only pushed us harder. Yes, and I was one of those that didn't mind getting up at 2:30 AM to shovel snow!  It all definitely was a comedy looking back at it, but it wasn't at all funny then. Some other things that I remember from boot camp are hearing rumors of the US going to war (we had no contact with the outside world, so had no idea what was actually happening out there) and that we were next to go, seemed believable at the time, but not what I had bargained for at the time ( I just wanted some work experience!).

After that was over I got a break and attended what the Navy calls an "A"school, also at Great Lakes Navy Base,  for several months for the trade I selected.  I then went on to my 1st command, the USS Fulton, a WWII era submarine tender which had wooden decks (a symbol of an older ship from, even then, a bygone era) though she sure did show me the world to a degree that I'd never before even dreamed that I would see - my life before this was actually pretty drab, so it was an incredible contrast. A short list of places I saw (in only 3.5 yrs!):

  • Chicago, Ill.
  • New London Ct (& eventually nearly all of New England)
  • Denver, Co.
  • Philadelphia, Pa
  • Annapolis, Md.
  • Washington, DC
  • Earle, NJ
  • New York, NY
  • Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • Puerto Rico
  • Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
  • Ft Lauderdale, Fla
  • Barcelona, Spain
  • Palma, Majorca, Spain
  • La Maddelina, Sardina (& eventually the whole Island)
  • Rome, Italy
  • Bergen, Norway

This was at least 5X more than I'd seen my whole life before that.

This all took place from 1983 -1987. Even today I look back and am amazed by all that I experienced during the three and 1/2 years that I served!

 

 

M Taylor

 
Edited 04/27/09 09:58 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Monday, April 27, 2009 11:25 PM
big_ups_stith_(5).jpg

I served in the Army and so did my dad.  I very proud of all the men and women serving our country.  I got a e-mail from a classmate the made my day.... He knew my dad and brother back in the mid 50's.  His kind words touch my heart deeply.  My dad and brother have passed on.  Thanks again.... That's why Baker High is the ....Best!!!!!!!

His words:

From     Robert "Rocky" Barrett
Subject            Question

Not sure how to approach this as I did not know you at Baker. I was there until 1966, but I was in Aschaffenburg, Germany in 1956,1957, 1958 and part of 1959. My baseball coach while in Germany was a Army Sergeant named Stith. I think he had a son named Curtis... that was a long time ago but I saw your mane and it brought back memories... Thought you might be some kin to the Sarge... great coach!! R.Barrett
 

Robert E Stith

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, April 28, 2009 07:32 PM

Mike Taylor mentions the rumors of war while he was in Navy boot camp. I remember ALL US armed forces going on worldwide alert during the 1973 Yom Kippur  War  in the middle east. My unit was confined to barracks like all military units. What we didn't know at the time was prepositioned equipment and munitions were being rushed from Germany to Israel.  I heard (never confirmed) that inventories of TOW anti-armor missiles were depleted in Germany and throughout Nato. If we were ever more vulnerable to the Warsaw Pact forces, it was at that time. I thought how lucky I had been to be assigned to Germany and not Viet Nam, as that war winded down. When you think about nuclear confrontations, a "safe" posting is non-existent. At the time, all us young  'uns could think about was standing down from the alert so we could head for Zum Einhorn (The Unicorn) or the Tivoli Bar to eat some schnitzel, drink some brews and flirt with German frauleins.

Mike Dansereau

 
Edited 04/28/09 08:01 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, April 28, 2009 07:58 PM

Great story, Robert. When my family moved from Pirmasens, Germany in 1964, my best friends, Phil and Ed Bala were waiting on me at Ft. Benning. Even later, Ed went through basic and AIT at Benning and he came and looked me up. A buddy from Ft. Benning, Ossie Rivera, attended Baker for a year or so and then moved to Puerto Rico. Ossie looked me up in the early '90's just prior to retiring from Army Special Forces. I don't know what he can do with Puerto Rican rum, but the "Old Man" can drink his share of Courvoisier cognac.

I can now even put my Dad's Army career in context. I had no sense of history when I was a kid living in Pirmasens, but all those crusty old NCO's with hash marks up their sleeves had all fought in WW II just 15 years before my family moved to Germany. Some began their careers in the 1930's. The remains of concrete "pill boxes" sprinkled along the highways spoke of the fire that molded those men. While I thought they looked neat, I didn't give much thought to the fact German soldiers had machine guns positioned to lay down cross fire on any allied forces coming down that road from those bunkers.  As you can see from a posting above, all I had to worry about was showing up for duty on time and hoping the desk sergeant could not smell the beer on my breath following a lazy afternoon at Zum Einhorn, or smell it on my breath as I was checking in my weapon following an evening at the Polizei station and an offered beer gladly taken in the interest of German/American friendship. (I met the German counterparts to those crusty old NCOs mentioned above.  I worked with German cops who had fought against our fathers and who thanked their lucky stars they were captured by our fathers and not the Russians. I never heard a critical word from those old Wehrmacht veterans about the American soldiers they fought against. One old soldat even served an American general as an orderly.)

Mike Dansereau

 
Edited 04/28/09 08:00 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Thursday, April 30, 2009 07:05 PM

Cool Mike,  been around myself.

Hawaii, Alaska, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Okinawa. Australia, Malaysia, Tailand off the west coast.

Spain, Crete, Turkey, Pakistan. Dubai, Abu Dabi, Kuwait, Cuba, St. Martin off the east coast.

Lived in Bahrain for 13 months and Puerto Rico for 3 years. 

If I had to do it all over again................HELL YES!!!!!!!!! 

P.S. Did i mention I never got shot at and never lived in a dirt hole. GO NAVY...........

 

Kenneth M. Kawalek USN Retired

 
Edited 05/15/09 11:30 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, May 19, 2009 03:48 PM

just wanted to pass this along...thought it might interest a few of you..some of you may have already seen it...

 

Recently Marines in Iraq wrote to Starbucks because they wanted to
let them know how much they liked their coffees and to request that they
send some of it to the troops there. Starbucks replied, telling the Marines
thank you for their support of their business, but that Starbucks does not support the war, nor anyone in it, and that they would not send the troops their brand of coffee.

So as not to offend Starbucks, maybe we should not support them by buying any of their products! I feel we should get  this out in the open.  I know this war might not be very popular with some folks, but that doesn't mean we don't support the boys on the ground  fighting ! street -to-street and house-to-house.

If you feel the same as I do then pass this along, or you can discard it and no one will never know.

Thanks very much for your support. I know you'll all be there again when I
deploy once more.

Semper Fidelis..
Sgt. Howard C. Wright
1st Force Recon Co
1st Plt PLT

Rodney Wolfinger '69

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 07:46 PM

ribit. ribit. ribit, ribit....

Mike Dansereau

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Thursday, July 16, 2009 04:05 AM

Looks like i'm the first to post on here about serving in Vietnam.

Was there for four months and 27 days, in a little place called Phu Bai, with the 101st Airborne, [Airmobile]. When the 101st left, was then assigned to the 24th Corp. Pulled guard duty for the Radio Research and Field Station. http://home.comcast.net/~timaq/

Nice place but wouldn't want to live there...........

Funny don't remember much about the day to day bull...t.

One thing does stand out tho.  While on guard duty, was in a crows nest atop a telephone pole. Had starlight scope and M-16, they had nailed wood slats for climbing said pole. Oh yea, forgot no safety harness....yippeeee.

One other thing that stands out is the night we had a rocket attack, they had the airbase on the other side of Highway 1 zeroed in.  Could have in retaliation for the B52 strike on a hill that came out of the ground in the same way that Stone Mountain does.

Was a pretty sight that night. Saw the flashes of the bombs, few secs later heard them, then felt the ground shake.

Anyway, left on Feb 29 1972, and returned home on Mar 01, haven't mossied to far from lumbus since then.

 

Michael Basiliere 69

 
Edited 07/17/09 02:50 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Thursday, July 16, 2009 02:56 PM

U.S.N.R. MM3  1975-1981 U.S.S. WM.V PRATT DDG44  Boot Camp Great Lakes Ill. Spent time in Charleston in the ship Yards when I first went in.The ship was down at Gitmo doing a missle shoot and a radio control drone went out of control and took out the 03 level.Went out to sea the first time and went dead in the water, I have never been so sick in my life.(I get motion sickness driving too fast thru Benning Hills) I sure questioned what I was doing there. And got sick every time we got underway.You just learn to cope. As far as I know I was the only E-3 to stand Top Watch during P.E.B.(have control of the engineroom during propulsion engineering board qualifications)   Best Liberty was in Port Mahon(sp?) Mijorca.Small Spanish Island. July 4TH. 1976 Tall ship review New York Harbor, Manning the rail in dress whites as Princess Grace and Caroline came aboard the Willy V. invited the ship to come to Monte Carlo ,Went there the next year during a Med Cruise, Great liberty  the  aquarium and the casinos were great. Naples Italy is the home of Sea Stories .If a sailor startes a story with "I was in Naples once" no matter how far fetched it sounds it is true.I saw things there I could not belive and I don't mean just at "mamma sitas" in the gut. Met Tina 'THE CAT WOMAN"she had to be the oldest woman in the oldest profession.I left there FASSSST.That was Catania Sicily.San Juan Pueto Rico Was a lot of fun as well.The Black Angus and the Jacopa club were where everone went. It was great having those experiences as a young man .Would I do it again? In a heart beat. I always tell people "IF YOU WERE NOT IN THE MILITARY YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE MEN AND WOMEN GO THRU YOU JUST SHOULD APPRECIATE THAT THERE ARE MEN AND WOMEN WHO GO THRU IT FOR OUR FREEDOMS"YOU CAN HATE THE POLITICS BUT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU IF YOU CAN NOT SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE WHO RISK THEIR LIVES FOR US.  .    Grandfather Peary Mailman sr. Merchant Marines ww2,  Father Peary Mailman jr U.S. Army.Korea,Vietnam,  Brother James Mailman U.S Navy  Beirut,LEBANON. Father-in-law Donald D Dowie British Army North Africa ww2, U.S. Army  Korea,Vietnam, Mother-in-law Margaret Dowie Womans Royal Navy ww2, Brother-in-law Jack Pritchard U.S. Army ,Prior Ambassador to Korea, Nephew Jack Pritchard U.S. Army Iran. NOW LET ME MENTION THE ONES THAT HAD THE HARDEST JOBS...Phyllis Mailman, Klara Mailman,Margaret Dowie,Denise Mailman,Carol Mailman ,Jean Pritchard,Tina Pritchard, If the military is what keeps us free it is the spouses and parents that hold the family together and give the military men and women the support they need. I guess for some of us it is not just a career but rather a life style.I am thankful that the world was quiet on my watch.God Bless the UNITED STATES MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES

Pete Mailman '74

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Friday, July 17, 2009 03:03 PM

Great stories Pete. I regret I passed up on some travelling when I was stationed in Germany.  I had an opportunity to visit Berlin, still West and East at the time, but passed on it. Everytime I had some time off, I headed to my grandparents' small town near the city of Fulda. Couldn't get enough of Oma and Opa, my grandparents.

Vietnam was at the backs of our minds throughout training, Mike.  However, most of my MP graduating class got orders to Germany. This was late 1972, the so-called Paris Peace Talks were happening and we were "Vietnamizing" the war. Someone in the Pentagon must have realized we had been ignoring the real battleground of the Cold War, Europe, for too long.  However, most of the battles we MPs fought were in local German beer joints against elements of the 1st Armored Div. Drunken elements. And when we were off duty, we MPs were the drunken elements.

Mike Dansereau

 
Edited 07/17/09 03:13 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Sunday, July 19, 2009 04:51 PM

 

Important Notice for Viet Nam Vets:
 
This is a Notice to all VETS  who were in Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos or Thailand.  PLEASE READ. 
 
I recently visited the VA hospital in Biloxi regarding a medical procedure on my left arm.   I did not have my DD-214, but had my C#, so the corpsman told me that he could use my Medical Records in lieu of the 214.  After about 30 minutes, he came back and told me that he had found my records in Hawaii, I believe he told me that they were stored at Hickam Field as the central repository for all troops coming back from that theatre of operations.   
 
He was able to image them up and then asked me "how I felt".  I told him no problems and asked him "why"?  He told me that my records had been "flagged" due to Agent Orange exposure.  I told him he was nuts!  I was stationed in Okinawa and Thailand and only went into Viet Nam briefly.  I wasn't crawling around in the bush.  I was stationed at Camp Kue Hospital in Okinawa and went TDY with an ASA Unit stationed out of Bangkok.  ALL VETS...who served in Southeast Asia during the Viet Nam "CONFLICT" should request a copy of their Medical Records asap and they can probably find them in Hawaii.  I will do more research to find out just where exactly to go to get those records, and post that info as soon as I get it. 
 
As we all know by now, a lot of mistakes were made in Medical Records, DD-214's and 201 Files.  All Vets need to check for accuracy in their files. I was also told that if you do not have a copy of your DD-214, 201 File, or Medical Records, you can go to the VA and give them your SSN & or C# (RA Service number to others), and with a letter from another Vet who served with you in Viet Nam stating that they "served with you on the ground during the period of time of your service there", the VA will allow that letter to "attest" to your claim for treatment.
More later as I investigate this further....If you need any other info or help with the VA, go to my Profile and give me a call or shoot me an e-mail to douglaswhayes@aol.com .  I worked in the U.S. Senate on Senator Jeremiah Denton's Staff handling VA cases and will be glad to help where ever I can. 
 
As most of you know, Jeremiah Denton was shot down over North Vietnam and spent 7.5 years in the Hanoi Hilton.  He was also the first POW to confirm that our prisoners of war were being tortured as he BLINKED "T-o-r-t-u-r-e" in Morse Code during an interview with the Japanese Media. Naval Intelligence picked up on this immediately. Of  course the New York Times leaked the story and  he was later beaten and put in the "hole" and further tortured for his actions.  He was the senior officer among the POW's and the first man off the plane when it arrived at Clark AFB.  An account of his imprisonment can be found in his book..."When Hell Was In Session".  A movie was later made of that starring Hal Holbrook. 
 
Fellow Lion Vets, don't screw around with this...get  your DD-214, 201 File and Medical Records and check for accuracy.  A lot of guys are fighting Agent Orange induced Cancer (Mike B) and others may not even know the cause of their cancer or other problems from the war.  We need to share our experiences and any suggestions to help fellow Vets with VA related and other matters.   
 
Douglas "Woody" Hayes
'70

Douglas "Woody" Hayes
'70

 
Edited 07/19/09 09:45 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Monday, July 20, 2009 08:22 AM

 Mike maybe you can appreciate this: I am sitting here eating moms home made Schnitzel,blau kraut and katofel salad you take about some good stuff. All her grand kids call her "OMI".   Mom is from Austria and every chance we got dad would put in for Germany. I was born in Wurzburg, have a brother born in Karlsruh.We were in Schweinfurt in the early 60's lived on the Economy in a small town called Hausen. In the late 60's lived in Fulda. Man Germay in the 60's was a great place to be a kid espically if you spoke the language. We still have relatives in Furth. Christmas time was always the best.  Being in the Military the biggest shock for us was the racial problems in the south in the U.S when we came back.

Pete Mailman '74

 
Edited 07/20/09 09:21 AM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, July 21, 2009 08:19 PM

Pete, I lived in Pirmasens, Germany from age 8 to age 12. What a great time. It may have also saved me academically. Most of us were born during the golden age of television and I couldn't watch enough of it before going to Germany. Once overseas, we had no TV. We listened to Armed Forces Radio and discovered the entertainment our parents grew up on. I also read as much as I could and that has helped me all my life. Also, I rode on trains pulled by honest to god steam engines puffing smoke over the countryside. When I watch a Harry Potter movie and see the Hogwarts Express, I can relate. I rode in trains with the compartments, too. However, the best thing about it was meeting my Mom's family. Meeting my grandparents, aunts and uncles still resonates with me to this day. I haven't seen Flieden, Germany since 1975, but will again someday. My grandparents are gone as well as a couple of the uncles, but the memories of visiting a place off the tourist maps and living like a German, even if only during brief trips, was an experience. When I was grown and serving my time in Ansbach, I'd go see Oma and Opa. The first words out of my Oma's mouth were, "Hast du hunger?" (Are you hungry?)  My reply would be an honest, "Nein, Oma." (No, Oma.)  Her reply? "Doch!"  (Pretty much, "Sure you are.") So I'd eat. And eat.

Mike Dansereau

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, July 21, 2009 08:57 PM

Mike if you have not been there since 1975 you probable would not recognize it.There was a large influx of foreigners into Germany in the late 70's & 80"s.Of course with the value of the Euro vs the $ my relatives come here now more than us going over there.I thought for the longest time that  was how you welcome someone into your house by offering them some thing to eat. My mom is still the same way today and for" nein " to be such a strong word she does not know what it means.To me being a military dependant was the only lifestyle I knew and when I first remember coming to the states living off the base was a total shock.We thought all the other kids had more than us.It did not take us long to realize how wrong we were.It was just a totally differant world.No one in the U.S can remember what it was like to have total devestation in this country from a war like the Europeans did,And what it took to bring the countrys back from war. I really consider myself lucky to having been born in Germany and being able to travel as much as I have.

Pete Mailman '74

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Monday, July 27, 2009 12:34 PM

Woody,

   Thanks for the information.  I did a tour with the 11th Armored Cavalry in Viet Nam (1969-1970) and remember seeing barrels of agent orange in our base camp.  I am pretty sure they used it to control the elephant grass around our perimeter but it was sprayed by hand, not by aircraft.  Regardless, I will check into this since I spent my fair share of time on the perimeter.  If you get any other info on this subject please pass it along.  As for missing DD-214's, here in Charleston you were encouraged to file a copy with the city clerk so it would be available if needed in the future.  I'm not sure how many places would do this but that might be another place to check.  

   Thanks again from a fellow Lion!

Ronnie Felts '63 

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, July 28, 2009 10:52 AM

 

For anyone needing a copy of their DD-214, go to http://www.archives.gov/veterans/ to request it online.

We used it earlier this year to get a copy of my husband's DD-214 and its a very quick way to do it, especially if you have access to a fax machine.

Carol (Williams) Merrill
Baker '67

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, July 28, 2009 12:05 PM

glad to see everyone sharing info with each other....just another example of BUMS helping BUMS

Rodney Wolfinger '69

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Thursday, July 30, 2009 07:48 AM

VVA to VA: Don’t Wait for an Army to Die: Grant Association to Agent Orange Exposure For Parkinson’s, Heart Disease, Hypertension

After reviewing scientific studies of the past few years, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences has determined there is “limited or suggestive evidence” of an association between Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease with exposure to Agent Orange.

“We thank the IOM for their efforts and applaud them for their conclusions,” said John Rowan, National President of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA). “Now, we urge the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to immediately make Vietnam veterans with either of these conditions eligible for disability compensation as well as health care, and we will petition him to do precisely this.

 

Michael Basiliere 69

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Thursday, July 30, 2009 06:58 PM

Presumptive service connection is available to veterans who served in Vietnam and parts of Korea along the DMZ. The presumptive diseases are as follows:

Types of Cancer with no time requirements for manifestation

Cancer of the bronchus
Cancer of the larynx
Lung Cancer
Prostate cancer
Cancer of the trachea
Hodgkin’s disease
Multiple myeloma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Types of Soft Tissue Sarcoma with no time
requirements for manifestation


Adult Fibrosarcoma
Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma
Angiosarcoma
Clear Cell Sarcoma of Aponeuroses
Clear Cell Sarcoma of Tendons and
Aponeuroses
Congenital Fibrosarcoma
Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans
Ectomesenchymoma
Epithelioid Malignant Leiomyosarcoma
Epithelioid and Glandular Malignant
Schwannomas
Epithelioid Sarcoma
Extraskeletal Ewing’s Sarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma
Infantile Fibrosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma
Liposarcoma
Lymphangiosarcoma
Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma
Malignant Giant Cell Tumor of the
Tendon Sheath
Malignant Glandular Schwannoma
Malignant Glomus Tumor
Malignant Hemangiopericytoma
Malignant Mesenchymoma
Malignant Ganglioneuroma
Malignant Granular Cell Tumor
Malignant Leiomyoblastoma
Malignant Synovioma
Malignant Schwannoma with Rhabdomyoblastic Differentiation
Proliferating (systemic)
Angiendotheliomatosis
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Synovial Sarcoma

Diseases other than Cancer with various time requirements


Periperal neuropathy (acute or subacute)
Chloracne
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda

Diseases other than Cancer with no time requirement for manifestation

Type 2 Diabetes (Also known as Diabetes Mellitus)

Disabilities in Children of Vietnam Veterans

Spina Bifida
Certain Birth Defects in Children of VN Veterans

DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE FILING A CLAIM? Contact a VVA Benefits Service Officer

 

 


 

Michael Basiliere 69

 
Edited 07/30/09 08:14 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Friday, August 28, 2009 03:29 PM

 

Mike

Is there a VA web site that contains the information on Agent Orange illnesses?  I know several people who did not attend Baker but fall into one of the groups listed and I would like to put them onto this.  Thanks

Ron Felts '63

 

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Saturday, August 29, 2009 04:53 AM

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/Herbicide/

Ron this is a good place to start. After I found out that my cancer was associated with exposure to AO, started looking on the net, and found this site.

Michael Basiliere 69

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Saturday, August 29, 2009 10:22 AM

 

Mike

      Thanks for the web site.  I will pass this along and I know my friends will appreciate it.

Ron

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Saturday, August 29, 2009 10:26 AM

You are quite welcome Ron, the more people who are on the Agent Orange registry the better care we will recieve.

Michael Basiliere 69

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, September 8, 2009 09:50 PM

My dad was a supply officer in VietNam.  He died at the age of 63 (in 1981) of Lung Cancer--I'm sure it was related to Agent Orange.  We tried to convince the army at that time that it was related and they said there was no proof.  I wish they  could have helped him then.

 
Edited 09/08/09 09:51 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Friday, October 30, 2009 08:15 AM

That tears it! How dare Starbucks! Personally, as an Army brat, I cannot ever step inside a Starbucks again or buy anything related to Starbucks after hearing what they said to the Marines! Were it not for the service of American military personnel, the owners of Starbucks would not be in business and would probably be speaking German or Japanese! Arrrrgggghhhhh! Feeling like starting some kind of sixties sit-in or picket line . . . Freedom of speech is no excuse for downright rudeness.  

My parents were stationed in Wurzburg, Germany (near Frankfurt) for 4 years and in Kyoto, Japan where my sister and I were born.

 

Regards to All You Baker Bums - You looked like you had tons of fun!

 

Kelly Carney Villoch

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Friday, October 30, 2009 08:23 AM

I grew up in Wurzburg! Loved it! Fell in love with all things German from the bread to Wurzburger Hoffbrau! Gummy bears in the late 50's were so good. And sour sticks. Snow skiing, hay rides, ice skating, sledding, with five siblings, we had a blast at the AYA on post for the Army Brats.

 

Great place to see the world . . . with the might of the American military behind ya!

 

Regards to all our service men and women,

 

Kelly Carney Villoch

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Saturday, October 31, 2009 08:51 AM

 I've gone my whole life and have never met anyone else born in Wurzburg until now, where I've just read about two others (Pete Mailman & Kelly Villoch) right here on the Baker Lions website! I spent my 1st five years of life in Germany as I was myself an Army brat; spent much time in another town I see mentioned here by Robert Earl Stith, Aschaffenburg.  As a matter of fact relatives of mine still own a restaurant/small hotel in that town named Hotel Zum Goldenen Ochsen(wonder what the odds are that someone would remember that after 20 years) Have returned to Germany almost once every five years since 1980; our last visit was in May of last year (2008). Peter Mailman mentioned that things have changed; I think that the majority of the changes are in larger Cities, the small towns have changed some, but not on the same scale. I expect also that when Germany absorbed East Germany this initially was quite a shock to the generally excellent economy, and this also contributed to some changes.  There are signs of recovery now, as it seemed to us, though this has of course been slowed by the present economic crisis that most of the world is enduring. Nonetheless, we had a great time there spending much time in the small town of Kahl, just inside Bavaria, on its border with Hessen (the hometown of my mother). Kahl is not at all far from Aschaffenburg and also Hanau, which is the location of another previous US Army base. We also visited Seligenstadt, Marburg, and Frankfurt. Someone said the dollar doesn't go as far as it once did in Europe, we certainly agree to that, though the beer and wine are still well worth the price!

M Taylor

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Saturday, January 9, 2010 02:21 AM

 Mike---I got drafted too....I beat You--my draft number was 5...........When I got recalled in 1975 I promptly went to the ROTC detachment at The University of Texas and signed contract. That summer I went to ROTC summer camp....After having gone through Infantry Basic,AIT, Airborne and Ranger as a draftee it was a breeze...I was released from active duty at Oakland Army depot in 1974 after numerous extensions in Asia...I was comissioned an Infantry  Officer in 1976 and did another 30 years or so in the Army....I was medically retired as an Infantry Col. in 2003 and am 100% disabled due to my service connected injuries. Thanks to all of our fathers who served in the U.S Army (and Grandfathers too) and all of the vets in the country, and esp. at Baker.....Our Killed in Action list is probably the highest total of the Vietnam War....Charlie Carmichael '70...Jan 9 2010

Charlie Carmichael--COL, Infantry, USA RETIRED100% DISABLED VET RETIRED Class of 1970 cell 512-569-3199

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Sunday, January 10, 2010 01:52 PM

CHARLES.....although I was not Infantry (i was medical and then a 00R, Recruiter/Retention NCO) my Daddy was an old crusty 11B Sergeant Major so I know what you Infantry guys went through....thank you for your dedicated service my friend...

Rodney Wolfinger '69

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 12:17 AM

 Rodney---I too am an Army Brat...I never knew anything else....As they say, "I was a Soldier..I am a Soldier...I will always be a SOLDIER...."  Baker even had a couple of  Medal of Honor men.....mainly fro the classes of 64-68...  One thing that can't be denied....Uncle Sam and the Columbus Draft Board sure made their quotas and money on good old Baker High School...The Columbus draft board must have LOVED Baker!!!!  Drop me a line anytime....Charlie

Charlie Carmichael--COL, Infantry, USA RETIRED100% DISABLED VET RETIRED Class of 1970 cell 512-569-3199

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, February 2, 2010 03:26 PM

All these remembrances resonate with me. I spent four years of elementary school at Pirmasens American School.  I completed 7th and 8th grades at Faith School at Ft. Benning.  Mr. Toole was principal (moved on to Kendrick High) and burly Max Spurlin was a PE teacher. By the time my Dad retired in 1967, I had already spent 15 years in the Army.  My dad, full of surprises, took me to work one day at HQ Co., 197th Inf. Bde., when the late Col. Jake Riley commanded. He got me to strip old wax off a hallway floor using steel wool. Yep, the old man was full of surprises. After retirement, Ft. Benning remained at the center of our worlds. My Mom worked at the O-Club. My Dad had a job for a couple of years at a motor pool until the job was eliminated. He worked no more after that. Denise eventually went to work at the O-Club, too. My sister Ella worked at the Foreign Exchange Officers office and met her first husband there.  I worked a summer as a K-P at the O-Club between my freshman and sophomore years at Columbus College. I cleaned more grungy pots and pans than I could count that summer.  None of that can compare to the one and only time I did K-P while in basic at Ft. Jackson, SC.  That was about 15 hours of hard work.  Some old Spec. 7 took a shine to me and had me cleaning out a walk-in refridgerator for him. Every third word out of his mouth was a cuss word.  He was the William Shakespeare of cussing.  I limped away from that messhall at the end of that day. Then 31 great months in Germany. Among the best times of my life. I wanted to stay longer, but they wanted my signature on a three year enlistment. With that, it was time to come back to Columbus College to finish my degree. I was a C student at the time I was drafted, I worked hard and had a 3.25 GPA when I graduated. I know it would have been higher if I had worked harder my first two years, but I was just too immature at that time.

Mike Dansereau

 
Edited 02/02/10 04:32 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, February 2, 2010 04:06 PM

Born in Germany stayed there first 3 years then a year at Camp Drum N.Y and a year at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland .K-4th. in Schweinfurt Germany.6-7th.South Columbus elem.Then 7-part of 8th.Fulda Germany.last 1/2 of 8th at Eddy .9th at Baker.1/2 10th.Rock Island Ill.Then last half of 10 till Graduation at Baker.The only part that was tough was there was only one person that I had know for a long time Tony Sumrall.Every time we moved back to Columbus We would always find each other.WHAT A NUT!!!!We use to Hit all the ponds at Ft. Benning and fish,hunt and camp out every chance we got.Fish and camp along the river.Summers always spent at Kary Pool ,Russ pool at Main Post,or the Sand Hill pool.My dad was weapons and weapons maintenance,but if you went to work with him you emptied sh-t cans and swept the floor.I don"t think there was ever any doubt in my mind that I would do my own time in the military.It was just a matter of what branch and how long.Why the Navy I will never know,got sea sick everytime we went out.The how long was answered when I met Denise,I never claimed to be too bright but I knew I was not going to let her get away.And I saw too much of what happens to a lot of married people when the ships pull out and the spouse is left behind.So I did my 6 and got out.Still stay in touch with a friend I met in Boot Camp.Also still stay in touch with a guy that was on same ship as me my last 1 1/2 years.It truely is a differant sort of life.And I guess thats what makes us who we are today.

Pete Mailman '74

 
Edited 02/02/10 04:07 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, February 2, 2010 04:28 PM

You meet friends for life in the military. I talked with a buddy of mine, Francisco "Cisco"  Brionez, for a bit last night. Just catching up. Francisco was born in Mexico, raised in California. He's an adult probation officer in Virginia. Like me, he's pretty much fed up working in state bureaucracies.  We always talk about someone, or some event from back in the day. He's kept me on an even keel over the years and I'd like to think I've done the same for him. He's done Spanish voice overs for commercials. He's also done extra work in a couple of movies, even getting some screen time. In "Clear and Present Danger" Cisco is standing behind and just to the right of Harrison Ford (on the left from our viewpoint) at the Arlington  funeral for the Admiral (James Earl Jones).  In that Jodie Foster movie about aliens trying to contact us, he is one of several people on a panel interviewing Jodie Foster's character.  He doesn't speak, but has this shit eating grin on his face the entire segment. Before Christmas, I reconnected with a guy from Minnesota, Ralph Norrgard, good Norwegian boy. who I had not been in touch with for years. We've started emailing each other. Ralph teaches and coaches hockey.  When I called him in December, I thought I was talking to the character played by William H. Macy, "Mr. Anderson", in the movie "Fargo."  Says ja for yes and has that Norwegian influenced inflection in his speech. I don't remember Ralph talking like that in Ansbach, Germany.

Mike Dansereau

 
Edited 02/02/10 04:30 PM
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Wednesday, February 3, 2010 11:39 AM

i'm like you guys...i get the same great feeling staying in touch with my ol' Army buddies just like i do with my ol' classmates...just happened to get a call yesterday from one...Robert Vargas called me from his "retirement" home in Florida...Vargas and I just always seemed to wind up assigned to the same area...we did AIT together, then our first assignment together, then we went to nursing school together, then Kansas together and then we were both in Germany together....i just couldnt get rid of the guy....lol....what was funny bout Vargas was, he was Porto Rican, but born and raised in Buffalo NY...guy aint never been to Porto Rico in his life....lol....can say like maybe 3 words in PortoRican, but hispanic people always gravitated toward him....sorta like when i was in Germany and if any local German saw me in uniform and looked at my nametag they all started in talking to me in German....lol.....they found out real quick the only thing i knew how to say in German was my last name and ein bier bitte....lol

Rodney Wolfinger '69

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Wednesday, February 3, 2010 11:52 PM

Just checking in with you gravel pounders!  Good to read all of the stories. I'll post my experiences soon.  Hey Mike D., my old man retired as a MSGT in '67 too.  Like  you, I too was a 15 year veteran of the Army by that time.  I think that for all of us having been military brats, it just made our understanding and experiences in the military much more tolerable and in some cases enjoyable (except for that damn bugle at 4:45 am!)  Check in with you guys later.......Mike B. hope you are feeling a bit better today buddy!  Thanks for posting all that info on AO.

Douglas "Woody" Hayes
'70

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Wednesday, February 24, 2010 11:22 PM

Loved the P. I. that was home away from home on West PAC. Would spend half the cruise there as a working port. Money went along way with cheap beer, food, nic-nacs and some other things I don't care to mention right now. Joined the Navy in 1986 at the ripe old age of 27. Was married and had a kid already. Laid off from the oil fields in Texas and had to do something to make a living. Went to San Deigo for boot camp and got assigned to the USS JUNEAU (LPD 10) out of 32nd Street. 6 days after checking aboard we left for West PAC. Never had been out to sea on a large ship up till then. First three days out to sea we were in the biggest damn storm I had ever seen. 27' seas made for quite the ride. I was just a E-3 they had me in the berthing cleaning. I was begging to do something in the hangar bay so I could get some fresh air but, nothing doing. The fresh air made me feel better. I remember cleaning shitters in the head puking in one cleaning it then moving to the next and doing it all over again. Nothing like puking so much you can taste feet. Once I got past that rough seas were more like a carnival ride. At least thats how I looked at it. It was the best way to take my mind off the pitching. Rolling never bothered me that much it was the getting heavy then the bottom falling out from under you that always seemed to be my undoing. I walked on bulkheads in that storm. That would be walls to you ground pounders.

 

Kenneth M. Kawalek USN Retired

 
RE: VETERANS SHARING EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
Posted Tuesday, December 14, 2010 03:39 PM

 

YouTube - A Different Christmas Poem

Merry Christmas to all Veterans Past & Present!

M Taylor

 
 
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