**Veterans Day/Remembrance Day AW Sign-In**

Thank you all for your brave service!!

I'll just do Dad in detail, although I have cousins and family friends and friends that I'd appreciate y'all include in your thanks.

US Army Ordnance Corps
Nuclear Weapons Maintenance Officer 1723
Captain
1960's.

These guys couldn't go overseas during Vietnam, but you can thank them for the good results in the Cuban Missile Crisis, as well as many, many classified things.

Adding my thanks to all the veterans who have served, and died.

Here's the song I listen to every year at this time. Always makes me tear up.

Sgt., USMC 1965 - 1969
Vietnam 66' - 67', (Chu Lai, Ky Ha, Marble Mountain, Dong Ha, Khe Sanh)
Helicopter Door Gunner

My dad was in the Navy and served on a cruiser in WWII.

Brother was in the Army in the mid 50s'.

Thanks to all who have and are serving, and a prayer for those who've made the ultimate sacrifice, and for their families, and special thoughts and prayers for those who have family members going in harms way.

U.S. Army, 1968-1971. Service at Ft. Polk, LA, Ft. Knox, KY, Vietnam, and Ft. Eustis, VA.

caw

Could'a guessed Blac was a ground pounder. Who else could get that lost going from Kentucky to Virginia?

I know there are a substantial number more Veterans here in the 'Cooler, including at least one other DINFOS trained killer besides Jason and I. Some haven't seen the thread, some have and won't chime in. Nothing wrong with that.

Service is a personal thing that each of us reflect in our own ways.

One other note, while I'm rambling: For every service member there are a number of family members. Their sacrifice is more than worthy of thanks, as well.

My thanks to each of you.

My father is a Vietnam veteran - he did 2 tours (one with the 11th Armored Cav. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the other unit.) My cousin was in the Navy. Two other cousins are Marines, one of whom recently returned (thank God) from Afghanistan.

Thank you to everyone who served - whether during wartime or peacetime.

I remember.

I just wanted to say that I heard Obama's speech today at Fort Hood over Public Radio. And it wasn't just his speech, it was others' too, but the whole ceremony was really beautiful but quite wrenching. I can't imagine a dry eye at that ceremony. I'm really torn these days about the nature of our military conflicts, but I've never been ambivalent about those that have served this nation honorably. These are our shining lights, and that's why I don't want them wasted. Enough is enough. . . . .

Noah Body said:

US Army
1984-1994
Pilot (152F, 152C)
Chief Warrant Officer 3
Operation BLAST FURNACE
Operation PRIME CHANCE
Operation JUST CAUSE
Operations DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM
Operations PROVIDE COMFORT I, II
Operation RESTORE HOPE
Operation GOTHIC SERPENT
Two additional contingency operations

Click to expand...

Hey Chief, I think I know you from WOPA!

CW3 Kate Thornton

My family bleeds camouflage:

Maternal grandfather - Captain, USN, Retired (WWII, Vietnam, Korea)
Paternal grandfather - Army (WWII)
Paternal grandmother - Army (WWII)
Father - Army (2 yrs, in Germany during Vietnam); Navy (retired as commander)
Uncle - Marines, Retired as Lt Colonel
Aunt - Army
Brother - Marines (Bosnia)
Cousin - Marines (Somalia)
Another Cousin - Army (Iraq, suffering serious PTSD)
Brother-in-law - Navy

And of course, can't forget my husband...December will mark 10 years in the Navy. Currently a Second Class Petty Officer, fingers crossed for a promotion to First Class in the next few months. 2 deployments on Carriers (one of which was in the Gulf after 9/11 and launched counterstrikes into Afghanistan, was also targeted by Al Quaeda during one of their port visits) and one on an Amphib vessel in the Med. Second deployment was supposed to be a three week training exercise, but two weeks into it, he e-mailed me to say "Uh...don't be alarmed, but the sun is setting off the wrong end of the ship right now". 3 weeks turned into 8 months, we didn't know when he'd be home until a week before they headed back. And this all started a month after we got married. LOL

He spent his first 9 years as an Aviation Electronics Tech, but cross-rated last year to Master At Arms, and we transferred to Okinawa, where we will be for two more years.

Thanks to all the veterans out there who served or are serving.

Williebee said:

Could'a guessed Blac was a ground pounder. Who else could get that lost going from Kentucky to Virginia?

Click to expand...

It was a bit of a detour, but I don't claim to be a ground-pounder. I was a military field broadcast reporter. I killed people with interviews.

caw

blacbird said:

I killed people with interviews.

Click to expand...

There's a Sarah Palin joke here somewhere.

Thanks to all the veterans and their families!

United States Marine Corps
Cpl
Construction Drafter & Trained Killer
My father was Force Recon.

Happy Veteran's Day to all who served and...

HAPPY 234TH TO THE USMC! Semper Fi!

And in memory of SA Michael Weston (Major Michael Weston, USMC):

http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2009/11/weston-memorial-service-draws-1000.html

http://www.law.com/jsp/law/international/LawArticleIntl.jsp?id=1202435291179&pos=ataglance

http://www.firstworldwar.com/poetsandprose/binyon.htm<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

My brother's shadowbox:



He served in Korea and did three tours of VietNam. Retired Major in the Green Beret.

My ancestors served in every American war all the way back to the beginning, and their ancestors fought in every war in Scotland, Ireland, and England. If I had to wager, I'd bet there has been one of my bloodline involved in every war and conflict and 'police action' all the way back to prehistoric times. I guess we either love the land or love the fight - maybe both.

But I thank each of them and each of you who have either served or supported someone who has, for as someone higher up in the posts said, the families of those who serve serve as well.

To all who have served, all who do serve, and the families who have supported them, words, which we all profess to know how to use better than most, cannot be written to express how much you mean to me, my family, and to this world. God Bless all of you. You are true heroes.

US Air Force
2001-2005
Communications
Senior Airman
On duty during 9/11, served during War on Terror (which, contrary to what those who are in power now say, is still going on... look at Ft. Hood)
Stationed at Lajes Field (Azores), and Ramstein Air Base (Germany)

My favorite quote regarding veterans and those in the military, from A Few Good Men:

"Why do you like them so much?"

"Because they stand on a wall, and say 'Nothing's going to hurt you tonight; not on my watch.'"

I have a soft-spot for soldiers. Probably because i grew up in a family of soldiers (grandfather, father, uncles, brother, cousins) and spent a good deal of my childhood with my dad at the VFW.

My gratitude and thanks along with prayers to all who have served.
Thank you.

My dad was Air Force for three years. One uncle was an officer in the Navy, another was in the Army (I don't know how long) and the other was my Uncle Chard, who passed away this year due to pancreatic cancer. He was a Marine. My father in law was in the Marines, a Staff Sgt. My brother was in the Army, airborne. Now he's in the Guard, and has been to Iraq. My husband was in the Marines and the Navy. I was in the Navy for six years myself, intel.

My thanks to all who served and continue to do so.

All I can say is Thank You.

U.S. Army 1966-1969.

SP5, a rank they don't even have anymore.

Light weapons infantry, then administration, then psychological test specialist

here you go, Puppy. (haggis requests this once a year about this time).

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41006

Just want to join in with everyone else to thank all of our veterans for serving. My dad was a Seabee who did two tours in Vietnam. His family was not a family, so the service was the first place he was ever welcomed, accepted, fed, and clothed. His recruitment officer helped him survive (literally) the months before he was old enough to enlist, and the service is where he learned math and to appreciate reading. So to him, it was not just service, it was family. He passed the values he learned there to me, and in a sense I feel like every member of our armed forces is a part of my large extended family. You will always be welcome in my home, always be appreciated, always be respected, and always prayed for.

Here's to my family...

Father, Edward Katz, Army WWII
Uncle, Franklin Tucker, Navy WWII (was on an ammo ship that was torpedoed)
Uncle, Robert Tucker, Navy WWII (lied about his age and enlisted as an apprentice seaman with no pay)
Cousin, David Tucker, Army, Vietnam

And my husband's family...
Father, Frank Radcliffe, paratooper, WWII (yes, he parachuted into France)
Uncle, David Radcliffe, MIA Korea
Uncle, Roderick Radcliffe, Annapolis grad, career Navy (WWII, Korea, Vietnam...)
Grandfather, Clarence Burrage, Army Corps of Engineers, WWI (forest restoration France)
Sister, Constance Daly, Army reserve
Niece, Hope Brill, just retired from Navy
Nephew, Chris Daly, just finished training, on first assignment with special rescue unit, Air Force