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

My father served in Vietnam, 1968 - 69. NZ Army, Whisky 2. Of the 26 NZ soldiers that were killed during Vietnam, 8 were Whisky 2 Batallion.

The boyfriend is in the NZ army - currently deployed in Antarctica, but it's looking like he'll be deployed to Afgahnistan next year. He's been deployed to East Timor in the past.

My grandfather served during, to quote, "that spot of bother back in the late 30s."

I didn't know him when he was alive, cause he died before I was old enough to remember him (he lived through the war, died during the peace) but my dad always said that he almost never called it World War II.

Some of my old high school band friends are serving right now, and I think they're all safe.

... entertaining list upstream. (40 things to do to get a sense of what life of a soldier is like.) // Pats on the back for all AW vets. Always dreamt of being a soldier, myself, thanks to movies like To Hell and Back, about and staring Audie Murphy!

My dh's dad served proudly in the army. We still have some things that he "liberated" from German castles. There was a story behind each one.

Got word just the other day that dh's nephew is returning home from his 2nd tour in Iraq. His wife and 3 kids are excited!

My 6 year old daughter had some questions last night about soldiers. As she drifted away to sleep, she mumbled a prayer that God would "teach them all karate to help them be safe."

My paternal grandparents met in Germany while both were serving. She turned him down for the longest time because she was an officer, he was enlisted. Then he got his commission and they could date.

My maternal grandparents met at a USO dance in California before my grandfather went to war in the Pacific.

So, we can all blame WWII for me being alive.

Thank you all again.

WayneK, that's just plain beautiful.

Today is Veterans Day. If you woke up this morning safe and free, take a moment and thank a veteran.

I did.

My Paternal Grandfather served as a Radar Operator in the RAF during WW2
My late Father-in-Law was a Navigator on a Lancaster Bomber during the same war.
There are so many stories from so many brave men and women through the years. I've read many, listened to many and written one or two.

My thanks and gratitude to all Veterans, for all that you have done in the service of your Country.

This is from ITN news, a little snippet of Remembrance Day services in the UK. I love how everything comes to a halt at 11.00. I wish they'd do it here.

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/139678

firedrake said:

This is from ITN news, a little snippet of Remembrance Day services in the UK. I love how everything comes to a halt at 11.00. I wish they'd do it here.

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/139678

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I didn't realise you didn't. We listened to Big Ben strike 11am and started our two-minute silence, completely unprompted. Then my boss picked up his phone and started shouting at someone. It's almost socially unacceptable to not observe it here.

U.S. Army, from private to full colonel. Enlisted reservist 1954-1956. Active duty, commissioned, 1956-1984. All of it in the Infantry, five years of it as a paratrooper. Hot spots of service: Dominican Republic (revolution); Vietnam. Oh yeah, and the Pentagon. Retired.

If I could do it all over again, I would.

Honor our fallen...

US Army 1984-99

98C4HT9AP

(or for you civilian types) Signals Intelligence Analyst (98C), Sergeant First Class (4), Instructor qualified (H), Cryptanalyst (T9), Arabic-Syrian linguist (AP)

Also Czech linguist and Air Assault qualified.

Stationed at Ft. Bliss, Ft. Campbell, Goodfellow AFB, and Ft. Meade

Desert Shield/Storm (King Faud International Airfield, An Nasaryia - Saudi; As Salman AF, Iraq)

Reminds me of Kevin Bacon's film, "Taking Chance"...based on a true story.
http://www.hbo.com/films/takingchance/

Today is the day when I look at the fingers on both of my hands. They substitute for a (thankfully) short but powerful list of guys who I sat with in cockpits. They are not here now...the're somewhere else. These are guys who willingly stood in the gap for you and me and every other American who stood up in grade school and said the pledge of allegience. For better or worse, I can't pick on em anymore, can't send them an email or call em on the phone and trash talk the universe with them. Today, and Again, I promise not to forget - ever!

jst5150 said:

On Nov. 11, we honor the work of military veterans across the globe, US and allied, who've served their countries from Anzio to Tokyo. Fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters who've served, fought, were wounded or died in service to a greater cause.

So, as we think of each veteran's sacrifice from leaving families behind to deploy overseas for 15 months at a time to dying in the service of a nation, please take time to thank a veteran on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) -- British, Canadian, German, Dutch, Japanese, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Australian, French, American or otherwise. Military service, especially during times of war is a singular experience that many will tell you is multifaceted, challenging and endures for a lifetime.

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Day Late, Dollar Short, that's me. I spent yesterday doing other things.

Anyway, here are the particulars:
US Navy
1 December 1981 - 1 March 2002 (Retired)
1110 (Surface Warfare Officer)
Lieutenant Commander (O4)
Relatively quiet for the first half of the career, then, in quick succession:
Operation Desert Storm (the run-up to Gulf War I)
Operation Desert Shield (went back to the Gulf after the shooting stopped)
Operation Restore Hope (Somalia, between UNOSOM I and UNOSOM II. I left before Black Hawk down)
Operation Allied Force/Noble Anvil (Kosovo. I was actually stationed in a NATO billet in Naples, IT, and was assigned to the Joint Operations Center which oversaw the operation. I was the Duty Ops when 1) The Chinese Embassy was hit, 2) the civilian convoy was hit, and 3) the three soldiers got confused and walked over the border and got captured. I tried to use these facts to get out of the duty, since bad things happened when I was on watch. Didn't work)
And last, I was assigned to the Pentagon on 9/11. I wasn't there -- I was in the satellite offices in Crystal City -- but I heard and felt the impact, and saw the column of smoke start, and I was 1.5 miles away.

Location -- Well, the Navy moves around a lot. I've been to every continent except Antarctica at some point on orders.

I'm sorry I'm so late with this; I did want to post on the "right" day but then I couldn't find the photo and then my PC had problems. And the thread is still stickied, so.....

I loathe war, but I have the greatest respect and admiration for those who fight them. Here's my anecdote: my grandparents had eight sons, no daughters. All of them volunteered to fight for Britain in WWII, even though in Guyana we were not in any immediate danger, and the war was so far away.
I remember the wall in my grandparents house, covered with photos of all eight sons in uniform. Here is one of those photos:


The one on the left is David, my dad. He did not experience any active combat; he did radio work in the UK. He and my Uncle Rory, next to him, became political acivists in Guyana; Rory was actually quite famous and people always ask if I am related to him. Dennis, second from right, fought in Italy and is supposed to have gone through horrendous things which changed him forever; we always regarded him as the mad uncle, though he was really nothing more than highly eccentric.
The one far right is Donald, who was killed when the battleship he was on was bombed by the Japanese off the coast of Singapore. He was always a legend in our family. And here's the anecdote:
My garndparents were having dinner one day when one of the photos fell from the wall and the glass broke. Right away Granny said: Donald is dead. The photo was of Donald, and indeed, he was killed on that day.
The only one still alive is Rory.
Just thought I'd introduce them to AW via this thread!

What a wonderful photograph. My thanks, to them, and to you.

A touching tribute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HuW1nQtPsk

Served two tours in Iraq for the Army. 2004-2005 and 2008-2009.
I infinitely prefer Italy as a vacation spot.

US Air Force
2002 - Present
Avionics Mechanic
Technical Sergeant

Canadian Forces, Navy
1977-2000
Communications Technician
Master Seaman

A few tribute videos.

Terry Kelly A Pittance of Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kX_3y3u5Uo&feature=related

A Soldier's Cry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8gRx8tWJmI&feature=related

Francesca Beghe Names on a Wall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bynVL4XezXg

Australia's Heroes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTdjVrdiQKM&feature=related