Today is Veteran's Day

On November 11 at the 11th hour, The Great War ended, later to be called World War I.

I still think of today as Armistice Day; no disrespect to veterans.

Dan

OK, Vets, let's check in here:

John Chidester
Enlisted 2/66
Basic - Fort Knox KY
US Army Missile & Munitions School - Huntsville Alabama
21K20 Test Station Repairman, Pershing Ballistic Missile
579th Ord Co, Pforzheim Germany, later Neu Ulm, Germany
Service completed 12/68 Spec 5

Bert Guerin

Enlisted Jan 1958
Basic - US Naval Training Center - Great Lakes, Illinois
Steelworker School - Port Hueneme, California - Seabees
1958-60 Public Works Duty - Pipe and Metal Shop US Naval Air Facility - Naples, Italy
1960-62 Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 - Little Creek, Virginia.
Finished in 1962 as Steelworker Fabricator 2nd class.

Bob Pierce

Enlisted Sep 1975
Basic - Lackland AFB, TX
Weather Specialist School - Chanute AFB, Rantoul, IL
1976-80, Weather Observer - Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
1980-82, Airman Education and Commission Program - Graduate School of Business, University of Arizona
1982, Officer Training School - Lackland AFB, TX
1982-85, Systems Security Officer, Air Force Computer Security Program Office, Gunter AFS, AL
1985-86, Security Engineer, National Security Agency, Ft George G. Meade, MD
1986-92, Chief, Acquisition Security, Air Force Cryptologic Security Center, Directorate of Securities (Computer Security), Kelly AFB, TX
1992-95, Chief, Computer Security Division, HQ Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, CO
1995-97, National Security Agency, Ft George G. Meade, MD
Retired 31 Mar 97, Major, worn out

Rich Felter

Enlisted U.S. Navy May 16,1962
Basic Training at Great Lakes NTC, IL
Electronics Class "A" School Great Lakes, IL
May 1963-Nov 1966 NAS Jacksonville, FL(6 month Viet Nam extension)
U.S. Navy Enlistment ended as ETN2

Enlisted U.S. Coast Guard as ETN2 on April 27,1967
April 1967-Sep 1967 USCG Base Mayport, FL
Sep 1967-Oct 1968 USCGC Androscoggin, Miami Beach, FL(Deployed to Viet Nam)
Oct 1968-Apr 1969 USCG Base Miami Beach, FL
Apr 1969-Jan 1970 USCG 7th District Office, Miami, FL
Jan 1970-May 1973 USCGC Ingham, Porstmouth, VA
May 1973-Jan 1976 USCG Base Ponce De Leon Inlet, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Jan 1976-Jan 1977 USCG Loran "A" Station, Yakatat, AK
Jan 1977-Oct 1978 USCG Oceanographic Unit, Washington, DC
Oct 1978-June 1985 USCG Headquarters, Washington, DC
June 1, 1985 Retired as CWO3(ELC)

Thank you.

Bill Booth

Enlisted June 1957
Basic - US Naval Training Center - Bainbridge, Maryland
Fire Control Tech. School - Bainbridge, Maryland
1958-61 Served aboard the U.S.S. Samuel N. Moore DD747. Little Beaver Squad. out of Long Beach, California.
Bill B

Must agree with Sandy Thank you. When I am at the airport and see men and women in uniform I get the urge to go over and say thank you. I don't because I feel silly.

Fran,

You'll never know how good both you and our servicemen and women will feel if you don't just do it!! I'm speaking from experience 'cause I used to think the same way until I got beyond my own insecurities.

Sandy

Nothing to report for me but I.O. spent some time in the Navy. And there is my son Bill I can report on.

For those who don't know, Bill was fortunate enough to have been selected to attend West Point. Following graduation he spent the next 5 years in the Infantry as payback for his education. He was stationed at Ft. Drum right here in NY. He spent a short time in a couple of those countries that used to be a part of the USSR. He did a stint in Bosnia. He finished up at Ft. Polk in Georgia and attained the rank of Captain.

Following two years of grad school he landed a job in the DIA. He had just changed to a new job in that organization, was packing for a week's training at Ft. Benning when he opened his mail and found that he was being recalled.

He's to report this coming Monday to Ft. Benning and later to Ft. Jackson in NC and is to be trained as a Civil Affairs Officer. Then in 4 to 5 months time he will be shipped to Iraq.

Thank you to all who have and are serving.

This is so cool to learn about all the CF members and their time in the service. I hope more of you tell us about your service experience; I know there are a lot of other Coast Guard people in the forums.

Enlisted in the Army-Aug 1969
Basic-Ft Polk,LA Nov 1969
Flight School-Mineral Wells,TX Dec 1969 (Vietnamization)
Clerk School-Sierra Vista,AZ Feb 1970
Computer School-Honolula,HI Mar 1970
President's Redeployment Team-Republic of Vietnam
Mar 1970
Discharged Mar 1971 - SPC 4

Today England celebrates what we call Rememberance Sunday or Poppy Day!

Find out all about that:
Remembrance Day in England

There was a time when the USA also used poppies as a remembrance - wasn't that when November 11 was still called Armistice Day? Of course, I wasn't around yet - I probably read about it. (All right, you skeptics, I was too little back then!) Anyway, some of you oldtimers must remember!

It's a lovely remembrance, Margret; I wish we still did it.

Scott Ford

Drafted into Army - Aug 1966
Basic - Fort Bliss, TX - Aug-Oct 1966
Radio School - Fort Huachuca, AZ - Oct-Dec 1966
Teletype School - Fort Gordon, GA- Dec 66-Mar 67
268th Aviation Battalion - Fort Hood, TX -
Formed Apr 1967
Radio Teletype Operator - HQ, 268th Aviation
Battalion - Tuy Hoa, Vietnam - May 67-May 68
Honorably Discharged - May 1968 - Rank: Sgt E-5

Scott

Congrats to all Vets on there day of honor!

My Dad - enlisted the day after Pearl Harbor, LTjg - Pilot PBY rescue WWII Pacific Theater

My Nephew - West Point, currently Captain stationed in Bagdad, Iraq

There are no veterans in my immediate family now. However, my paternal grandfather, who was a musician and a carpenter, served in WWI. He was in the "144 Inf. Band". I have to research this; he put that under his signature in a French postcard he sent my great-great grandmother. The front of the card is a picture of him in his uniform. His three sons were in three branches of the service during WWII: US Army (my father), US Navy Signal Corps (uncle who served on a destroyer in the Pacific) and US Marine Corps (the youngest son who died on Iowa Jima). Not too bad a record for our family.

DEC 1954 TO DEC 31 1980 U.S. NAVY
HMC/USN/RET DOC

Well,maybe I am the oldest person in these forums. No one replied to my request for info regarding the poppies. To my surprise, the VFW appears to still make them and sell them to help the veterans and their families. The program is called Buddy Poppy. I remember when I was a kid, I thought the little paper flowers were so pretty. I think we bought them to put them on the graves of our war dead. The tradition stems from the time when the poem "In Flanders Field" by Col. John McCrae of Canada was published. You can read this poignant poem at

www.sherylfranklin.com/holidays/veterans_day.html


and read about the Buddy Poppy program at

www.vfw.org/index.cm?a=comty.levelc&cid+127&tok=1

Grace I remember those paper poppies. Not from WWI of course, but I do remember some folks (vets?) giving them for some sort of donation.

BTW, your second link doesn't seem to work.

try this link:
http://www.vfw.org/resources/pdf/poppy.pdf?SITE=VFW

I think your link is better, Dave. Now, has anyone seen these sold in recent times - actually, they ask for a donation, I believe. I think they were distributed at street corners when I was a kid and I do believe it was for Armistice Day. Surely, Sue and I aren't the only ones who have seen them.

I remember them too. Haven't seen much of them lately. (Except on the Queen the other day in the live CNN broadcast of the ceremony in London.)

Of course, the number of WWII Vets is dwindling and I believe VFW membership is probably down overall too.

But let us never forget.

While Veterans Day has past, we welcome your post. Tell us about your Dad, your son or daughter, your uncle, aunt, or granddad or whomever in your family has served their country.

Bought one this summer on one of my trips north. I think it was on my May trip, which would have put me there on May 6th. Armed Forces Day is the 3rd Saturday in May, perhaps they were preparing for the day. According to the link I posted, there is no set date.

I agree, John, I hope this topic continues; I have really enjoyed reading about those members of the forums who have served.

Dave, I'm glad someone has seen the poppies recently. I thought it was such a nice reminder of our war dead and I'm sorry that they are not all over the place on special days like Armed Forces Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, etc.

My Dad at age 17 joined the Navy and served in the North Atlantic (1944-45) on a destroyer escort. He once told me, he had been to several foreign ports, but they were not allowed off the ship. He survived some stuka attacks and their ship attack some submarines. He did not talk about the war much and never put in for the medals he had earned (I guess he just thought he was doing his duty).

Later his buddy talked him into joining the Marine Reserve to make a little extra money, shortly after he joined the Koren War began. He once told me he fought the battle of 301. You see he did not get shipped over, he did his service her in the states at Camp LeJune (sp?) and when he got leave drove home to Virginia and there were a lot of car accidents on Highway 301 and felt lucky he was not in one of them.

He past away in 1985, much to soon.

One day I hope to be half the man he was.

Grace "Poppy Day" here is still actually the 11th of November - Armestice Day.
But of course the "big" celebrations can not be held on a weekday (this year it was a Friday) and so it is the Sunday after that the UK really remembers...
But there is a 2 minute silence nation wide on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 min past 11 o'clock
And in the weeks leading up to that day, everyone buys and wears a paper poppy. They are sold to raise funds for the "British Legion" wich is the organisaiton supporting our veterans and their families.

As you all know by now I served 23 years in the Navy and Coast Guard. What you don't know is my wife Amy comes from a military family and I mean military. I will break them down for you:

Father - US Army in Seabees, 23 years, Retired Master Sargeant after WWII ended.
Brother - US Navy in Aviation Electronics, 21 years, Retired Senior Chief in 1983.
Sister - Husband in US Navy Submarine Service, 22 years, Retired Chief in 1986.
Sister - Husband in US Coast Guard Boatswain Mate, 20 years, Retired Chief in 1988.
Brother - US Navy in Aviation Electronics, 22 years, Retired CWO4.
Brother - US Army in Administration, 5 years, 2 tours in Viet Nam, normal tour.

My Dad and Mom were married on November 27th, 1941, and they had just a few untroubled days before the big attack brought a new reality to everyone. Dad got his draft notice fairly soon afterwards, went into active duty in September 1942 and was assigned to Burma. There he stayed until December 1945.

We have to count our blessings and be amused at the same time. In spite of the fact that it was the war, with all the death and danger hovering over everything, the closest that Dad came to death was when a supply parachute failed to open and a crate of apple butter shattered and exploded on the rocks next to him, just inches away. We liked to razz Dad about our imaginary gathering at his grave, where we would see printed on his stone---in nonplussed pride---that he had been "Smuckered" in WWI. What kind of medal would he have gotten, or would it have been a state fair ribbon?

Danny

Danny, you finally made it! You dragged it out for a few days; I almost thought you were going to quit posting just because you didn't want to acquire Wacko status. Congratulations! Great story about your dad.

Rich and Eric, you've got a lot of history there. My father also missed going overseas during WWII. He was the eldest, had a family, was needed at home and supposedly was deferred a couple of times. By the time, he had to go, it was late in the war. One of his brothers served in the Pacific Theater during the entire time and, as I said earlier, his youngest brother was killed on Iowa Jima. He was a corporal in the Marines - died the day after his 19th birthday (he lied about his age and went early on).

For some reason, I was thinking of OSEABEE, one of our stalwart members who passed away on 9/28/2001. He was, of course, a member of the proud Seabees (Contruction Battalion).

Here\'s the thread where we learned of his passing

Keep those Vet stories coming.

Grace, you mentioned one of your relatives stating the wrong age. I know this happen more than once. Does any one have any idea how many lied about thier age to get into the service?

Especially back then, a whole lot of them signed up young - and too many of them did not come back.

My Grandfather on my dads side served in WWI, he was wounded and honorably discharged.
My uncles on my fathers side served in WWII in the army. One of my uncles was wounded.
My father who was 13 at the time of WWII joined the US Navy when old enough and served 26 years in the Submarine Service, although I think my mother who raised 9 children with my dad away half of the years should get the medal of honor.
My husband Larry, enlisted the summer of 1971 into the US Navy and served 6 years in the submarine service.
My brother in law also served in the submarine service.
My older brother served in the US Air Force.
And my nephew graduated from Virginia Military Academy although he has never served in the military.
Larry's Great Uncle served in WWII and paid the ultimate price for freedom. He was killed on the beaches at Normandy. He is buried in France.
God Bless All Who Serve in Our Military.

Larry and Kat Waterson

Amen to that. Great service history in your families, Kat and Larry. I agree that the moms and other women who kept things going at home deserve a lot of recognition - nine kids! Wow!

I had an uncle who was in the Army during WWII. He was in Germany and saw one of his buddies step on a mine. I have copies of some letters that he sent home to his mother (my grandmother). When my Dad died in 1996 and I moved here into his and my Mom's house I was sorting through all their stuff. In the back of the basement I found a small box that was mailed by my Uncle Homer to his mother. Inside was a smaller box that was a ration box and inside that was a Nazi flag that he'd taken and sent home.

I had another uncle who was in the Navy during WWII. He was one of 4 brothers who were all in the Armed Services at that time.

My Grandfather on my Dad's side was in the Austrian Army. No details but I have a photo of him in his uniform. He brought his family to the US in 1911 so it was sometime before that.

My other Grandfather was in the Spanish American War in Cuba. I found his name and service dates on the web. He was never quite right after he returned, spending much of his time at veteran's homes in Wisconsin, but did get "leave" to come home from time to time. I have photos of him taken outside the home and at family picnics when he was allowed to leave. He and one of his brothers are buried in the Veterans cemetery in Milwaukee. I have the flag from my Grandfather's casket.

Remember the famous photo taken at Times Square celebrating the end of WWII? People are celebrating and some folks are standing up on a statue? Well my sister-in-law's brother-in-law was one of the guys on the statue. I can't find an image of it right now. It's not "The Kiss" but another one. Anyway he just happened to be there at the time. Later he was a Marine in the Korean War.

I do remember the picture; I believe it was in Life magazine. Maybe you can find a link for Life. These are such great stories.

Unfortunately, there is no one around to ask anymore but I found a couple of small items among the few family articles which I have. One is a cigarette holder with a swastika and the initials HH on it, a medal with "Meuse-Argonne, Defensive Sector" on the front of the ribbon and a fighter angel on the medal. On the back under the title "The Great War For Civilization" are listed the countries which were involved. It had to have been my grandfather's. A Japanese bill of currency was probably sent back with my deceased uncle's effects, including his Marine Corps lighter which I also have.

I hope all of us will be able to pass down these stories to our families. It is so important that we don't forget.

... is this the picture you are talking about?
Sailor kissing girl in Times Square - by Alfred Eisenstaedt, V-J Day, 1945

For some reason, the link doesn't allow me to go in. If it just shows the sailor kissing the girl, it's not the one. There is another picture of a statue (can't remember which statue). There are several servicemen up on the base. Maybe we can find it through Google