Happy Veteran's Day..

[FirefightnRick]

God bless you and your families for the sacrifices you made for us all.

Rick

[GreenMachine]

USAF 1991-1994

Stationed Lakenheath England

Who else on here served?

[Green Dozer]

Amen! Without you veterans, we would not have the opportunity to have voted last Tuesday. We would not be able to debate whether the winners in any of the races are the right choices. We also would not have a board like to this to post our opinions no matter how insane they may seem God Bless You and Thank You from the bottom of my heart for your sacrifices.

[letsgiveacheer]

Thank you for remembering!

Jim Schaeffer aka letsgiveacheer, USAF, Retired 1975-95 (proudly commissioned from Det 835, NTSU!)

Seymour Johnson AFB Goldsboro, NC

Balikesir, Turkey

NORAD HQ Colorado Springs

Keesler AFB, Biloxi

Cairo, Egypt

RAF Alconbury, UK

Kelly AFB, San Antonio

Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

Warner Robins AFB, GA

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Zagreb, Croatia

Naples, Italy

[bflan]

Just to add to that, I'd also like to thank the families of those who serve, or have served our country. It is often forgotten the sacrifices that wives, sons, daughters and all else related to those in the armed forces endure when their loved ones are in the military. It is amazing....

[Dodge2007]

God bless some of my friends who recently enlisted. College wasn't for them and now they serve the country with pride and dignity.

[eulessismore]

Thanks! I was among the last of the drafted: I only spent a year and a half in the Army, 1973-1975, because they were reducing the size of the force as infantry involvement in Vietnam was being turned over to the South Vietnamese. I never served in combat or overseas, but my hat is certainly off to those who did! I was at:

Basic Training: Fort Ord, Ca.

Advanced Infantry Training: Fort Polk, La.

Basic Airborne Training: Fort Benning, Ga.

Stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., with the 82nd Airborne Division

Temporary duty with Army Special Services (I was a stage and lighting technician with the 3rd Army Soldier Show), Fort McPherson, Ga.

My heart really goes out to my fellow paratroopers when I hear about all the sacrifices that they are making in the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dwayne Taylor, B.A. class of 1977, Geography (thanks U.S. taxpayers, for those V.A. benefits), M.S., 1984, Regional Science (thanks, Texas Taxpayers for your paying tuition of Texas Veterans who have exhausted their V.A. benefits).

American veterans and those in service, have a great Veterans day and many more!

[Mean Green 93-98]

Ditto all the above sentiments. Although I know I too often take them for granted, I am very much indebted to our veterans for the contributions and sacrifices you have made. May the Lord bless every one of you.

[ParksAndRecRick]

I second that Rick. God Bless each of our veterans!

[NTEdgex2]

Thank you all for remembering veteran's families as well. My Dad spent 22 years in the USAF and I am proud to be an "Air Force Brat." He was a loadmaster and would be gone for months at a time on TDY during my childhood. My Mom is truly remarkable. She took care of our family and kept it running while my Dad was gone years before anyone had ever heard of "women's lib." I certainly would not be the person I am today if I hadn't been a military "brat." God bless those who have served before and those who are serving now.

GMG!

[VideoEagle]

Words cannot express the profound gratitude Americans feel to our Veterans. We owe you everything.

And if not for the Greatest Generation, we'd be forced to watch Soccer!

[MeanGreen61]

USN - Radioman 2nd - Korea, the forgotten war.

[Green Crazy]

Absolutely, thank you to all of our Veterans!

[TheTastyGreek]

Words cannot express the profound gratitude Americans feel to our Veterans. We owe you everything.

And if not for the Greatest Generation, we'd be forced to watch Soccer!

THAT'S what we ought to be teaching kids to make them really appreciate Veterans Day.

[SilverEagle]

A huge thank-you to all of the veterans and their families for all of the sacrafices that they have made.

[Got5onIt]

Thank You, Vets!!

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

Thanks to all those who have served our country, past and present!

[UNTLifer]

My hats off to all of the veterans that have ever served our country. You all deserve more than one day of recognition.

[MeanGreenDadx2]

Served in the Army and Army National Guard 1972 - 1978.

[meangreen-mba]

U.S. Navy. AT-2, served during the Gulf War VFA-82, aboard USS America

Started UNT after my hitch in 1993. 7 yrs of night school (G.I. Bill) to get my BA in 2000, 2 yrs now of Grad School (Hazelwood Act) for my MBA...May 2009

Thanks to the military for paying for my education.......all of my education

[DeepGreen]

Being a veteran myself, I want to thank those who served before me, WWI, WWII, Korea, and those that served after me, especially the men and women serving in Irag and Afghanistan.

I just returned from my first ever trip to Washington, DC, specifically to visit the Viet Nam memorial and Arlington National Cemetary. What an emotional ride. Arlington brought tears to my eyes, especially when they played Taps at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Sunday. I have a special place in my heart for the WWII Vets for what they did to preserve our country. Very somber day for me.

Yesterday my wife and I paid a visit to the Viet Nam Memorial and attended the Veterans Day program there. It lasted almost three hours, and again, it was very emotional seeing 3-4000 'Nam veterans and families in attendance. At the conclusion, Amazing Grace was played on the bagpipes, and then Taps.

So, thanks to all Vets, both men and women, who served during wars and conflicts, and to the peacetime vets. May God bless you all.

DeepGreen

1st Field Force, Viet Nam

2nd/17th and 5th/27th Field Artillery

May 1970 - July 1971

Edited November 13, 2008 by DeepGreen

[GREEN COUG]

USAF 1991-1994

Stationed Lakenheath England

Who else on here served?

USAF 2006-current

Fairchild AFB, currently in Kuwait

[MeanGreen61]

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who , under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy.

Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either.

He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you thenomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.

He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.

If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.

He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.

He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.

He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.

He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.

He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking.

In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.

Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great- grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.

He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.

Please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our ground troops in Afghanistan , sailors on ships, and airmen in the air, and for those in Iraq .

Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Coastguardsman, Marine, or Airman, prayer is the very best one.

Edited November 13, 2008 by MeanGreen61

[UNTLifer]

Being a veteran myself, I want to thank those who served before me, WWI, WWII, Korea, and those that served after me, especially the men and women serving in Irag and Afghanistan.

I just returned from my first ever trip to Washington, DC, specifically to visit the Viet Nam memorial and Arlington National Cemetary. What an emotional ride. Arlington brought tears to my eyes, especially when they played Taps at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Sunday. I have a special place in my heart for the WWII Vets for what they did to preserve our country. Very somber day for me.

Yesterday my wife and I paid a visit to the Viet Nam Memorial and attended the Veterans Day program there. It lasted almost three hours, and again, it was very emotional seeing 3-4000 'Nam veterans and families in attendance. At the conclusion, Amazing Grace was played on the bagpipes, and then Taps.

So, thanks to all Vets, both men and women, who served during wars and conflicts, and to the peacetime vets. May God bless you all.

DeepGreen

1st Field Force, Viet Nam

2nd/17th and 5th/27th Field Artillery

May 1970 - July 1971

Arlington Cemetary and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the most awesome experiences ever. I never served, but after visiting this cemetary, seeing the changing of the guard and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and all of those white crosses in perfect rows, I felt like I should have served my country.

I visited Arlington Cementary with my wife in January of 2000. We arrived as they opened the gates first thing in the morning and were the only two people in the cemetary for the first few hours. We watched the soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the changing of the guard with three other people. Just an awesome and humbling experience.