Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[svk]

I met a MSG in the MD SF company a few years ago. Last name was Ziobron. He seemed like a real laid back guy, even made fun of me because I showed up to formation out of uniform. Found out a little later the guy served in Vietnam with MACV-SOG! Couldn't believe it. In high school I read a bunch of books about Force Recon and SF in Vietnam. Heard MACV-SOG mentioned numerous times and I actually met someone that served with them. It was pretty awesome. Also found out a lot of the other SF guys I saw all served in Iraq/Afghanistan and earned recognition for their actions in combat/bravery. Guys like that are really America's finest.

My former neighbor was a tunnel rat and combat engineer in Vietnam. He has seen some bad stuff. Only in the last few years has he been able to come about the problems he's had through his life due to going through all of that. A real class guy, he serves in his local honor guard as well as the Harley group that escorts deceased vets.

 

[svk]

WW2 vets have always received respect (rightfully so). Seems Korea vets were somewhat forgotten. And what the Vietnam vets went through upon returning home was asinine. I hope the old antiwar hippies who shamed these vets regret it now. VC were much more ruthless than even the Japanese to POW's.

 

[Ambull01]

WW2 vets have always received respect (rightfully so). Seems Korea vets were somewhat forgotten. And what the Vietnam vets went through upon returning home was asinine. I hope the old antiwar hippies who shamed these vets regret it now. VC were much more ruthless than even the Japanese to POW's.

Yep, makes me sick reading/hearing about how the Vietnam vets were treated. Saw "Band of Brothers" and all the guys would still become emotional thinking about what they went through. Must have been over 40 years ago for them but it still affected them. Such a great, long lasting price to pay for little appreciation.

 

[Erik B]

My best man was killed in Viet Nam. Named our youngest son after him. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him.

 

[Wayne68]

I personally think that anyone that doesn't give a war veteran the highest level of respect and appreciation possible should the get the hell out of the country that they put their asses and lives on the line to make safe for us

 

[svk]

I personally think that anyone that doesn't give a war veteran the highest level of respect and appreciation possible should the get the hell out of the country that they put their asses and lives on the line to make safe for us

The good thing is that most folks these days respect military. But now you have all of these black lives matter idiots hating on cops. I'll tell you what: ALL lives matter.

 

[hamish]

I personally think that anyone that doesn't give a war veteran the highest level of respect and appreciation possible should the get the hell out of the country that they put their asses and lives on the line to make safe for us

As a veteran, I actually have to disagree with your statement. Respect and appreciation should be awarded to any individual that so deems it. Membership in a specific club should not automatically grant it.

Aside from that,

Lets get scrounging firewood!~

 

[svk]

As a veteran, I actually have to disagree with your statement. Respect and appreciation should be awarded to any individual that so deems it. Membership in a specific club should not automatically grant it.

As a civilian I've got to disagree.

Anyone who joins the military puts their country above themselves. And aside for the 1/10th of 1 percent who go around demanding respect because of that, it should be given.

And I don't care if you are in the cook tent or the front lines, you've got my respect.

 

[hamish]

As a civilian I've got to disagree.

Anyone who joins the military puts their country above themselves. And aside for the 1/10th of 1 percent who go around demanding respect because of that, it should be given.

And I don't care if you are in the cook tent or the front lines, you've got my respect.

Its what its all about respecting each others opinions, go cut some wood eh!

 

[USMC615]

I met a MSG in the MD SF company a few years ago. Last name was Ziobron. He seemed like a real laid back guy, even made fun of me because I showed up to formation out of uniform. Found out a little later the guy served in Vietnam with MACV-SOG! Couldn't believe it. In high school I read a bunch of books about Force Recon and SF in Vietnam. Heard MACV-SOG mentioned numerous times and I actually met someone that served with them. It was pretty awesome. Also found out a lot of the other SF guys I saw all served in Iraq/Afghanistan and earned recognition for their actions in combat/bravery. Guys like that are really America's finest.

Great post and reply...

 

[USMC615]

As a civilian I've got to disagree.

Anyone who joins the military puts their country above themselves. And aside for the 1/10th of 1 percent who go around demanding respect because of that, it should be given.

And I don't care if you are in the cook tent or the front lines, you've got my respect.

Spot on...from a Marine combat veteran.

 

[USMC615]

My best man was killed in Viet Nam. Named our youngest son after him. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him.

Respect on its highest level for you to do such.

 

[MustangMike]

My Dad once told me that any vet that served in active combat deserved more medals than you could give them, but the ones that deserved the most were buried in foreign soil.

My good friend Harold did 3 tours in Nam. He rarely says anything about it, but once when we were up at the property he talked a little. All I will say is you would not sleep at night. And when he came home, the protesters spit on him.

My brother and I have known Harold and his brother since Boy Scouts, and we will always be good friends.

We should all be thankful for what the Vets have given us. I used to send Veteran's Day cards to my Dad, my FIL and Harold every year. Harold said I was the only person who ever sent him one. Unfortunately, they are getting hard to find in recent years.

 

[Wayne68]

MustangMike its neat that you grew up around so many heroes and its good to hear that there are still guys like you around that can treat them with the respect they deserve. We took a tour tour of the national marine museum in Virginia a couple years ago and there were a few vets hanging around there, even one from ww2 that survived the iwo jima landing. That place was amazing, my wife and I shook the hand of every vet we met and thanked them for their service.

 

[svk]

MustangMike its neat that you grew up around so many heroes and its good to hear that there are still guys like you around that can treat them with the respect they deserve. We took a tour tour of the national marine museum in Virginia a couple years ago and there were a few vets hanging around there, even one from ww2 that survived the iwo jima landing. That place was amazing, my wife and I shook the hand of every vet we met and thanked them for their service.

I've done several museum ship tours. Some heroes usually can be found there too.

We visited the CAF's B-17 this summer in upstate NY and they had an old crew member on hand recalling some of his experiences. Neat stuff. One of my great uncles was killed on his 49th B-17 mission (at that time a tour was 50 missions) so this was of extra interest to me.

 

[Wayne68]

I have a small room in my house full of most of my familys war time bring backs, medals and pictures. Everything there from ww1, to stuff my brother brought back from Afghanistan. The worst form of disrespect would be to forget what they did for all of us, and I think one of the best ways to repay their sacrifice is to keep teaching future generations about these heroes. Thats a shame about your great uncle SVK, but at least his courage is not forgotten

 

[Oldman47]

My 92 years old dad is still around but just barely at his age. He landed on D-day and was in a tank of the First Hussars at Le Mesnil Patry near Caen. He lost more of his associates that day than any day before or after that. His tank is in a park in London Ontario. If he is still alive this June he is to be awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government for his service.

He never talks about anything but the fun stuff with anyone. No battle stories whatever. I still don't think he is comfortable about what he went through or what he had to do to survive that battle.

 

[svk]

I have a small room in my house full of most of my familys war time bring backs, medals and pictures. Everything there from ww1, to stuff my brother brought back from Afghanistan. The worst form of disrespect would be to forget what they did for all of us, and I think one of the best ways to repay their sacrifice is to keep teaching future generations about these heroes. Thats a shame about your great uncle SVK, but at least his courage is not forgotten

That's got to be an awesome room!

Regarding medals I've got a story on that.My grandpa's cousin was in the tank corps in WW2. Had two tanks shot out by the highly superior German tanks. He survived both and was awarded a Purple Heart. He was also one of the very first troops into Berchtesgaden and had a leather engraving of Hitler from his command center. Unfortunately he used it for scrap leather to repair stuff around the house and farm...go figure.

My dad had the Purple Heart framed and it was on display at my grandparents house. Was supposed to be ours but I think my aunt stole it after my dad died. Oh well.

 

[svk]

It's too bad PTSD wasn't figured out sooner. Lots of the WW2 and Vietnam guys had it. My grandpa's cousin had it bad and ended up committing suicide in his late 50's.

 

[MustangMike]

My Dad was in the reserves when the war broke out. They reassigned them from Artillery to Tank Destroyers. The fist time the encountered a Tiger Tank (they had 13 tanks and the Tiger was looking the wrong way) their shells bounced off it like ping pong balls. The Tiger blew away 9 of the 13 tanks, and the rest ran. My Dad was one of only 2 in the original unit that returned, all the rest were replacements. He was in Battle of the hedge rows and battle of the bulge.

My FIL was a navigator on a B-24 and flew over 30 missions. He used to tell the story of the new guy who lied about his age (was only 17), got so scared when the flack started exploding that he peed his pants, and it froze and he was stuck to the seat.

Neither one talked much about it, and they are both gone now.

I know my Dad said when a German Jet flew over their heads it scarred the crap out of them, because they knew we had nothing like it. Luckily, we were able to bomb the factories when Hitler started to build them, or .....

It must have been very difficult being out there for years, not knowing if you would prevail. My Dad told my mother he never expected to come home, thought it was a matter of when, not if.