When people boast about being in the military...

[p_p_man]

Why do they all seemed to have served in the Marines or the Special Services or some other high profile, front line unit.

Was nobody a clerk?

Did non-one serve as a cook?

Speak up if you were. Be proud!

You too serve your country...

 

[KillerMuffin]

I was a Green Beret in the Mossad. Really.

I was a desk jockey in the Navy. I had ear phones and tongue twisters. I was support. I'm damned proud of it, too.

 

[nasty]

Oh my. BAD joke. P.P., you're weird. But, that's ok. I'm still waitng on the spice Girls.

 

[horny_giraffe]

Well, I was in the Marines in the early 90's--but I worked in the air wing. It's quite laid back compared to the infantry. I worked in avionics and actually did paperwork my last year. Apparently, the USMC feels that once you get promoted that you must do administration and leave the fun technician work to the lower pay grades. I couldn't imagine 20 years shuffling paperwork. Aaarggh.

 

[Desert Amazon]

 

[p_p_man]

Hey, I also had Embassy duty--does that count?

More than anything...

The Marines doing Embassy duty in Colombo, Sri Lanka taught me how to play pool.

Great guys, great game.

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

Why do they all seemed to have served in the Marines or the Special Services or some other high profile, front line unit.

Was nobody a clerk?

I wasn't a clerk I was a Machinery Tech (MK classification); someone who fixed anything and everything mechanical (including steam, hydraulics, and refrigeration), and sometimes even electrical stuff (but not electronics such as radios and RADAR).

But I did serve on a Motor Life Boat and I was involved in quite a number of SAR missions, and a few drug interdiction missions, so I had SAR and Law Enforcement training and experience.

I never saw combat but I did have some friends and colleagues killed in the performance of their duty, and I did see some interesting things (such as the results of a 500+ foot frieghter running over a boat and a boat house).

It is interesting to note the number of people you run into, mostly on the net, who claim to have been a SEAL, Special Forces, Ranger, Green Beret, or some other high glory/high risk job, etc., (and after the movie "Sniper" came out, claim to have been a Sniper), who have heroic and sometimes sad tales. Certainly there are many more people who claim to have been these very special and brave people than there actually ever were.

Sometimes they also claim to suffer exposure to Agent Orange, they were a POW, they have PTSD, etc. - just to throw in something to get add sympathy to the hero mix.

There are people on the 'net who specialize in outing these people (if they are widely broadcasting their BS and spreading lies) just out of respect for those that truly were heros. It doesn't take too much; with a real life first and last name, and claimed time of service, and a little perseverance, you can find out whether these people actually served when they did, what units they served in, and basically what they did.

Any person who claims to have been something like a SEAL can be found out too; those people who out these guys have a very big hard on for exposing such frauds, and they have detailed rosters on who was a SEAL, etc.

If someone claims that what they did was so secret that they won't show up on the records, then you should instantly disbelieve them; there are very few of those people, and they certainly don't go around telling people who they are or what they did.

A clue; most Vets, especially those that were in combat, and most especially those in special units/forces, do not go around broadcasting what they did. Unless you ask them they usually won't tell you, and with some of them you practically have to interrogate them to get them to admit to much.

 

[Desert Amazon]

 

[horny_giraffe]

Re: Re: When people boast about being in the military...

... A clue; most Vets, especially those that were in combat, and most especially those in special units/forces, do not go around broadcasting what they did. Unless you ask them they usually won't tell you, and with some of them you practically have to interrogate them to get them to admit to much.

I was occasionally in contact with people who had transferred from special forces when I was in the service, and I agree that they are usually pretty reticent.

 

[Azwed]

My dad is like that. He does not like to talk about Vietnam and never says anything about combat.

I mean I know he was in Vietnam and I know he was supposed to be a Chopper pilot but ended up in Mechanized Infantry. That is all I know. I think he might have served two tours of duty but I am not sure abou that.

 

[p_p_man]

Really? Hmmm, the Marines in the US Embassy in the Netherlands taught me...

So their secret's out!

They're overseas to protect the Embassy and spend all their time teaching people how to play pool!

 

[Cheyenne]

I had a relative, dead now, who served under Patton in WWII earning a purple heart. He was wounded leading fellow soldiers out through a minefield, as I recall. I only heard that story once, from my dad. And then it was because the purple heart was present at the relative's funeral, as I recall, and I asked about it. The relative never, ever spoke about the war when he was alive. Those years of his life just ceased to exist outside of his head.

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

Re: Re: Re: When people boast about being in the military...

I was occasionally in contact with people who had transferred from special forces when I was in the service, and I agree that they are usually pretty reticent.

Not just SF, but almost anybody who has been in combat. I went to college with a guy who walked with a cane and a limp, it was only after a year of knowing him, and after talking to him for hours that he told me why he walked the way he did; he took a bullet from a Soviet 12.5mm AA gun when his chopper passed over an enemy gun placement in Vietnam, and it took a good portion of his leg muscle away.

 

[freakygirl]

STG... I am with a man who was in the Special Forces.. fought over in the Gulf War... I wasn't with him during this time of his life. I met him well after he was out of the service.

To this day, i have NO idea what he did. He isn't much of a talker when it comes to this.

I've read his DD214.. but it's all greek to me..

The VA says he has PTSD.. and I know he has some other problems (headaches, lung problems and nasal problems). But the military has yet to say if these problems are from the war or not.

We met a guy the other night at another friends house. He was going on and on about being in the Army, being in the Special Forces.. my husband didn't "brag" about himself.. but this man went on for hours about it. After we left my husband laughed and told me the guy couldn't have been in the Special Forces, let alone fight in the Gulf War, because he didn't know what the hell he was talking about. I asked why he didn't bring up the fact that he knew he was lying. He said it didn't matter. He said he didn't want to relive that time of his life, living the war once was enough. Why talk about it now.

I have yet to figure out, what good it does to lie about it?

I didn't serve in the military.. never wanted to. But I am proud of the ones that did... whether they were a garbage man.. a Captain.. a Sargeant... or whatever..

 

[p_p_man]

I have yet to figure out, what good it does to lie about it?

The liars think it gives them a status in society.

They're fools. Usually they can be spotted even by people who were never in the military, but always by those who were.

In the end, instead of gaining status they gain derision...

 

[Azwed]

Years ago I dated a girl who's father was an ex-SEAL. I can only remember him mentioning it one time ever and that was only in passing for some reason I forget. He had the SEAL Budwiser or whatever you call it tatoo on his arm as well but he never spoke about anything.

He was also in a wheel chair and paralyzed from the waist down. This was from a supposed "motorcycle accident."

 

[WriterDom]

I was a weatherman on an aircraft carrier. It was a lot of fun, but you tend to remember the good times and forget the bad.

 

[Ragingbull]

Hey, I'm real proud to have served my country. Army. Ground pounder. Pay was shit, but I grew a lot. Near the top of things I am proud of doing!

 

[Mensa]

Did non-one serve as a cook?



You too serve your country...

p.p.man made a funny!

I was C.Pro.C. (that's Canadian Provost Corps to you uninitiated)

Really enjoyed it, I must confess.

Seems some people (who shall remain nameless, to hide their shame) still don't know what that is. The C. Pro. C. is the Military Police.

 

[Guest]

My dad was in WWII stationed in England and somewhere in North Africa. All he ever really talked about was some of the funnier skull and crossbones stories about being strafed ?sp and bombed a few times.

To hear him tell it all he ever did was drive officers around and trade stuff in between getting drunk and goofing off. Someday i might see if i can get my hands on his service record and find out what he really did. Either he wasn't telling the whole truth or he traded for a good double handfull fo medals and ribbons.

I think he was assigned to the 101st airborne but i'm not sure.

 

[fgarvb1]

My dad was in WWII stationed in England and somewhere in North Africa. All he ever really talked about was some of the funnier skull and crossbones stories about being strafed ?sp and bombed a few times.

To hear him tell it all he ever did was drive officers around and trade stuff in between getting drunk and goofing off. Someday i might see if i can get my hands on his service record and find out what he really did. Either he wasn't telling the whole truth or he traded for a good double handfull of medals and ribbons.

I think he was assigned to the 101st airborne but i'm not sure.

 

[Comshaw]

posted by fgarvb1

My dad was in WWII stationed in England and somewhere in North Africa. All he ever really talked about was some of the funnier skull and crossbones stories about being strafed ?sp and bombed a few times.

To hear him tell it all he ever did was drive officers around and trade stuff in between getting drunk and goofing off. Someday i might see if i can get my hands on his service record and find out what he really did. Either he wasn't
telling the whole truth or he traded for a good double handfull of medals and ribbons.

I think he was assigned to the 101st airborne but i'm not sure.

That's what a war is; days of total, unrelieved boredom punctuated by seconds of sheer terror.

I was an armament/fire control/smallarms mechanic.
Artillery, tanks, smallarms and all the associated sights and range finders to make them hit what they were aimed at, I could and did fix them all. Just a plain mechanic. Well maybe not plain.(here comes the ego) I was the best (according to the U.S. Army MOS test) the Army had at that time. Got a letter to prove it, sandwiched between the one that proves I'm sane and the one that says I'm once again a civilian.

Comshaw

 

[April]

Can't forget the dependents, now. Yeah, we're the ones who get stuck at home, trying to deal with the dead oven, the boring housework and the job that just won't quit. Tired, stressed out, sick, we're still here, trying to keep it together. Don't have much choice in the matter. We go where you go, like it or not. Nobody asked us if this is something we can do, we just do it.

*shutting up now*

 

[Mensa]

Can't forget the dependents, now. Yeah, we're the ones who get stuck at home, trying to deal with the dead oven, the boring housework and the job that just won't quit. Tired, stressed out, sick, we're still here, trying to keep it together. Don't have much choice in the matter. We go where you go, like it or not. Nobody asked us if this is something we can do, we just do it.

*shutting up now*

Do I hear violins?

 

[Mensa]

Would I have passde?

Got a letter to prove it, one that proves I'm sane
Comshaw

You had to prove you were sane?!?! What a luxury! We never bothered with such frivolities. The fact you volunteered was proof enough to answer that question.