I came to ft Knox 73_74 my last year my mom asked if I would wear my uniform home for my grandpa I told her you don't do that anymore. Eventually did. Times have changed did not tell my family I was even in service till my son's were in Jr high when I joined legion for baseball program for kids. Seems such a long time ago I am glad for these young men now I still don't go to veterans parade and any recognition only at some shows In Branson best town for vets. Thanks for listening.
Came back just after Tet 68. I was career Army so knew what to expect. My circle was the military so we just ignored it. Was told I would have orders to go back within 18 months. Just short of that I had my orders - to Italy! Never went back, although I had two tours in Korea and four in Europe. I think at the time I came back the Vets were treated better overseas than in the states.
CWO, USA (Ret)
CWO, USA (Ret)
My dad and another solder left AIT and went to Giebelstadt Air Base in in Germany from 67-70. Battery C, 6th Battalion (HAWK), 52nd Air Defense Artillery and worked with radar and HAWK missiles. The never saw Vietnam. We he returned, he experienced the same as most have described here. Within a week of being back, he was spit on twice, once by a woman, once by a man. The man was admitted to the hospital afterwards. Made several attempts to get into various pharmacy schools to no avail despite having the grades and test scores, then started building and bricking custom homes and did so till he passed away.
arrived Danang on August 13, 1965 after spending more than a month at sea. rotated out February 10, 1968. beat down my oldest friend for bad mouthing the troops. flat out the country betrayed us, and then threw us away and wished we would disappear. we learned to get by. the VFW, American Legion, wouldn't have us. make no mistake, we didn't lose the fight on the field, the country gave up. about 3.5 million troops actually served in country, some 13 million now claim to have done so. 55,000 plus killed for nothing, 100's of thousands of vietnamese killed for nothing.
today the "welcome home", "thank you for your service" is too little too late. where were they when i was paid the princely sum of $79 a month plus $75 combat pay? Ronald Reagan made me proud to be an American again.
old friend of mine, JoeT was killed by the VA. they kept messing with his BP meds until they finally got it down to 0/0. JoeT was awarded a Silver Star, he was 18 when he earned the award. he spent almost 50 years drunk, and deeply depressed over the things he had done. He was tormented by the killing.
and i wonder why you are trolling this question. and before i'm named liar and senile
today the "welcome home", "thank you for your service" is too little too late. where were they when i was paid the princely sum of $79 a month plus $75 combat pay? Ronald Reagan made me proud to be an American again.
old friend of mine, JoeT was killed by the VA. they kept messing with his BP meds until they finally got it down to 0/0. JoeT was awarded a Silver Star, he was 18 when he earned the award. he spent almost 50 years drunk, and deeply depressed over the things he had done. He was tormented by the killing.
and i wonder why you are trolling this question. and before i'm named liar and senile
Not trolling at all. I was thinking the other day about how returning vets were treated so shabbily when they first arrived Stateside, and I wondered if the same treatment continued in the conservative state that Oklahoma tends to be. So far we have a range of responses from "uneventful" to "very negative college dean / potential employer."
Nothing to do with provable facts and actual documentation. Just personal experiences.
Nothing to do with provable facts and actual documentation. Just personal experiences.
Lasher, no one is trolling you or anyone else with this post. There are quite a few members on this site that do carry a special interest in those who served as well as the service weapons and gear that they were issued. You and other Vietnam veterans were done a grave disservice during your time, but there are still people who have the utmost respect for your service and are interested in learning what they can from you.
On a separate but related note, could you be so kind as to tell me if you recall the specific helmet that you wore when you landed at Da Nang? Through research I see that quite a few a few Marines were issued solid OD green helmet covers like the ones shown in the photos below. Just wanted to see if that was the case with you or anyone in your unit. I am also interested to hear what other type of covers were primarily being used at this time...Mitchell pattern or USMC "frogskin" pattern covers?
Thanks in advance.
On a separate but related note, could you be so kind as to tell me if you recall the specific helmet that you wore when you landed at Da Nang? Through research I see that quite a few a few Marines were issued solid OD green helmet covers like the ones shown in the photos below. Just wanted to see if that was the case with you or anyone in your unit. I am also interested to hear what other type of covers were primarily being used at this time...Mitchell pattern or USMC "frogskin" pattern covers?
Thanks in advance.
I came back from RVN Sept 71 landing at San Francisco. I spent a few hours at the SF International Airport in uniform waiting on my flight back to Oklahoma. The only people who bothered me were those damn Hare Krishnas. I spent 1968 to 1970 based in Northern California and never had any problems. I even got caught up in traffic during a big anti-war protest in San Francisco and no one bothered me. I did harass a female anti-war protestor for letting her goat wear her husbands Chief Petty Officer blouse.
I do like this t-shirt.
I do like this t-shirt.
Lasher, no one is trolling you or anyone else with this post. There are quite a few members on this site that do carry a special interest in those who served as well as the service weapons and gear that they were issued. You and other Vietnam veterans were done a grave disservice during your time, but there are still people who have the utmost respect for your service and are interested in learning what they can from you.
On a separate but related note, could you be so kind as to tell me if you recall the specific helmet that you wore when you landed at Da Nang? Through research I see that quite a few a few Marines were issued solid OD green helmet covers like the ones shown in the photos below. Just wanted to see if that was the case with you or anyone in your unit. I am also interested to hear what other type of covers were primarily being used at this time...Mitchell pattern or USMC "frogskin" pattern covers?
Thanks in advance.
we were the 2nd batch of Marines to be in country, the Walking Dead were the first, there was an Airwing in between us. i was issued a camo covered helmet, and i never saw an olive drab covered helmet in all my time in country. i'm sure there must have been some, i just never saw any personally. we were issued 782 gear in Danang, 3/5 was on the ship with us but debarked in Okinawa to go train in the northern territory before coming south to RVN. we were still 3rd Marine Division at that time, about a year or so later the Division became the 1st Marine Division.
I have the utmost respect for our vets who served in Vietnam. Having only been around for the post-9/11 veterans, it's hard for me to comprehend an atmosphere where dislike for the war translated into hatred of the veterans who served their country.
I don't think i've ever met someone who would call our troops 'baby killer' or **** like that. I think Mad Dog Mattis said it best;
“When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she’s dating a pussy.”
I don't think i've ever met someone who would call our troops 'baby killer' or **** like that. I think Mad Dog Mattis said it best;
“When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she’s dating a pussy.”
Thanks a ton Lasher...I sincerely appreciate the info.
One last question, do you happen to recall which particular style of camo helmet cover that most Marines were being issued during that time (photos below...#1 Mitchell pattern, #2 USMC 3rd pattern, #3 USMC mosquito net cover)? Based on photos it looks like the USMC was using four different covers at this time (including the solid OD cover) and I'm not sure which one was the most issued. I have always assumed that the Mitchell covers weren't widely used yet as there had only been one production run of Mitchell covers for the USMC (in 1959) up to that point. All the other Mitchell cover production contracts prior to 1965 were Army if I remember correctly.
Thanks again for your input.
#1. Mitchell pattern
#2. USMC 3rd pattern
#3. USMC mosquito net cover
One last question, do you happen to recall which particular style of camo helmet cover that most Marines were being issued during that time (photos below...#1 Mitchell pattern, #2 USMC 3rd pattern, #3 USMC mosquito net cover)? Based on photos it looks like the USMC was using four different covers at this time (including the solid OD cover) and I'm not sure which one was the most issued. I have always assumed that the Mitchell covers weren't widely used yet as there had only been one production run of Mitchell covers for the USMC (in 1959) up to that point. All the other Mitchell cover production contracts prior to 1965 were Army if I remember correctly.
Thanks again for your input.
#1. Mitchell pattern
#2. USMC 3rd pattern
#3. USMC mosquito net cover
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