# Military Vets



## HANGEYE (May 15, 2016)

If you had it to do over, would you pick a different branch? If you were asked to go back in today, would you go without any hesitation? 
I was at Fleet Farm today and I was asked these same questions. 
My reply was, I would not change one single thing. I am very proud that I was fortunate enough to serve my country, why would I want to change anything? 
The conversation got a little heated after my reply, and I will not post anymore about it here.
Just wondering, would you do it the same way again or change some aspect of your service if you could?

FYI ... USMC 69-73 and awful proud of it.


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## overboard (May 15, 2016)

First of all: a salute to you and all other vets on here. 

I would do exactly the same, I had it good!
Although never in combat, I don't think anyone on here would have wanted to see the weapons platforms we serviced put into use. I don't believe the average person can even begin to comprehend how much death and destruction just one of these subs can inflict, and the Russians have them also! They are just one part of MAD--MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION! 
One of ours, a fleet ballistic missile nuclear sub armed with nuclear weapons!


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## KMixson (May 15, 2016)

First of all "Thank you for your service". Second, I don't understand how the conversation can become heated if you were happy to have served and wouldn't change a single thing. You served, you made it out, you are happy with your service, end of story. They can't fault you for that.


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## Johnny (May 15, 2016)

21 years with the US Navy. (1966-1987)
one Destroyer Escort for 4 years
3 sub tenders
some shore duty stations here and there
2 side tours with the Navy Sea Bees Construction Battalions
side tour to US Customs
side tour with the National Security Agency
side tour with (another government group).

I would not change anything except to swap those
3 submarine tender ships with Naval Destroyers.

LOL Overboard - that photo of the Trident in the Hot-Straight-and Normal mode
stuck a funny memory with me.
After retirement in '87, I worked with Lockheed-Martin for 7 years at Kings Bay, GA
and we built the Trident II-D5 Missiles.

Here is a photo of one of the first test missiles that I worked on.
I was later removed from the assembly plant to the paint shop LOL LOL.



and that photo is not photo-shopped. it is the real deal. I have the original
newspaper clipping from the Florida Times-Union 3/29/89 if anyone wants to see it.


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## Scott85 (May 15, 2016)

Active duty Navy here, 12 years in so far. I wouldn't change a thing. I love my job.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## overboard (May 15, 2016)

Johnny: That is not good! LOL!
The pic. I posted is of a Polaris missile, old school by now.
What tenders were you on, I was on the USS Simon Lake (AS-33) from 1967-1969, stationed in Holy loch Scotland, my buddy was on the USS Canopus during the same time in Rota Spain.


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## Johnny (May 15, 2016)

Over-
AS-11 HW Gilmore in Sardinia, Italy, early 70s
AS-36 LY Spear in Norfolk, mid 70s
AS-33 Simon Lake in Holy Loch in '69 (TAD for a bit).
Note: it was documented that in January, 1969, the Simon Lake
only got 3 hours of direct sunlight for the entire MONTH. (cold, rainy, bleak).
AS-33 Simon Lake in Kings Bay, GA 80-'85
Finished up my colorful military career in Bermuda for 2 years LOL.

:USA1: *THANK YOU to all men and women that have served at home and abroad !!!*


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## overboard (May 15, 2016)

HUMMM, interesting! May have crossed paths with you in 1969.
No need to tell me about the weather over there, we were out in it constantly as boat coxswains. Seemed like a month of spring, a month of summer, a month of fall, and the rest was winter, we never wore whites! 
Best one was the heat wave, 10 yr. high of 85 deg., and people were passing out in the streets of Glasgow from the heat, that was either 1968 or 1969.


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## bcritch (May 16, 2016)

If I had it to do over I would differently do it much differently.

I join as an Enlisted E1 as an Aviation Electrons Technician in the Navy.

What I would have done differently:
Worked my butt of in High School and graduated in the top 5% of my class.
Applied to attend the US Naval Academy where I could have completed a college education.
Entered in the the Navy as an Officer
Do my 20 years and retired
That would have set me up for a better future after the Navy


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## JMichael (May 16, 2016)

Thank you all for your service. I spent my enlistment (1976-1980) as a US Navy AT / Rescue Swimmer. The way I see it, 6 people continued to walk this earth for a while longer than they otherwise might have, and hopefully enjoyed the rest of their lives, due in part to my efforts to rescue them from drowning. I'll never regret that, nor would I want to change it. Last year I got in touch with one of the pilots I rescued for the first time since the night he ended up in the ocean. We correspond via email and Facebook now. I got to see a good deal of this planet that I would have never seen otherwise and don't regret one minute of my enlistment.


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## bcritch (May 16, 2016)

JMichael said:


> Thank you all for your service. I spent my enlistment (1976-1980) as a US Navy AT / Rescue Swimmer. The way I see it, 6 people continued to walk this earth for a while longer than they otherwise might have, and hopefully enjoyed the rest of their lives, due in part to my efforts to rescue them from drowning. I'll never regret that, nor would I want to change it. Last year I got in touch with one of the pilots I rescued for the first time since the night he ended up in the ocean. We correspond via email and Facebook now. I got to see a good deal of this planet that I would have never seen otherwise and don't regret one minute of my enlistment.



Awesome job!


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## Stubborn Dutchman (May 17, 2016)

overboard said:


> First of all: a salute to you and all other vets on here.
> 
> I would do exactly the same, I had it good!
> Although never in combat, I don't think anyone on here would have wanted to see the weapons platforms we serviced put into use. I don't believe the average person can even begin to comprehend how much death and destruction just one of these subs can inflict, and the Russians have them also! They are just one part of MAD--MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION!
> One of ours, a fleet ballistic missile nuclear sub armed with nuclear weapons!




Thanks for starting this thread and thanks to all that served. I served on the SSBN 618 - Thomas Jefferson out of Holy Lock Scotland for two patrols, starting in '66. What an awesome experience, serving with a great crew even though being submerged for two months straight! I'm glad we never had to launch any missiles, but the launch drills always got your attention since we didn't know they were drills until the all clear was sounded!

Johnny, I had to chuckle about your weather comment. Sunlight was always a cause for celebration while in port. I stood a lot of top side watch ready to man the fire hose when the natives tried to board in protest of having all those nukes in their back yard.


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## Johnny (May 17, 2016)

somewhere in the years, somebody had some coffee cups
made that changed color when when filled with a hot liquid.

it was a photo of a SSBN returning to port with the open ocean
in the background..... an orange glow simulating the sunset on
the back horizon . . . . all 24 hatch covers open.....

then, when the hot liquid was poured into the cup, the caption read - - - 
long day at sea, 24 empty tubes, now comes Miller Time.
and some mushroom clouds appeared on the back horizon.
real conversational piece for the sub fleet guys. 

Came from the Trident 2 program, I think.
I had a couple but lost them in some of my moves.


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## bobberboy (May 17, 2016)

I was drafted in 1970 and decided to go into the AF; served 1970-74. It's hard as a 65 year-old to look back and think of whether I might have done it differently. I know that since I was a kid I thought the AF and flying would be cool, but the truth is I never intended to enlist. Having been drafted into the Army at that time was a sure ticket to VietNam so I guess my hand was forced a bit - I'm not a hero.

That being said, my time in the service allowed me to grow up. I was drifting in college with no direction and dropped out. I went back after the service a different and more focused person. Without the VA I might not have been able to afford college and getting my degrees completely changed the direction of my life. 

For the record, the closest I got to flying was watching from the flightline. My unit flew the SR-71 Blackbird out of CA and Okinawa.


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## JMichael (May 17, 2016)

bobberboy said:


> For the record, the closest I got to flying was watching from the flightline. My unit flew the SR-71 Blackbird out of CA and Okinawa.


Even though you didn't get to actually fly, being involved with those aircraft at that time had to be an awesome experience. Once, while my ship was in dry dock, we took our helo up to the Naval Air Developement Center for flight ops and training. They did all sorts of experimental stuff there and I loved seeing some of that stuff. Seeing an SR-71 for the first time at an air show left a lasting impression on me. 

BTW, do you remember your lottery number for the draft? I turned 18 in 1970 and figured I'd be drafted as soon as I got out of high school. My birthday was drawn #4 on the year I was 17, but on the year it counted (when I turned 18) my birthday was #356. Since I didn't get drafted, I joined a few years later. :lol:


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## hankthecrank (May 17, 2016)

4 hrs 6 months and a few days onboard the USS TRUCKEE, ao-147. 5yrs active and 1 yr reserve. Turned 18 in 1974, draft just went on the lottery, my number was 32. I joined the navy. I would not change a thing.


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## overboard (May 17, 2016)

bobberboy said:


> My unit flew the SR-71 Blackbird out of CA and Okinawa.
> 
> Now that is cool, that plane is awesome!


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## bobberboy (May 17, 2016)

JMichael said:


> bobberboy said:
> 
> 
> > For the record, the closest I got to flying was watching from the flightline. My unit flew the SR-71 Blackbird out of CA and Okinawa.
> ...



183 I'll never forget it.


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## gillhunter (May 20, 2016)

Navy, 1971-75. Served on the Little Rock, CLG-4 and the Springfield, CLG-7. Wouldn't trade a day. EN2 when I got out.


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## gunz (May 20, 2016)

1992-1996 USMC Mechanic/cryogenic technician.
1997-2016 USCG Mostly aviation A&P) but did some time on the boats in the early days.


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## JMichael (May 21, 2016)

gillhunter said:


> Navy, 1971-75. Served on the Little Rock, CLG-4 and the Springfield, CLG-7. Wouldn't trade a day. EN2 when I got out.


Judging by the stars on it, I'm guessing that's an admirals VIP helo, but is it a Seasprite?


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## gillhunter (May 21, 2016)

JMichael said:


> gillhunter said:
> 
> 
> > Navy, 1971-75. Served on the Little Rock, CLG-4 and the Springfield, CLG-7. Wouldn't trade a day. EN2 when I got out.
> ...



Yes it was an admiral's and it was a Seasprite. We were on flagship duty. I was part of the ships crew and the only thing we did with the helo was manage it's fuel. The rest of my time was spent in A division.


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## gpavlick (May 21, 2016)

_I would not change anything, I am proud to have served.69-71US Army 44TH MEDICAL BRIGADE PLEIKU, US ARMY HOSPITAL SAIGON._


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## FishingCop (May 29, 2016)

Joined the army shortly after I turned 17. After training spent 9 months on Staten Island, N.Y. Then almost a year in Germany. Volunteered for Vietnam. 12 months there Feb 1968 - Feb 1969, Discharged 3 months early coming back from Vietnam. Got out 3 weeks before my 20th birthday. Wouldn't change a thing


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## FormerParatrooper (Jun 1, 2016)

Would I do it again? YES! Would I have changed anything? No. It was those things I did that made me who I am today. I served from 1983 to 2004 in the US Army. I was a radio/wire communications specialist, a mortar man and a Fire Direction Computer for MLRS. I leapt from high performance military aircraft while in flight, I humped many miles in jungles and deserts, and I saw the best and worst of humanity and often within moments of each other. I served in Panama from 1987 to 1990, saw that place change in those 3 years, Desert Shield and Storm, Desert Spring and Iraqi Freedom. The Army even saw fit to assign me a Recruiter for three long years. I made many good friends, lost a few, and am very proud of the accomplishments of those I mentored and who still serve today. I am proud of those who serve in all branches today and always try to express my gratitude when I see them as I travel in my new career.


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