Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread. There are 10 boys in my family and 3 served in the Air Forca and 3 served with the Army. Grandson is in Afghanistan right now and served a tour in Iraq as a fuel and munitions truck driver. Yeah, the ones with a bulls eye painted on them. He came through fine and will be home for Christmas.

THANK YOU VETERANS.

Gene

Gene, pls tell your boys thx for their service and expecially to your grandson.. may God look over him and he returns safe..

Duane;

Don't think I made it clear that was my brothers and me and not my sons. I was raised in a family of 17 children. Also were 2 brother in laws who served, One died during ww11. I only have 1 son and thankfully he grew up in a world at peace.

I will certainly pass along the good wishes from all of you.

Gene

Joined the Army Guard in 1969 and retired from the Air Force in 2007. Thirty-eight years of service, man and boy. Would do it all over again if I could! :>)

USAF 1955-1959 March AFB, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Fairford
Heavy equip mech. 4 years in the '50's was enough. Flying since.
Bones

US Army, 82nd Airborne Division 4 years and 3 deployments with a stop-loss.

"Rangers lead the way!"

82nd, or Ranger? Which one, there isn't a Ranger Bat. in the 82nd is there?
Oh and stop loss sucks, just ain't fair no matter how you try to justify it.

You are correct, there is no Ranger Bat in the Eighty Duce. I got sick and tired of being the lowest ranking guy during my first deployment. So when I got back I went to Ranger school. I went from a PFC(E3) to SPC(E4) promotable. You can be Ranger qualified in the ARMY and no be in Ranger Bat. Just like Airborne qualified and not be in a Airborne unit. I got to know quite a few guys from other branches in Ranger School. Marines, Navy Seals, PJ's and even a couple National Guardsmen. I was infantry and all infantry officers have their Tab and most senior NCO's. Think of it as a "Right of passage."

Everyone assumes you were in Ranger Bat if you have the Tab, it's a common misconception. It sure as heck makes getting all your promotion points easy. At the age of 20 I had enough promotion points for SFC(E7). I just needed more time in.

The 13 month stop-loss sure puts you in a bad mood. During the stop loss period we had a ZERO percent retention rate. It was comical what they would say to try and get us to re-up. To put it in perspective a PFC told the Battalion Commander to F-off with no repercussion.

I too am a US Army Rotorhead warrant officer. WORWAC 70-19/21, Vietnam Aug '70- Aug 71. Mostly Huey slicks but some OH-58.
I have no ambition of becoming a REAL bush pilot but I would like something more comfortable on a grass strip and I have been interested in Maules for some time.
To me REAL bush pilots are crazier than us Vietnam helo drivers.

US Army Aviation, 1960 1963 UH 34 Helicopter crew chief. Ft Rucker, AL, Korea, Ft Campbell KY. Went to school on the UH 1's jsut before I got out.

82nd Airborne, DIV also went to Ranger School 1965-66 Ft Bragg, NC
188th Assault Helicopter Co., Black Widows, AKA 101st Air Assault, C101,
Ft Campbell, KY 1967
1967, Dau Tieng, Tuy Hoa, Vietnam, Door Gunner
190th AHC, Spartans, Bien Hoa, Vietnam 1968, Door Gunner

http://blackwidows.net/

...and a late poster.

OFWAC 64-5, then CV-2B school, both at Ft. Rucker. 11th Air Assault Division, 1964-65, at Ft. Benning. "First shift" 1st Air Cavalry Division '65-66: Ia Drang Valley, Pleiku, An Khe, Bong Son. Finally, 159th Aviation Co., GaNG. O-1, U-6, CV-2B, OV-1.

The one lasting effect of my service in Vietnam was that it's made the rest of my life seem very boring.

.. an even later poster ...
I was in the 159th ASHB of the 101st Airborne in 1968, Chinooks and CH54 cranes. Was that your old outfit rbowen? We moved into the area the 1st CAV moved out in late 68 in Phu Bai. Green Hornet, I think you said you were there at the same time. We were the large hook outfit that was next to the line of cobra over near the large PX that took a rocket. (If you were there at the time I know you still remember that. Pallet after pallet of burned and busted beer - it's sad to watch grown men cry.)
Roy

Roy wrote:.. an even later poster ...
I was in the 159th ASHB of the 101st Airborne in 1968, Chinooks and CH54 cranes. Was that your old outfit rbowen? We moved into the area the 1st CAV moved out in late 68 in Phu Bai. Green Hornet, I think you said you were there at the same time. We were the large hook outfit that was next to the line of cobra over near the large PX that took a rocket. (If you were there at the time I know you still remember that. Pallet after pallet of burned and busted beer - it's sad to watch grown men cry.)
Roy

I was in Dau Tieng & Tuy Hoa in 67
68 Bien Hoa
You'll like this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETz-XsuWzwE

Bill

RVN 66-67=67-68, 48th avn(blue stars) and (starblazers),Da nang Icorp avn co, marble mtn,61st aslt hel co, bong son,non-co, cheo rio,phan thiet ,,dak-to,tuy hua
I-drang, lz english. you name it. Huey gun ships,slicks, h,d,c models. After second tour got out of aviation after 6 years. Spent 22 years in army. Had enough fta(fun,travel, adventure).