Hey Seniors...since you're all over 55, (wow, that's young!), tell us about your Military Service: Branch of Service ? Years served ? Where served ? Rank attained at discharge ? I served in the US Army Served 2 years (I was a Draftee who volunteered to serve 2 years instead of 3 as an Enlistee) First year Stateside, 2nd in South Korea. Was an E4 at discharge. (Qualified for OCS in Basic, turned it down to keep my active duty short) Harold Pollner, SP/4, US 56332718
It's strange that I'm getting no responses concerning Military Service from the Seniors on this forum! On the other Seniors forum, people continued responding for a long time about their experiences in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Hal
Well I didn't serve in the services..lol... but my ex husband did and I was a a Navy wife, and we lived in Married quarters for the first 4 years of our marriage . My ex spent 9 years serving in the Royal Navy, he served on HMS Hermes a harrier jump jet aircraft carrier.. as well as 2 other frigates . He spent time with his ship in refit in the USA ..(jacksonville ) but mostly they were at sea.. they'd dock in Malta , or Gibralter for a couple of days, but they were often at sea for anything up to 7 months. This was the 70's... he left the services and just one year later we had the Falklands conflict, he fully expected to be recalled, but thank fully it never happened.
Well, I enlisted in the Navy before high school graduation. I knew the draft would be after me and I didn't want to be in the Army. Navy recruiter called me two weeks after graduation in June 1968 and asked me "you ready to go?". I said, "if I told you no, would that make a difference?" (only joking) and he said "nope, you enlisted, so you're going." Went to, graduated from NTC Great Lakes and after a short Leave, reported to the U.S.S. Robison DDG-12 in Destroyer Escort Group (COMDESRON 52) in San Diego. During my time in, was on two other Destroyers as well. One trip to Nam and a partial trip to Nam. Partial trip was due to getting hurt while roller skating in Yokosuka, Japan that require a hospital stay at the Naval Hospital there. Navy awarded me another Vietnam Service Star, because I was on my way to Nam when I was hurt. Don't ask me. I just accepted the Star and put it on my Vietnam Service Medal/Ribbon with the other one. Made my first Westpac Cruise to Nam in December 1968.
Sometimes there just isn’t a whole lot to say. For the most part, all a combat soldier wants to know about another combat soldier is when they served and who with; the rest of the story goes unspoken but well understood. Non combat vets, no matter how ready they might have been, wouldn’t understand for there are no words that can make someone know the true meaning of what they were trained for; wreck things and kill people. Truth is, most of us have never totally left the theater of war because we’re still fighting. nuff said.......
Good for you, Cody...so you liked Tin Cans! What was your duty on Destroyers? (Wounded in action, huh?) Hal
Enlisted went to flight school at Ft Walters, TX after basic at Ft Polk shipped to VN as Huey Pilot, then inducted into Shadow Co after a year and flew clandestine night missions up north in non US aircraft with non US uniforms and not even dog tags, no US weapons or anything. Mostly insertions and extractions of SF teams and what ever they had, told once in Shadow no coming out we were told, I stayed in VN 30 months until I hurt my leg, then tried out for AMTU and shot for the Army on pistol teams and trained recruits. 26 years in service total with Capt rank. Also had a few years as a K9 handler thrown in, loved that.
Pass signs all,the time when visiting my daughter. Many homes being built there along with I think a plaza a few years ago. Think that's where the Target my daughter always goes too...in Marina.
Yep, Tin Cans, but very nice Tin Cans (LOL) Duty: first BM, then SK. which is now known as Logistics. Guess since I was onboard, and heading towards Nam, they gave me the Star. Our Flag Ship was the Kitty Hawk CVA Carrier. Spent time on the Gun Line in the Tonkin Gulf and "plane guarded" for the "Hawk". My GQ Station was Pointer for the front 5" gun mount. I enjoyed my time in, well, at least most of the time. After I got out in 1972, was able to go back to Long Beach Naval Station, which is no longer there, and see one of my Destroyers come in from a Westpac Cruise...…….it had some dents on the stacks from enemy shore fire (50-caliber type). When I was there, our ship never got hit once. Was shot at, but bullets never came close to the ship...….dropped into the water. We could see the tracer bullets from way off shore on the Gun Line.
U.S. Army - Vietnam 1970-72. Enlisted for 3 years for Officer Candidate School but turned it down when my guaranteed MOS was not available. First lesson in not trusting the Government. Ended up at a SP5. Did basic training in Fort Jackson, SC. Served in Mobile Artillery in Cu Chi and Phi Loi. Was assigned to Fire Support Base Katum. I joined them for the last days in Cambodia. Due to reduction of forces in Vietnam I was allowed to serve my 3rd year in the National Guard. However due to a loophole, I did not have to attend any meetings because in typical government fashion, they did not change the penalty for not attending National Guard meetings, which was to serve 2 years active military, which I already did. . I did attend a few meetings since I was the only one there who served in combat and they sold drinks for $.25. I never had to do anything but tell war stories. They offered me Staff Sargent if I re-upped but I told them no. I enlisted when I was 18 and credit my military experience as contributing to my successful life. I wanted to be a solider since I was a little boy. I played soldier and even bought old WWII military manuals to read. Instead of the Boy Scouts I joined the Sea Cadets. I wanted to test my courage under life and death conditions which few men ever get to do. It enabled me to know that despite any fears I was able to do what needed to be done, and that I could do a lot more than I thought I could do. Once you face death and survive, all other problems in life seem small by comparison. I also learned leadership by leading a squad which also served me well in life.
I have found out that some Veterans absolutely don't want to talk about their service in Nam. It's too horrific to even think about, to them. Then again, my wife's last supervisor was in the Navy as a 1st Class Storekeeper/E-6. She outranked me. When I met this lady, she really didn't want to talk about those years. There another lady that lives in our apartment complex that was in the Navy years ago and she doesn't like talking about her time in the Navy either. As for me, I have no problem talking about my experiences, even getting into some trouble both at Basic Training and onboard a ship. Still got my full Honorable Discharge though. Right now they are packed up for our move, but I have pictures of all three Destroyers I was on, a map of the Tonkin Gulf where my one ship served on the Gun Line, Ribbons I earned and a picture of my 1968 Graduation from NTC, Great Lakes. Wife and I display four U.S. Flags outside on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. It's a total HONOR for me to show my appreciation to those that served and died.