For Jimbo, and others

[Buckrub]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/decades-later-vietnam-veterans-finally-welcomed-home/ar-BBjq4Fi

for those who served and came home to bull crap. I should have been one of you, I was about 30% one of you. I appreciate what you all did, and I am convinced we did not 'lose' completely.....we established a presence and a commitment to keeping earth free. And you played a huge part. Thank you.

Just thought this was interesting.:slap

[Thumper]

Thanks Buckster. That article brought back a lot of memories.

I was a dumb shit when I came home and had no clue about all the animosity. Heck, I hadn't been home in over three years ... the whole time spent in S.E. Asia. I landed at the Oakland, California airport and was walking with an officer (can't remember his rank now) when a group of 3 "hippies" walked by and made motions/sounds like a machine gun and called us baby-killers. I was floored and started to confront them when the officer grabbed me by the arm, told me to keep my head held high and "march on". Thats when one of the jerks spit at me (not ON me, just toward me). I couldn't believe it and had no clue whatsoever that we were looked at in that way. I guess I was totally naive at that time, but it didn't take long before I realized what the climate was at "home". Once I figured it out, I soon realized my closest friends were my old military buddies ... and still are! Many of us still talk (phone/email/text) every day.

I think what hurt most was the fact I grew up watching "war movies" from WWII ... the hero welcomes back home, the ticker-tape parades, etc. I was pretty much devastated personally.

Funny fact, I remember like it was yesterday, I had just bought my first computer and stumbled on the All-Outdoors site. Once I got over the initial jitters and made a few posts, I was terrified of being flamed. It seemed that's all they did at that time and flame wars were rampant. I made the mistake of asking if anyone there was a VN vet and wasn't given a very warm welcome. Believe it or not, Mauserman emailed me behind the scenes and suggested I not mention the "vet thing" as it doesn't go over well there. That's when we started emailing and became friends over the Internet. Just before he died he was calling me every night and we'd talk for hours. He'd basically quit talking to his family ... even his brother whom he was very close to ... but I could always expect his call. He knew I didn't care if it was 3:00 am, I'd answer the phone. I consider myself extremely lucky as I heard all his "war stories" that he'd always kept pent up inside for all those years. I only wish I'd have recorded them somehow. He was Infantry btw. In his last weeks ... we became extremely close and I valued his friendship more than anyone here ever really knew. For all I know, he told me things even his wife or family never heard as he TOTALLY opened up to me, up through the very last days of his life. There was an awful lot of hurt there that nobody ever knew about.

Me? I've pretty much learned to live with it and basically have a give-a-shit attitude. Kind of an "if you don't like it ... f-you" type attitude. I will admit though ... and I've never mentioned it here I don't think ... when the troops returned from Desert Storm to parades and yellow ribbons around every tree in town ... I hit an all-time low and went through some pretty heavy depression. I'm not sure what it was exactly, but it was like some switch was thrown and I went downhill fast. During Desert Storm, I had even gone down to talk to a recruiter about going back into the military as I wanted to go over there and help out. I was told I was too old to re-enlist! I told the recruiter, Hell, I'm ONLY 38 years old!!" ... and he told me that's the age they're retiring with 20 years service! I guess that kind of put things back in perspective. :(

Well crap ... this somehow turned into a Thump story. Sorry ... but your post is much appreciated. Prolly more than you know. Say a prayer for Mauserman will ya'? He was hurting for many years. :(

P.S. I went to "The Wall" in Washington and sat on a bench crying like a baby ... and I wasn't the only one who "broke down". That is one powerful monument to many.

[Buckrub]

Bubbles took me. I lost it totally. I have the pic of me at it right in front of me.

I was on the wrong side of that Wall.

[Thumper]

I was on the wrong side of that Wall.

Well, that's a bit harsh. Naaa, I can't agree with that.

[Buckrub]

It's how I strongly feel.

I could look through the wall.........and see those faces of the guys with way more guts than I had, who didn't run and hide behind the Reserves back home, who did their duty and did it well. I have two buddies, both machine gunners.......one on a rescue helicopter, and the other on a navy gunboat running up the Mekong Delta. How both made it through, I don't know. We were in high school, and then they were gone. I lived my life.........got married, had kids, all that. They had to wait for that. They and you are America's heroes, the ones who care enough to have courage and do what's right. Not me, I hid behind whatever I could find.

If I had not found a hiding place, I'd have gone. But good lordy I'd have been scared. Too scared to function.

Again, I thank you guys.

[Thumper]

Hey dude ... I was trying to figure a way to move to Canada! Problem is, as an 18-year old, I didn't know how to do it! To be honest, I'm not sure I even knew what the reserves were at that time or that they were a way around the "dilemma". If the draft lottery had not been implemented during "my time" ... I never would have enlisted in a million years. Heck, it was a time when everything good was starting to happen to me ... great job/future, hottie girlfriend, fastest car in town ... I looked at every option I knew of. Heck, even when I joined (ONLY to avoid being drafted) ... I looked at all the angles and chose the Army ONLY because it was a one year shorter enlistment than the alternatives! My education is what saved me actually ... once I took my entrance exams and they were graded/examined ... an officer pulled me aside and threw out the Military Intelligence "bait". I went for it (even though it added an extra year to my enlistment) and it turned out to be the best thing I ever did in my life. I'd have never made that decision on my own, I just sort of fell into it.

One of the "perks"? (Like I said, I was naive back in those days.) I was told there is no ASA (my unit) in Vietnam. Ha! I wasn't lied to ... we worked under a cover ... we were a "Radio Research Group"!! Ha ha ha ha! It's an old joke that was always repeated in our unit as EVERYONE fell for it! We were actually joining the ASA to AVOID Vietnam! The truth turned out to be, we were the first in ... and the last out! ;)

It's all here if anyone's interested enough:

History

Composed of soldiers trained in military intelligence, the ASA was tasked with monitoring and interpreting military communications of the Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China, and their allies and client states around the world. The ASA was directly subordinate to the National Security Agency and all major field stations had NSA technical representatives present.

All gathered information had time-sensitive value depending on its importance and classification. Information was passed through intelligence channels within hours of intercept for the lowest-priority items, but in as little as 10 minutes for the most highly critical information.

ASA personnel were stationed at locations around the globe, wherever the United States had a military presence – publicly acknowledged or otherwise.

Note: That last highlighted part is what blocks many of us from some benefits ... such as Agent Orange exposure for example. Some things, places and activities are not a part of our files. My SEAL buddy has had a hell of a time with some of his benefits due to the fact he was in many places with no proof he was ever there. :(


Vietnam War

Although not officially serving under the ASA name, covertly designated as Radio Research, ASA personnel of the 3rd Radio Research Unit were among the earliest U.S. military personnel in Vietnam; the 3rd later grew to become the 509th Radio Research Group.

The first ASA soldier to be a battlefield fatality of the Vietnam War was Specialist 4 James T. Davis (from Livingston, Tennessee) who was killed on 22 December 1961, on a road near the old French Garrison of Cau Xang. He had been assigned to the 3rd Radio Research Unit at Tan Son Nhut Airport near Saigon, along with 92 other members of his unit. Davis Station, at Tan Son Nhut, was named after him.

Most ASA personnel processed in country through Davis Station. Others attached to larger command structures prior to transport to Vietnam processed in with those units. ASA personnel were attached to Army infantry and armored cavalry units throughout the Vietnam War. Some teams were also attached to the Studies and Observation Group of Military Assistance Command Vietnam and special forces units. Other teams were independent of other army units, such as the 313th Radio Research Brigade at Nha Trang. ASA personnel remained in Vietnam after the 1973 pullout of US Army combat forces and remained present until the Fall of Saigon in April 1975.

I'll make one thing clear ... I arrived in country just as we were downsizing and soon moved to Thailand where I remained for over three years. (with a few "excursions" here and there thrown in). I still worked the Vietnam Mission until moving to the Laotian ... Cambodian ... and finally the Burmese missions later on. Our unit was HIGHLY protected by Thai military, US military as well as the Air Force. A loaded B-52 was circling our compound 24/7 and a fleet of F-4's were minutes away at all times. If we were overrun, we had seconds to set our thermite grenades, dump the fougasse and split before everything got leveled from the air! We were told we each had a $10,000 bounty on our heads (by the commies), but I came back with mine intact! I lived in the village, was VERY close to the Village Chief (he adopted my pet monkey when I left the country) and felt as safe off-site as I did on. In fact, the villagers all called me the "Thai Farang" ... (Thai foreigner) ... so I assume that means I was pretty much accepted into the village. ;)

[jb]

Joined the Reserves out of HS in 63, wasn't ready for College as the Junior College I was going to wanted me to basically repeat 12th grade. The main reason was the extra monthly income that helped pay for college.
Back in 63 nobody really even heard of Vietnam. I was in it for about two years before the build up began and it became a household word.
Never felt like I dodged anything just a lucky choice.
Was in the Reserves till 69, through most of the build up and all the other crap going on. Most of this time I was also in College so walking on campus on Sunday afternoon in uniform after our weekend drill was something I enjoyed doing. Never experience any of the negative crap, I got more questions on how to get into the Reserves .
Closest I came to be called up was during TET, our unit was placed on 24 hour notice, but they called a similar unit up that was from Wisconsin.
I did join the American Legion many years ago and most people figure I'm a Vietnam vet, but I correct them and say I joined before most of that crap happened and missed all the fun.
I did know two classmates that didn't come back, one even won the Medal of Honor.
Part of me sort of regrets not being part of all that, but I look at how my life has turned out and I know it would not be the same if I had gone over there.
No regrets and I thank every Vet I met for their service.