How did you get your U.S. Veteran status?
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38 Posts
1. Went into a room with a bunch of other guys.
2. Held up my right hand and mumbled some words.
3. Stood at attention while a really obnoxious guy with a park ranger looking hat yelled at me.
4. Ran a lot, and did a lot of pushups and stuff. Got shots. Shot rifles. Got yelled at more.
5. Got on an airplane and went to the other side of the world.
6. Did NOT (and this is VERY important), did NOT allow any fast moving projectiles to hit me.
7. Stayed out of trouble for 1096 days from item 1. above. (Leap year cost me an extra day.)
8. Just like Segrogan and sixsix said. I got that DD-214 and, viola, here I am, a veteran. Pretty simple, really.
2. Held up my right hand and mumbled some words.
3. Stood at attention while a really obnoxious guy with a park ranger looking hat yelled at me.
4. Ran a lot, and did a lot of pushups and stuff. Got shots. Shot rifles. Got yelled at more.
5. Got on an airplane and went to the other side of the world.
6. Did NOT (and this is VERY important), did NOT allow any fast moving projectiles to hit me.
7. Stayed out of trouble for 1096 days from item 1. above. (Leap year cost me an extra day.)
8. Just like Segrogan and sixsix said. I got that DD-214 and, viola, here I am, a veteran. Pretty simple, really.
Joined
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48 Posts
Compared to you guys, my story will put coffee to sleep!
Got a case of wanderlust when I was 18, and I wanted to get away from the nasty Cleveland winters so I went and joined the Air Force. Served 4 years, including 2 trips to Southeast Asia. I'm very proud of that Vietnam plate on my van.
The first picture is from basic training, the second was at Korat, Thailand.
Got a case of wanderlust when I was 18, and I wanted to get away from the nasty Cleveland winters so I went and joined the Air Force. Served 4 years, including 2 trips to Southeast Asia. I'm very proud of that Vietnam plate on my van.
The first picture is from basic training, the second was at Korat, Thailand.
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34 Posts
I joined the US Navy after I graduated high school, as my dad kicked me out of the house for refusing to go to a seminary school.
It was a pretty decent experience over all, aside from getting stationed in Connecticut and having to deal with fires, flooding, and breakdowns at sea. During my first deployment, I ended up getting slammed into a pipe rather hard, which left me with chronic back pain ever since. That was made worse by getting hit by an Admiral's wife while she sped around base, ignoring stop signs and lights. The Navy declared that after 8 years in, I was too messed up medically to stay in, so I was Honorably Discharged.
When I finally got in at the VA, they found that my back was likely broken as a result of that accident, that the muscles around the break helped to align and keep things going for me.
Trying to get help for the back and nerve damage has been, well, frustrating to say the least. I am glad to still have my wits mostly about me, though.
It was a pretty decent experience over all, aside from getting stationed in Connecticut and having to deal with fires, flooding, and breakdowns at sea. During my first deployment, I ended up getting slammed into a pipe rather hard, which left me with chronic back pain ever since. That was made worse by getting hit by an Admiral's wife while she sped around base, ignoring stop signs and lights. The Navy declared that after 8 years in, I was too messed up medically to stay in, so I was Honorably Discharged.
When I finally got in at the VA, they found that my back was likely broken as a result of that accident, that the muscles around the break helped to align and keep things going for me.
Trying to get help for the back and nerve damage has been, well, frustrating to say the least. I am glad to still have my wits mostly about me, though.
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5 Posts
Ok, Jim, now you just p****d me off. You just had to bring up "smok'em if ya got'em" didn't ya? Could not leave an enjoyable thread alone. In my company at bootcamp; if you didn't smoke; you were given the "opportunity" to continue working while the sandbaggers to a smoke break. Guess who never took up the nasty smoking habit? For extra credit; guess who spent two weeks in "reboot" company for refusing to pick up all those nasty cigarette butts? Yep, that was what turned a gungho young man into a very militant, take no BS young man. Did two more tours in "reboot" before i graduated boot camp. LOL The attitude it planted and nourished in me managed to get me a nice long boot camp experience and a vacation in the brig every Chritmas for the next seven years.
I am getting better with age; I think. But i still have very little tolerance for stupidity from people in authority.
I am getting better with age; I think. But i still have very little tolerance for stupidity from people in authority.
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6,126 Posts
Lol, "Jim" astroturf is long gone, I wonder if he still sees the responses here.crazyoldvanman said:
I'm 100% with you on the stupid people in authority bit and I'm not getting any better with age, in fact, quite the opposite. I've become an intolerant SOB. The only difference I see now from then is today I'll stop and think before I respond or react to another's stupidity.
While I do smoke I want to say thanks for not picking up those butts, three trips though boot camp just proved your will to finish.
Thanks for your service.
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5 Posts
Yeppers that figures. But as a newbie i have to get my posts points. Thanks for the kind words......WoodButcher said:
If i had known what the next seven years were going to be like, i would of just stayed in boot camp...lol
It's better than nothing!markmitch said:
Actually, I'd have to say that the VA in NorCal is pretty much better than most private healthcare. The horror stories I hear from civilians about their doctors or insurance makes me glad that the VA takes such good care of me. Any grievances I've ever had were quickly settled with a trip to patient advocacy.
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4,450 Posts
My Uncle swore Loma Linda VA here in SoCal was the best medical facility he had ever been to. He moved to Boise a few years ago, says sometimes they are so backed up, there's people 'camping out' in the waiting room. The local DAV is incredible there (and everywhere I've seen), they move a lot of folks around town.
Glad to hear Markmitch, and thank you all for your service.
Glad to hear Markmitch, and thank you all for your service.
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18 Posts
Joined the Army when I was 21, as a 98G - cryptologic language analyst. A few years later they changed the nomenclature to 35P, same job though. I was planning on doing my 20 years but the Army just wore down on my body. So after 12 years and a bunch of injuries I got retired early due to disability, 70%. I traveled all over, to some pretty great places (I was lucky) and ended up in Baltimore after finishing my career at Fort Meade. And now I have an Astro that I'm trying to hot rod :-D
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I added you. If you dont want the banner showing let me know or you can do it in your user control panel.Deej-79 said:
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