Sticky Military and Veterans thread

[Charvelx04]

Feel free to use this thread to talk, share, express or otherwise engage in the military and our veterans.

Keep in mind, topics such as these can contain some serious passion on the subject... so let's not forget, we're adults. Some topics may be touchy or cause anxiety... so let's support the conversation and talking points; taking opinions out on each will not be tolerated here.

C4.

 

[EMS]

I wasn't in the forces but my grand parents were.....hard to believe that my fathers side fought for the British and my mothers father was press ganged into serving in the German army, not that they were German they were from a small homestead on the Polish border. My father was posted to places like Aden and Bahrein during the uprisings...he told me a few stories about those posts, he knew mad mike. For the British Army veterans, most of them had heard of Mad Mike. I support the Ghurkha's as they fought valiantly for the British sovereignty and then were treated like , they finally got what they deserved but after a lot of years of fighting for it.

A lad that I knew from school fought in the Falklands, I don't know anyone that has done Afghanistan the second time nor Iraq, either time.

I also support the RAF veterans for everything they have done.

Neither the British Army nor the RAF wanted me....maybe its because I'm not very good at taking orders from people. Couldn't get in the police force (I tried 3 different forces at 3 different times in my life) I think that might have been the same reason. Who knows, I know I don't....

 

[Edna]

I'm really glad this thread was created—there's so much to discuss and appreciate when it comes to our military and veterans. One thing that's been on my mind lately is the transition process for veterans returning to civilian life. I've heard from a few friends who served that it can be a tough adjustment, especially when it comes to finding a sense of purpose after leaving the military.

My brother went through this a few years ago, and what really helped him was connecting with other veterans. He joined a local veterans' group, which made a big difference for him. They shared resources, gave each other advice, and supported one another through the transition. It was a lifeline for him, both professionally and emotionally.

However, I also want to acknowledge that the transition isn't always straightforward and that some veterans face lingering issues related to their service. My brother, like many others, had to confront some difficult experiences from his time in the military. He faced the challenges of PTSD, including flashbacks and anxiety, which made adjusting to civilian life quite tough. Connecting with other veterans and seeking professional help were critical in managing these symptoms.

The shift from the structured military environment to the less regimented civilian world was jarring for him. He struggled with adapting to a new daily routine and the different expectations in civilian life. Processing the trauma of witnessing combat and the loss of fellow soldiers was another significant hurdle. Discussing these experiences with peers who understood his situation was crucial for his emotional healing.

Translating his military skills into a civilian resume and navigating the job market proved challenging as well. Veteran employment programs and support networks were instrumental in finding new career opportunities. Finally, the loss of a clear sense of identity and purpose after leaving the military was a profound struggle. Finding new directions and redefining his sense of self was an important part of his transition.

I've been thinking about how these issues might also relate to members of the Kenya Defense Forces and

as well. I imagine that transitioning from such a disciplined and high-stakes environment to civilian life could present similar challenges.

 

[uncledude]

my grandson signed up for the Army. he has been in basic training for 3 weeks now.
he wants to be a mechanic ... in the rear with the gear...

so far he said he is loving it. he was so happy when he found out he would be shooting for a whole week
he's been going to the range with me since he was a little guy

the first pic he sent us is his shaved head...so funny

 

[whitefish]

Fish - US ARMY Veteran

Drafted US Army
SSID Number: 491xxxxxx42

Current Status

US/AUS Veteran Residing in CA, United States

VFW Post 6309,Gilroy, CA
Service Officer and Trustee - Scouts / Youth Programs District 12 Chairman

The American Legion Post 318 San Jose , CA
Life Time Member

US Army 1969 - 1972

Induction Fort Louis Missouri
Fort Bragg North Carolina 82nd Airborne - Basic
Fort Benning Georgia - 82nd Airborne Jump School
Fort Knox Kentucky - AIT Field Artillery, Self Propelled Tank Training School
Fort Sill Oklahoma - Overseas Deployment
Oakland Army Base California Departure - Viet-Nam

ETS Fort Lewis Washington / Sydney NSW Australia

MOS - 13R20 Armor Crewman
Rank - SPC 5

Divisions
4th Infantry Division Artillery
196th Infantry Brigade
Combat Veteran

Deployed & Served in Viet-Nam / Cambodia - Fire Base 229 on the DMZ

Now suffering from PTSD and Agent Orange Contamination

I am 100% Disabled Veteran ( Total & Permanent ) rated by the VA

 

[Wombat]

6 years Royal Australian Army.
After completing basic training and corp training I spent all my years in the 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment.
Spent 12 months in Vietnam from May 1970 to Jun 1971.
Upon discharge I was employed in a Security Company doing carry on hand luggage searches at the local Airport. After 2 months in that role I landed a job as an Airport Security Officer at the same Airport. From there i went on to become an Airport Safety Officer, all up I did 25 yrs before being put off work as Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI).
Been retired since 12/23/1999.

 

[whitefish]

Wombat, thank you fore your service ...

You were in country about the same time I was there - my Base Camp was De Nang up north but I did come across quite a few Aussies in De Nang when I came off the hill fore 3 day R&R - we were all in the killing fields ....

fish

 

[whitefish]

Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange win $180 million settlement

On May 7, 1984, seven chemical companies, including Dow and Monsanto, agree to pay $180 million to thousands of Vietnam veterans exposed to the chemical herbicide Agent Orange during the war. Lawyers for the two sides announced the surprise out-of-court settlement on the day jury selection was to begin in the case.

U.S. military forces sprayed nearly 20 million gallons of herbicides over Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos from 1961 to 1971 during Operation Ranch Hand, with the aim of destroying forest cover and crops being used by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. The chemical Agent Orange made up nearly two-thirds of the herbicides used.

Although its active ingredients caused plants to lose their foliage, Agent Orange also included significant amounts of dioxin, a "persistent organic pollutant" which could persist for years in the environment through soil, lake and river sediments, and in the food chain. Dioxin contaminants are linked to long-term health issues including type 2 diabetes, immune system dysfunction, nerve disorders, muscular dysfunction, hormone disruption and heart disease—with even more dire effects for developing fetuses. After the war, returning Vietnam veterans and their families began reporting these issues.

A class-action lawsuit was filed in 1979 on behalf of 2.4 million veterans exposed to Agent Orange, culminating in a surprise settlement five years later, with the seven large chemical companies that manufactured the herbicide agreeing to pay $180 million in compensation to the veterans or their children. Lawyers representing the veterans, in turn, dropped damage claims against these defendant companies.

The manufacturers had maintained the "government contractor" defense—that because they had been following government orders to produce Agent Orange, the government should be held liable. A few months after the settlement, the Justice Department refuted that claim, pinning the blame on the manufacturers' "profit, not compulsion or patriotism." In 1991, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Agent Orange Act of 1991, mandating that diseases associated with Agent Orange and other herbicides be treated as the result of wartime service, acknowledging responsibility on the part of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

However, none of the above bills or settlements sought to protect or compensate the Vietnamese victims of Operation Ranch Hand. According to the Vietnamese government, as many as 400,000 Vietnamese people suffered death or permanent injury, while another 2 million may have suffered from illnesses brought on by Agent Orange. A class-action lawsuit brought by Vietnamese citizens in 2004 against more than 30 chemical companies claimed that the use of Agent Orange constituted a violation of international law, but that suit was rejected on final appeal in 2008 by the same U.S. District Judge who presided over the U.S. veterans' lawsuit.


US ARMY SPC 5 whitefish Reporting
Viet-Nam Veteran

 

[Charvelx04]

In May of '84... just before freshman year, high school... I was fortunate enough to sign up with the Civil Air Patrol. They were stationed at Davis Monthan AFB (Air Force Base) in Tucson AZ. Was in it for a few months, getting in some training and first step military knowledge. Was having fun with it, truly did. Got to be on base doing drills, marches, routines and exercises.

But... that's where it ended for me, unfortunately. I went to the recruiters office for the AF, talking about all the requirements it would take to get into the service, much less get to be an actual fighter pilot. What took me out, having asthma. Well, their rules at the time was no record of said disease after age 11. Hell, I still had my inhalor at home. So... after finding out no branch would take me in, it kinda shifted the entire direction my life would have taken.

So.. for all of you that have served, thank you. Thank you for everything you've ever done.. and know this, not only do you have our full support... there were some of us that really did want to be right beside you.

 

[whitefish]

Vietnam War,

(1954–75), a protracted conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, against the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. Called the "American War" in Vietnam (or, in full, the "War Against the Americans to Save the Nation"), the war was also part of a larger regional conflict (see Indochina wars) and a manifestation of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies.


Viet Nam War A map showing bases and supply routes during the Vietnam War.

At the heart of the conflict was the desire of North Vietnam, which had defeated the French colonial administration of Vietnam in 1954, to unify the entire country under a single communist regime modeled after those of the Soviet Union and China. The South Vietnamese government, on the other hand, fought to preserve a Vietnam more closely aligned with the West. U.S. military advisers, present in small numbers throughout the 1950s, were introduced on a large scale beginning in 1961, and active combat units were introduced in 1965. By 1969 more than 500,000 U.S. military personnel were stationed in Vietnam. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union and China poured weapons, supplies, and advisers into the North, which in turn provided support, political direction, and regular combat troops for the campaign in the South. The costs and casualties of the growing war proved too much for the United States to bear, and U.S. combat units were withdrawn by 1973. In 1975 South Vietnam fell to a full-scale invasion by the North.

The human costs of the long conflict were harsh for all involved. Not until 1995 did Vietnam release its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war. In 1982 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C., inscribed with the names of 57,939 members of U.S. armed forces who had died or were missing as a result of the war. Over the following years, additions to the list have brought the total past 58,200. (At least 100 names on the memorial are those of servicemen who were actually Canadian citizens.) Among other countries that fought for South Vietnam on a smaller scale, South Korea suffered more than 4,000 dead, Thailand about 350, Australia more than 500, and New Zealand some three dozen.


Vietnamese boat people. Vietnamese refugees waiting to be taken aboard the USS Blue Ridge during a rescue operation 350 miles (563 km) northeast of Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, 1984.

Vietnam emerged from the war as a potent military power within Southeast Asia, but its agriculture, business, and industry were disrupted, large parts of its countryside were scarred by bombs and defoliation and laced with land mines, and its cities and towns were heavily damaged. A mass exodus in 1975 of people loyal to the South Vietnamese cause was followed by another wave in 1978 of "boat people," refugees fleeing the economic restructuring imposed by the communist regime. Meanwhile, the United States, its military demoralized and its civilian electorate deeply divided, began a process of coming to terms with defeat in what had been its longest and most controversial war. The two countries finally resumed formal diplomatic relations in 1995.


US ARMY SPC 5 whitefish Reporting
Viet-Nam Veteran

 

[whitefish]

French rule ended, Vietnam divided

Vietnam (1954–76)

The Vietnam War had its origins in the broader Indochina wars of the 1940s and '50s, when nationalist groups such as Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh, inspired by Chinese and Soviet communism, fought the colonial rule first of Japan and then of France. The French Indochina War broke out in 1946 and went on for eight years, with France's war effort largely funded and supplied by the United States. Finally, with their shattering defeat by the Viet Minh at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in May 1954, the French came to the end of their rule in Indochina. The battle prodded negotiators at the Geneva Conference to produce the final Geneva Accords in July 1954. The accords established the 17th parallel (latitude 17° N) as a temporary demarcation line separating the military forces of the French and the Viet Minh. North of the line was the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, or North Vietnam, which had waged a successful eight-year struggle against the French. The North was under the full control of the Worker's Party, or Vietnamese Communist Party, led by Ho Chi Minh; its capital was Hanoi. In the South the French transferred most of their authority to the State of Vietnam, which had its capital at Saigon and was nominally under the authority of the former Vietnamese emperor, Bao Dai. Within 300 days of the signing of the accords, a demilitarized zone, or DMZ, was to be created by mutual withdrawal of forces north and south of the 17th parallel, and the transfer of any civilians who wished to leave either side was to be completed. Nationwide elections to decide the future of Vietnam, North and South, were to be held in 1956.


Ngo Dinh Diem

Accepting the de facto partition of Vietnam as unavoidable but still pledging to halt the spread of communism in Asia, U.S. Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower began a crash program of assistance to the State of Vietnam—or South Vietnam, as it was invariably called. The Saigon Military Mission, a covert operation to conduct psychological warfare and paramilitary activities in South Vietnam, was launched on June 1, 1954, under the command of U.S. Air Force Col. Edward Lansdale. At the same time, Viet Minh leaders, confidently expecting political disarray and unrest in the South, retained many of their political operatives and propagandists below the 17th parallel even as they withdrew their military forces to the North. Ngo Dinh Diem, the newly installed premier of South Vietnam, thus faced opposition not only from the communist regime in the North but also from the Viet Minh's stay-behind political agents, armed religious sects in the South, and even subversive elements in his own army.

Yet Diem had the full support of U.S. military advisers, who trained and reequipped his army along American lines and foiled coup plots by dissident officers. Operatives of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) bought off or intimidated Diem's domestic opposition, and U.S. aid agencies helped him to keep his economy afloat and to resettle some 900,000 refugees who had fled the communist North.

By late 1955 Diem had consolidated his power in the South, defeating the remaining sect forces and arresting communist operatives who had surfaced in considerable numbers to prepare for the anticipated elections. Publicly opposed to the elections, Diem called for a referendum only in the South, and in October 1955 he declared himself president of the Republic of Vietnam. The North, not ready to start a new war and unable to induce its Chinese or Russian allies to act, could do little.


US ARMY SPC 5 whitefish Reporting
Viet-Nam Veteran

 

[whitefish]

The Diem regime and the Viet Cong

Leaders in the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C., were surprised and delighted by Diem's success. American military and economic aid continued to pour into South Vietnam while American military and police advisers helped train and equip Diem's army and security forces. Beneath the outward success of the Diem regime, however, lay fatal problems. Diem was a poor administrator who refused to delegate authority, and he was pathologically suspicious of anyone who was not a member of his family. His brother and close confidant, Ngo Dinh Nhu, controlled an extensive system of extortion, payoffs, and influence peddling through a secret network called the Can Lao, which had clandestine members in all government bureaus and military units as well as schools, newspapers, and businesses. In the countryside, ambitious programs of social and economic reform had been allowed to languish while many local officials and police engaged in extortion, bribery, and theft of government property. That many of these officials were, like Diem himself, northerners and Roman Catholics further alienated them from the local people.



Watch the Viet Cong's guerrilla communist forces move down the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos and CambodiaAfter South Vietnamese Premier Ngo Dinh Diem canceled reunification elections scheduled for 1956, the communist Viet Minh decided on war.

Diem's unexpected offensive against communist political organizers and propagandists in the countryside in 1955 had resulted in the arrest of thousands and in the temporary disorganization of the communists' infrastructure. By 1957, however, the communists, now called the Viet Cong (VC), had begun a program of terrorism and assassination against government officials and functionaries. The Viet Cong's ranks were soon swelled by many noncommunist Vietnamese who had been alienated by the corruption and intimidation of local officials.

Beginning in the spring of 1959, armed bands of Viet Cong were occasionally engaging units of the South Vietnamese army in regular firefights. By that time the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party, meeting in Hanoi, had endorsed a resolution calling for the use of armed force to overthrow the Diem government. Southerners specially trained in the North as insurgents were infiltrated back into the South along with arms and equipment. A new war had begun.


Viet Cong. A Viet Cong soldier crouching in a bunker during the Vietnam War.

Despite its American training and weapons, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, usually called the ARVN, was in many ways ill-adapted to meet the insurgency of the Viet Cong. Higher-ranking officers, appointed on the basis of their family connections and political reliability, were often apathetic, incompetent, or corrupt—and sometimes all three. The higher ranks of the army were also thoroughly penetrated by Viet Cong agents, who held positions varying from drivers, clerks, and radio operators to senior headquarters officers. With its heavy American-style equipment, the ARVN was principally a road-bound force not well configured to pursuing VC units in swamps or jungles. U.S. military advisers responsible for helping to develop and improve the force usually lacked knowledge of the Vietnamese language, and in any case they routinely spent less than 12 months in the country.

At the end of 1960 the communists in the South announced the formation of the National Liberation Front (NLF), which was designed to serve as the political arm of the Viet Cong and also as a broad-based organization for all those who desired an end to the Diem regime. The Front's regular army, usually referred to as the "main force" by the Americans, was much smaller than Diem's army, but it was only one component of the Viet Cong's so-called People's Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF). At the base of the PLAF were village guerrilla units, made up of part-time combatants who lived at home and worked at their regular occupations during the day. Their function was to persuade or intimidate their neighbours into supporting the NLF, to protect its political apparatus, and to harass the government, police, and security forces with booby traps, raids, kidnappings, and murders.

The guerrilla forces also served as a recruiting agency and source of manpower for the other echelons of the PLAF. Above the guerrillas were the local or regional forces, full-time soldiers organized in platoon- or company-sized units who operated within the bounds of a province or region. As members of the guerrilla militia gained experience, they might be upgraded to the regional or main forces. These forces were better-equipped and acted as full-time soldiers. Based in remote jungles, swamps, or mountainous areas, they could operate throughout a province (in the case of regional forces) or even the country (in the case of the main force). When necessary, the full-time forces might also reinforce a guerrilla unit or several units for some special operation.


US ARMY SPC 5 whitefish Reporting
Viet-Nam Veteran