Veterans On the Board

-
Louie70Dart said:
Question for all vets working with nukes during 70's and up..Did any of you receive the Cold War Service Medal?
Click to expand...
I didn't no, I discharged before the date. A lot of the earlier troops weren't eligible for it.
 
Louie70Dart said:
I didn't no, I discharged before the date. A lot of the earlier troops weren't eligible for it.
Click to expand...

I worked the Ground Launched Cruise Missile system 1987-1990. I could have been awarded the Nuclear Deterrance Medal but I left the unit in 1990. I did earn a Combat Readiness Metal for my time in GLCM.

The Cold War Medal, if I'm reading it correctly, is for Reserve units only. Not active duty.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5757?s=1&r=4
 
It's constantly changing. Me......it's to late to be of any concern, I have my stories. LOL, and of course memories.
 
Air Force when I was in had E-4 Sr. Airman that had same pay, duties and responsibilities as E-4 Sgt, but not the NCO status.
 
Air Force 'white hat'......early 70's, Hahn AFB Germany the whole time except for Tech school which was on the same base as basic at Lackland AFB
 
20 years in the Navy. Retired in 2008. Started on wooden minesweepers, went to FFG's, spent 3 years with the Seabees, back to fiberglass minehunters and retired at an MIUWU. I live in Arlington Tx but am from Maine. Building a '67 Dart drag car along with a '68 barracuda.

IMG_0549.JPG


IMG_0507.JPG
 
maineak1970 said:
20 years in the Navy. Retired in 2008. Started on wooden minesweepers, went to FFG's, spent 3 years with the Seabees, back to fiberglass minehunters and retired at an MIUWU.
Click to expand...

Wooden minesweepers on the west coast or east coast?

I did a TDY on a minesweeper out of Seattle in '92 (I think).
 
I served in the Army from 71-91 and retired as an E7. When I got my draft notice, I showed them they couldn't draft ME.......... I enlisted....showed them (LOL). At least I had some semblance of a choice of what I'd be doing. Ended up in MI and served tours in Korea, Germany and Panama. Of course when I wasn't assigned to strategic units Branch made sure I went to infantry outfits (7th ID and 193 Inf Brigade (SEP).
 
I was in the Air Force 73-93 and retired as a Major. I was a Navigator and most of my time was in C-130s. I had about 9600 hours of flying time. More than half of that was as an instructor or flight examiner. During 81-84, I was in a Special Ops unit in Germany. At the time, what we did was so highly classified that few people in the Air Force knew about it. It's since been declassified. We were flying covert aerial reconnaissance missions in specially modified C-130s with multiple cameras and a FLIR. We were sent to Panama in September 1983 to do photomapping in Nicaragua and several other hotspots in Central America and the Caribbean. First we flew to Pope AFB (a big C-130 base) where they gave us Pope AFB Flight Line Badges, 39th Tactical Airlift Squadron flight suit patches and placed all of our IDs and patches in a safe in the Command Post. They also set us up with a mail drop. While we were in Panama, all mail to and from our families in Germany went through Pope since we were not allowed to tell anybody where we were going. Then we flew to the famous Lockheed Skunkworks facility in the LA area where they changed the tail number to a C-130 that crashed in Vietnam and added a few more things. Then we flew a mission every other day for 4 months. Most missions were about 10 hours long. That's why we only flew every other day. What we were doing was briefed at the White House and CIA weekly. In fact, VP Bush came down to Panama while we were there, and as the squadron's VIP briefer, I briefed him on our operation. When we got back to Germany (after trips to California and Pope AFB) we were all grounded for a few weeks because we had exceeded the number of flying hours allowed in a quarter. This 4-month mission was a high point in my career.
 
harrisonm said:
I was in the Air Force 73-93 and retired as a Major. I was a Navigator and most of my time was in C-130s. I had about 9600 hours of flying time. More than half of that was as an instructor or flight examiner. During 81-84, I was in a Special Ops unit in Germany. At the time, what we did was so highly classified that few people in the Air Force knew about it. It's since been declassified. We were flying covert aerial reconnaissance missions in specially modified C-130s with multiple cameras and a FLIR. We were sent to Panama in September 1983 to do photomapping in Nicaragua and several other hotspots in Central America and the Caribbean. First we flew to Pope AFB (a big C-130 base) where they gave us Pope AFB Flight Line Badges, 39th Tactical Airlift Squadron flight suit patches and placed all of our IDs and patches in a safe in the Command Post. They also set us up with a mail drop. While we were in Panama, all mail to and from our families in Germany went through Pope since we were not allowed to tell anybody where we were going. Then we flew to the famous Lockheed Skunkworks facility in the LA area where they changed the tail number to a C-130 that crashed in Vietnam and added a few more things. Then we flew a mission every other day for 4 months. Most missions were about 10 hours long. That's why we only flew every other day. What we were doing was briefed at the White House and CIA weekly. In fact, VP Bush came down to Panama while we were there, and as the squadron's VIP briefer, I briefed him on our operation. When we got back to Germany (after trips to California and Pope AFB) we were all grounded for a few weeks because we had exceeded the number of flying hours allowed in a quarter. This 4-month mission was a high point in my career.
Click to expand...

I had the pleasure of exiting your squadrons fine aircraft while in flight on many occasions :thumbsup:
 
WV64Signet said:
I had the pleasure of exiting your squadrons fine aircraft while in flight on many occasions :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
82nd? When I was just a lieutenant right out of Nav school, I was stationed at Little Rock AFB in the 50th Tactical Airlift Squadron (TAS). We used to go to Pope AFB and participate in paratroop drop exercises all the time. You may have jumped out after I said "Green Light". The Herc is a noisy bugger in the back, isn't she?
 
harrisonm said:
82nd? When I was just a lieutenant right out of Nav school, I was stationed at Little Rock AFB in the 50th Tactical Airlift Squadron (TAS). We used to go to Pope AFB and participate in paratroop drop exercises all the time. You may have jumped out after I said "Green Light". The Herc is a noisy bugger in the back, isn't she?
Click to expand...

Some time at Bragg, yes... and while in Europe both. Static line and HALO/HAHO
 
"........We were sent to Panama in September 1983......."

Yeah that was the same period I was stationed in Panama. It was "interesting" times.
 
harrisonm said:
This 4-month mission was a high point in my career.
Click to expand...
Was just a 'white hat' on the main gate in the AF (and on the other 2 gates but didn't have to wear blues and the white hat) and the high point of my 'career' was stopping the base commander when entering the base because his driver forgot to put the insignia placard in the holder on the front bumper. lol
 
Served in the US Navy from Oct.65 - Oct.69......Throttleman aft engine room on the USS Bashaw AGSS 241....Patrolled off shore of NAM inserting SEALS...close to shore submerged up to the conning tower hatch to be able to wet deck launch these brave warriors. My 69 Dart engine is a bit small compaired to the 16 cyl. GMC engines I worked on. I was discharged as MM2 (SS) At the time our boat was the oldest WWII fleet boat in commission her keel was laid in 1942 3 yrs. before I was born.
 
Dart Vet said:
Served in the US Navy from Oct.65 - Oct.69......Throttleman aft engine room on the USS Bashaw AGSS 241....Patrolled off shore of NAM inserting SEALS...close to shore submerged up to the conning tower hatch to be able to wet deck launch these brave warriors. My 69 Dart engine is a bit small compaired to the 16 cyl. GMC engines I worked on. I was discharged as MM2 (SS) At the time our boat was the oldest WWII fleet boat in commission her keel was laid in 1942 3 yrs. before I was born.
Click to expand...
Dart Vet said:
Served in the US Navy from Oct.65 - Oct.69......Throttleman aft engine room on the USS Bashaw AGSS 241....Patrolled off shore of NAM inserting SEALS...close to shore submerged up to the conning tower hatch to be able to wet deck launch these brave warriors. My 69 Dart engine is a bit small compaired to the 16 cyl. GMC engines I worked on. I was discharged as MM2 (SS) At the time our boat was the oldest WWII fleet boat in commission her keel was laid in 1942 3 yrs. before I was born.
Click to expand...
Diesel Boats Forever
I was on a “new” boat built in 1945
USS Remora SS487
EM3SS 1970-1973
 
ramcharger said:
I could never live up to what that man did, or, what those other guys did that may have saved his life. He only shared little pieces randomly on what he went through. He'd be 100 if he were alive, cancer took him away. I'm sure if he were alive he'd know every Man's name in that Platoon and could tell me a story. Note that he used some kind of gum to silence his tags...
Click to expand...
Jere Hodges said:
Retired Army Signal Intel/Russian Linguist, SFC/E7. Time in Germany, Japan, Fort Hood, Detroit (my only "combat" tour).
Click to expand...
Berlin Field Station?
 
WV64Signet said:
NSFW... But is THIS funny... and so true. :lol:

Click to expand...

Ok that right there made me laugh till I had tears coming out of my eyes. Wife leaned her head out of office and asked what the heck I was listening to that was making me howl! Well gotta go I am heading out to tactically acquire some ice cream.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top